diff --git a/charts/base/Chart.yaml b/charts/base/Chart.yaml
index ab60896..02c6e77 100644
--- a/charts/base/Chart.yaml
+++ b/charts/base/Chart.yaml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ apiVersion: v2
 name: base
 description: Base Helm chart for Kubernetes - fully values-driven.
 type: application
-version: 0.6.0
+version: 0.6.1
 maintainers:
   - name: bonddim
 sources:
diff --git a/charts/base/README.md b/charts/base/README.md
index ef19a23..964decf 100644
--- a/charts/base/README.md
+++ b/charts/base/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # base
 
-![Version: 0.6.0](https://img.shields.io/badge/Version-0.6.0-informational?style=flat-square) ![Type: application](https://img.shields.io/badge/Type-application-informational?style=flat-square)
+![Version: 0.6.1](https://img.shields.io/badge/Version-0.6.1-informational?style=flat-square) ![Type: application](https://img.shields.io/badge/Type-application-informational?style=flat-square)
 
 Base Helm chart for Kubernetes - fully values-driven.
 
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ Base Helm chart for Kubernetes - fully values-driven.
 | configMap.enabled | bool | `false` | Whether to create a ConfigMap resource. |
 | configMap.annotations | object | `{}` | Annotations for the ConfigMap. |
 | configMap.labels | object | `{}` | Labels for the ConfigMap. |
-| configMap.data | object | `{}` | Key/value data for the ConfigMap. |
+| configMap.data | object | `{}` | Key/value data for the ConfigMap (tpl-rendered). A map or list value is rendered as a YAML document, e.g. `{ config.yaml: { log: { level: info } } }`, so it can be deep-merged across values files. |
 
 ### Secret parameters
 
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ Base Helm chart for Kubernetes - fully values-driven.
 
 | Key | Type | Default | Description |
 |-----|------|---------|-------------|
-| extraObjects | object/list | `[]` | Render additional Kubernetes manifests. Each entry may be a string (with Go template expressions) or a YAML object. |
+| extraObjects | object/list | `{}` | Render additional Kubernetes manifests. Each entry may be a string (with Go template expressions) or a YAML object. |
 
 ----------------------------------------------
 Autogenerated from chart metadata using [helm-docs v1.14.2](https://github.com/norwoodj/helm-docs/releases/v1.14.2)
diff --git a/charts/base/templates/config/configmap.yaml b/charts/base/templates/config/configmap.yaml
index 811cf18..bcc9354 100644
--- a/charts/base/templates/config/configmap.yaml
+++ b/charts/base/templates/config/configmap.yaml
@@ -9,6 +9,12 @@ metadata:
   name: {{ include "base.fullname" . }}
 data:
   {{- range $key, $value := .Values.configMap.data }}
-  {{ $key }}: {{ $value | quote }}
+  {{- $rendered := include "base.render.value" (dict "value" $value "context" $) }}
+  {{- if or (kindIs "map" $value) (kindIs "slice" $value) (contains "\n" $rendered) }}
+  {{ $key }}: |
+    {{- $rendered | nindent 4 }}
+  {{- else }}
+  {{ $key }}: {{ $rendered | quote }}
+  {{- end }}
   {{- end }}
 {{- end }}
diff --git a/charts/base/tests/configmap_test.yaml b/charts/base/tests/configmap_test.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f06ae5e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/charts/base/tests/configmap_test.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+suite: configmap
+templates:
+  - config/configmap.yaml
+tests:
+  - it: renders plain string values as-is
+    set:
+      configMap.enabled: true
+      configMap.data:
+        LOG_LEVEL: info
+    asserts:
+      - equal:
+          path: data.LOG_LEVEL
+          value: info
+
+  - it: quotes scalar values that are not strings
+    set:
+      configMap.enabled: true
+      configMap.data:
+        WORKERS: 4
+        DEBUG: true
+    asserts:
+      - equal:
+          path: data.WORKERS
+          value: "4"
+      - equal:
+          path: data.DEBUG
+          value: "true"
+
+  - it: templates string values
+    release:
+      name: myapp
+    set:
+      configMap.enabled: true
+      configMap.data:
+        SERVICE_HOST: "{{ .Release.Name }}-api"
+    asserts:
+      - equal:
+          path: data.SERVICE_HOST
+          value: myapp-api
+
+  - it: renders map values as a YAML document
+    set:
+      configMap.enabled: true
+      configMap.data:
+        config.yaml:
+          Log:
+            Level: Debug
+          Database:
+            Host: db
+    asserts:
+      - equal:
+          path: data["config.yaml"]
+          value: |
+            Database:
+              Host: db
+            Log:
+              Level: Debug
+
+  - it: templates inside map values
+    release:
+      namespace: dev
+    set:
+      configMap.enabled: true
+      configMap.data:
+        config.yaml:
+          VaultUrl: "https://kv-{{ .Release.Namespace }}.vault.azure.net"
+    asserts:
+      - equal:
+          path: data["config.yaml"]
+          value: |
+            VaultUrl: https://kv-dev.vault.azure.net
diff --git a/charts/base/values.yaml b/charts/base/values.yaml
index f54a283..49b5a65 100644
--- a/charts/base/values.yaml
+++ b/charts/base/values.yaml
@@ -619,7 +619,8 @@ configMap:
   # -- Labels for the ConfigMap.
   # @section -- ConfigMap parameters
   labels: {}
-  # -- Key/value data for the ConfigMap.
+  # -- Key/value data for the ConfigMap (tpl-rendered). A map or list value is rendered as a YAML document,
+  # e.g. `{ config.yaml: { log: { level: info } } }`, so it can be deep-merged across values files.
   # @section -- ConfigMap parameters
   data: {}
 
@@ -648,4 +649,4 @@ secret:
 ########################################################################
 # -- (object/list) Render additional Kubernetes manifests. Each entry may be a string (with Go template expressions) or a YAML object.
 # @section -- Extras
-extraObjects: []
+extraObjects: {}