diff --git a/cmd/commands_test.go b/cmd/commands_test.go
index ba0cd91..9aeb7c1 100644
--- a/cmd/commands_test.go
+++ b/cmd/commands_test.go
@@ -307,6 +307,21 @@ foobar:
 	test.AssertResult(t, expectedOutput, result.Output)
 }
 
+func TestReadMergeAnchorsExplodeSimpleValueCmd(t *testing.T) {
+	content := `value: &value-pointer the value
+pointer: *value-pointer`
+	filename := test.WriteTempYamlFile(content)
+	defer test.RemoveTempYamlFile(filename)
+
+	cmd := getRootCommand()
+	result := test.RunCmd(cmd, fmt.Sprintf("read -X %s pointer", filename))
+	if result.Error != nil {
+		t.Error(result.Error)
+	}
+	expectedOutput := `the value`
+	test.AssertResult(t, expectedOutput, result.Output)
+}
+
 func TestReadMergeAnchorsExplodeCmd(t *testing.T) {
 	cmd := getRootCommand()
 	result := test.RunCmd(cmd, "read -X ../examples/merge-anchor.yaml")
@@ -337,6 +352,21 @@ foobar:
 	test.AssertResult(t, expectedOutput, result.Output)
 }
 
+func TestReadMergeAnchorsExplodeDeepCmd(t *testing.T) {
+	cmd := getRootCommand()
+	result := test.RunCmd(cmd, "read -X ../examples/merge-anchor.yaml foobar")
+	if result.Error != nil {
+		t.Error(result.Error)
+	}
+	expectedOutput := `thirty: well beyond
+thing: ice
+c: 3
+a: original
+thirsty: yep
+`
+	test.AssertResult(t, expectedOutput, result.Output)
+}
+
 func TestReadMergeAnchorsOverrideCmd(t *testing.T) {
 	cmd := getRootCommand()
 	result := test.RunCmd(cmd, "read ../examples/merge-anchor.yaml foobar.thing")
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/data_navigator.go b/pkg/yqlib/data_navigator.go
index 92da9a5..d0c5f3f 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/data_navigator.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/data_navigator.go
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ func (n *navigator) getOrReplace(original *yaml.Node, expectedKind yaml.Kind) *y
 }
 
 func (n *navigator) recurse(value *yaml.Node, head string, tail []string, pathStack []interface{}) error {
-	log.Debug("recursing, processing %v", head)
+	log.Debug("recursing, processing %v, pathStack %v", head, pathStackToString(pathStack))
 	switch value.Kind {
 	case yaml.MappingNode:
 		log.Debug("its a map with %v entries", len(value.Content)/2)
@@ -83,8 +83,14 @@ func (n *navigator) recurse(value *yaml.Node, head string, tail []string, pathSt
 		log.Debug("its an alias!")
 		DebugNode(value.Alias)
 		if n.navigationStrategy.FollowAlias(NewNodeContext(value, head, tail, pathStack)) {
-			log.Debug("following the alias")
-			return n.recurse(value.Alias, head, tail, pathStack)
+
+			if value.Alias.Kind == yaml.ScalarNode {
+				log.Debug("alias to a scalar")
+				return n.navigationStrategy.Visit(NewNodeContext(value.Alias, head, tail, pathStack))
+			} else {
+				log.Debug("following the alias")
+				return n.recurse(value.Alias, head, tail, pathStack)
+			}
 		}
 		return nil
 	default: