diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/expression_tokeniser.go b/pkg/yqlib/expression_tokeniser.go
index 658ae45e..46ff1d42 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/expression_tokeniser.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/expression_tokeniser.go
@@ -221,10 +221,10 @@ func initLexer() (*lex.Lexer, error) {
 	lexer.Add([]byte(`\)`), literalToken(closeBracket, true))
 
 	lexer.Add([]byte(`\.\[`), literalToken(traverseArrayCollect, false))
-	lexer.Add([]byte(`\.\.`), opTokenWithPrefs(recursiveDescentOpType, nil, &recursiveDescentPreferences{RecurseArray: true,
+	lexer.Add([]byte(`\.\.`), opTokenWithPrefs(recursiveDescentOpType, nil, recursiveDescentPreferences{RecurseArray: true,
 		TraversePreferences: traversePreferences{DontFollowAlias: true, IncludeMapKeys: false}}))
 
-	lexer.Add([]byte(`\.\.\.`), opTokenWithPrefs(recursiveDescentOpType, nil, &recursiveDescentPreferences{RecurseArray: true,
+	lexer.Add([]byte(`\.\.\.`), opTokenWithPrefs(recursiveDescentOpType, nil, recursiveDescentPreferences{RecurseArray: true,
 		TraversePreferences: traversePreferences{DontFollowAlias: true, IncludeMapKeys: true}}))
 
 	lexer.Add([]byte(`,`), opToken(unionOpType))
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_multiply.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_multiply.go
index 2c36fcb5..1cfd14a1 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_multiply.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_multiply.go
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func mergeObjects(d *dataTreeNavigator, lhs *CandidateNode, rhs *CandidateNode,
 	var results = list.New()
 
 	// shouldn't recurse arrays if appending
-	prefs := &recursiveDescentPreferences{RecurseArray: !shouldAppendArrays,
+	prefs := recursiveDescentPreferences{RecurseArray: !shouldAppendArrays,
 		TraversePreferences: traversePreferences{DontFollowAlias: true}}
 	err := recursiveDecent(d, results, nodeToMap(rhs), prefs)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_recursive_descent.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_recursive_descent.go
index 962e8e41..ac08eaa1 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_recursive_descent.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_recursive_descent.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ type recursiveDescentPreferences struct {
 func recursiveDescentOperator(d *dataTreeNavigator, matchMap *list.List, expressionNode *ExpressionNode) (*list.List, error) {
 	var results = list.New()
 
-	preferences := expressionNode.Operation.Preferences.(*recursiveDescentPreferences)
+	preferences := expressionNode.Operation.Preferences.(recursiveDescentPreferences)
 	err := recursiveDecent(d, results, matchMap, preferences)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ func recursiveDescentOperator(d *dataTreeNavigator, matchMap *list.List, express
 	return results, nil
 }
 
-func recursiveDecent(d *dataTreeNavigator, results *list.List, matchMap *list.List, preferences *recursiveDescentPreferences) error {
+func recursiveDecent(d *dataTreeNavigator, results *list.List, matchMap *list.List, preferences recursiveDescentPreferences) error {
 	for el := matchMap.Front(); el != nil; el = el.Next() {
 		candidate := el.Value.(*CandidateNode)