diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/encoder_properties.go b/pkg/yqlib/encoder_properties.go
index a8d9e6c8..d615fa52 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/encoder_properties.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/encoder_properties.go
@@ -63,6 +63,11 @@ func (pe *propertiesEncoder) PrintLeadingContent(writer io.Writer, content strin
 }
 
 func (pe *propertiesEncoder) Encode(writer io.Writer, node *yaml.Node) error {
+
+	if node.Kind == yaml.ScalarNode {
+		return writeString(writer, node.Value+"\n")
+	}
+
 	mapKeysToStrings(node)
 	p := properties.NewProperties()
 	err := pe.doEncode(p, node, "", nil)
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/properties_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/properties_test.go
index 324a46d0..dcae4121 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/properties_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/properties_test.go
@@ -162,6 +162,14 @@ var propertyScenarios = []formatScenario{
 		expected:     "mike: ${dontExpand} this\n",
 		scenarioType: "decode",
 	},
+	{
+		description:  "print scalar",
+		skipDoc:      true,
+		input:        "mike = cat",
+		expression:   ".mike",
+		expected:     "cat\n",
+		scenarioType: "roundtrip",
+	},
 	{
 		description:  "Roundtrip",
 		input:        expectedPropertiesUnwrapped,