diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_add.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_add.go
index 9e5b17ed..a0ca9711 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_add.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_add.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func toNodes(candidate *CandidateNode) []*yaml.Node {
 func addOperator(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, expressionNode *ExpressionNode) (Context, error) {
 	log.Debugf("Add operator")
 
-	return crossFunction(d, context, expressionNode, add)
+	return crossFunction(d, context, expressionNode, add, false)
 }
 
 func add(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, lhs *CandidateNode, rhs *CandidateNode) (*CandidateNode, error) {
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_alternative.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_alternative.go
index 3b310325..85ae2670 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_alternative.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_alternative.go
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 package yqlib
 
-// corssFunction no matches
-// can boolean use crossfunction
-
 func alternativeOperator(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, expressionNode *ExpressionNode) (Context, error) {
 	log.Debugf("-- alternative")
-	return crossFunction(d, context, expressionNode, alternativeFunc)
+	return crossFunction(d, context, expressionNode, alternativeFunc, true)
 }
 
 func alternativeFunc(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, lhs *CandidateNode, rhs *CandidateNode) (*CandidateNode, error) {
+	if lhs == nil {
+		return rhs, nil
+	}
 	lhs.Node = unwrapDoc(lhs.Node)
 	rhs.Node = unwrapDoc(rhs.Node)
 	log.Debugf("Alternative LHS: %v", lhs.Node.Tag)
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_alternative_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_alternative_test.go
index bb4b3ca6..b76c19d2 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_alternative_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_alternative_test.go
@@ -13,6 +13,14 @@ var alternativeOperatorScenarios = []expressionScenario{
 			"D0, P[a], (!!str)::bridge\n",
 		},
 	},
+	{
+		expression: `select(tag == "seq") // "cat"`,
+		skipDoc:    true,
+		document:   `a: frog`,
+		expected: []string{
+			"D0, P[], (!!str)::cat\n",
+		},
+	},
 	{
 		description: "LHS is not defined",
 		expression:  `.a // "hello"`,
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_booleans.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_booleans.go
index af689ab0..084e5f74 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_booleans.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_booleans.go
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ func orOperator(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, expressionNode *Expressio
 	return crossFunction(d, context, expressionNode, performBoolOp(
 		func(b1 bool, b2 bool) bool {
 			return b1 || b2
-		}))
+		}), false)
 }
 
 func andOperator(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, expressionNode *ExpressionNode) (Context, error) {
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ func andOperator(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, expressionNode *Expressi
 	return crossFunction(d, context, expressionNode, performBoolOp(
 		func(b1 bool, b2 bool) bool {
 			return b1 && b2
-		}))
+		}), false)
 }
 
 func notOperator(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, expressionNode *ExpressionNode) (Context, error) {
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_create_map.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_create_map.go
index dda93c46..cac23356 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_create_map.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_create_map.go
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func sequenceFor(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, matchingNode *CandidateN
 			}
 
 			return &CandidateNode{Node: &node, Document: document, Path: path}, nil
-		})
+		}, false)
 
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_equals.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_equals.go
index 2f444284..1edbccc4 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_equals.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_equals.go
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import "gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 
 func equalsOperator(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, expressionNode *ExpressionNode) (Context, error) {
 	log.Debugf("-- equalsOperation")
-	return crossFunction(d, context, expressionNode, isEquals(false))
+	return crossFunction(d, context, expressionNode, isEquals(false), false)
 }
 
 func isEquals(flip bool) func(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, lhs *CandidateNode, rhs *CandidateNode) (*CandidateNode, error) {
@@ -29,5 +29,5 @@ func isEquals(flip bool) func(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, lhs *Candid
 
 func notEqualsOperator(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, expressionNode *ExpressionNode) (Context, error) {
 	log.Debugf("-- equalsOperation")
-	return crossFunction(d, context, expressionNode, isEquals(true))
+	return crossFunction(d, context, expressionNode, isEquals(true), false)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_multiply.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_multiply.go
index eb892698..2cd94f5f 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_multiply.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_multiply.go
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ type multiplyPreferences struct {
 
 func multiplyOperator(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, expressionNode *ExpressionNode) (Context, error) {
 	log.Debugf("-- MultiplyOperator")
-	return crossFunction(d, context, expressionNode, multiply(expressionNode.Operation.Preferences.(multiplyPreferences)))
+	return crossFunction(d, context, expressionNode, multiply(expressionNode.Operation.Preferences.(multiplyPreferences)), false)
 }
 
 func multiply(preferences multiplyPreferences) func(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, lhs *CandidateNode, rhs *CandidateNode) (*CandidateNode, error) {
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_subtract.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_subtract.go
index a5ef6965..cb779896 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_subtract.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_subtract.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ func subtractAssignOperator(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, expressionNod
 func subtractOperator(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, expressionNode *ExpressionNode) (Context, error) {
 	log.Debugf("Subtract operator")
 
-	return crossFunction(d, context, expressionNode, subtract)
+	return crossFunction(d, context, expressionNode, subtract, false)
 }
 
 func subtract(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, lhs *CandidateNode, rhs *CandidateNode) (*CandidateNode, error) {
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operators.go b/pkg/yqlib/operators.go
index 798ebe70..0a0e25dc 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operators.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operators.go
@@ -24,7 +24,20 @@ func emptyOperator(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, expressionNode *Expres
 
 type crossFunctionCalculation func(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, lhs *CandidateNode, rhs *CandidateNode) (*CandidateNode, error)
 
-func doCrossFunc(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, expressionNode *ExpressionNode, calculation crossFunctionCalculation) (Context, error) {
+func resultsForRhs(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, lhsCandidate *CandidateNode, rhs Context, calculation crossFunctionCalculation, results *list.List) error {
+	for rightEl := rhs.MatchingNodes.Front(); rightEl != nil; rightEl = rightEl.Next() {
+		log.Debugf("Applying calc")
+		rhsCandidate := rightEl.Value.(*CandidateNode)
+		resultCandidate, err := calculation(d, context, lhsCandidate, rhsCandidate)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		results.PushBack(resultCandidate)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func doCrossFunc(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, expressionNode *ExpressionNode, calculation crossFunctionCalculation, calcWhenEmpty bool) (Context, error) {
 	var results = list.New()
 	lhs, err := d.GetMatchingNodes(context, expressionNode.Lhs)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -38,24 +51,33 @@ func doCrossFunc(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, expressionNode *Expressi
 		return Context{}, err
 	}
 
-	for el := lhs.MatchingNodes.Front(); el != nil; el = el.Next() {
-		lhsCandidate := el.Value.(*CandidateNode)
-
-		for rightEl := rhs.MatchingNodes.Front(); rightEl != nil; rightEl = rightEl.Next() {
-			log.Debugf("Applying calc")
-			rhsCandidate := rightEl.Value.(*CandidateNode)
-			resultCandidate, err := calculation(d, context, lhsCandidate, rhsCandidate)
+	if calcWhenEmpty && lhs.MatchingNodes.Len() == 0 {
+		if rhs.MatchingNodes.Len() == 0 {
+			resultCandidate, err := calculation(d, context, nil, nil)
 			if err != nil {
 				return Context{}, err
 			}
 			results.PushBack(resultCandidate)
 		}
+		err := resultsForRhs(d, context, nil, rhs, calculation, results)
+		if err != nil {
+			return Context{}, err
+		}
+	}
+
+	for el := lhs.MatchingNodes.Front(); el != nil; el = el.Next() {
+		lhsCandidate := el.Value.(*CandidateNode)
+
+		err := resultsForRhs(d, context, lhsCandidate, rhs, calculation, results)
+		if err != nil {
+			return Context{}, err
+		}
 
 	}
 	return context.ChildContext(results), nil
 }
 
-func crossFunction(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, expressionNode *ExpressionNode, calculation crossFunctionCalculation) (Context, error) {
+func crossFunction(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, expressionNode *ExpressionNode, calculation crossFunctionCalculation, calcWhenEmpty bool) (Context, error) {
 	var results = list.New()
 
 	var evaluateAllTogether = true
@@ -66,11 +88,11 @@ func crossFunction(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, expressionNode *Expres
 		}
 	}
 	if evaluateAllTogether {
-		return doCrossFunc(d, context, expressionNode, calculation)
+		return doCrossFunc(d, context, expressionNode, calculation, calcWhenEmpty)
 	}
 
 	for matchEl := context.MatchingNodes.Front(); matchEl != nil; matchEl = matchEl.Next() {
-		innerResults, err := doCrossFunc(d, context.SingleChildContext(matchEl.Value.(*CandidateNode)), expressionNode, calculation)
+		innerResults, err := doCrossFunc(d, context.SingleChildContext(matchEl.Value.(*CandidateNode)), expressionNode, calculation, calcWhenEmpty)
 		if err != nil {
 			return Context{}, err
 		}