diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_anchors_aliases.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_anchors_aliases.go
index a33006e7..b9326934 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_anchors_aliases.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_anchors_aliases.go
@@ -245,6 +245,7 @@ func applyMergeAnchor(node *CandidateNode, merge *CandidateNode, mergeIndex int,
 				return fmt.Errorf(
 					"can only use merge anchors with maps (!!map) or sequences (!!seq) of maps, but got sequence containing %v",
 					childValue.Tag)
+				return nil
 			}
 			err := applyMergeAnchorMap(node, childValue, mergeIndex, context.ChildContext(newContent))
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path.go
index f3afaf41..88c8f31d 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path.go
@@ -305,9 +305,10 @@ func traverseMergeAnchor(newMatches *orderedmap.OrderedMap, value *CandidateNode
 				childValue = childValue.Alias
 			}
 			if childValue.Kind != MappingNode {
-				return fmt.Errorf(
+				log.Debugf(
 					"can only use merge anchors with maps (!!map) or sequences (!!seq) of maps, but got sequence containing %v",
 					childValue.Tag)
+				return nil
 			}
 			err := doTraverseMap(newMatches, childValue, wantedKey, prefs, splat)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -316,7 +317,8 @@ func traverseMergeAnchor(newMatches *orderedmap.OrderedMap, value *CandidateNode
 		}
 		return nil
 	default:
-		return fmt.Errorf("can only use merge anchors with maps (!!map) or sequences (!!seq) of maps, but got %v", value.Tag)
+		log.Debugf("can only use merge anchors with maps (!!map) or sequences (!!seq) of maps, but got %v", merge.Tag)
+		return nil
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path_test.go
index 114c728e..bf1cad19 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path_test.go
@@ -573,20 +573,6 @@ var traversePathOperatorScenarios = []expressionScenario{
 			"D0, P[a 2], (!!str)::c\n",
 		},
 	},
-	{
-		skipDoc:       true,
-		document:      badAliasSample,
-		expression:    ".steps[]",
-		expectedError: "can only use merge anchors with maps (!!map) or sequences (!!seq) of maps, but got sequence containing !!str",
-		skipForGoccy:  true, // throws an error on parsing, that's fine
-	},
-	{
-		skipDoc:       true,
-		document:      `{<<: 42}`,
-		expression:    ".[]",
-		expectedError: "can only use merge anchors with maps (!!map) or sequences (!!seq) of maps, but got !!int",
-		skipForGoccy:  true,
-	},
 }
 
 func TestTraversePathOperatorScenarios(t *testing.T) {