diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/all_at_once_evaluator_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/all_at_once_evaluator_test.go
index b75ab300..2e9abc43 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/all_at_once_evaluator_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/all_at_once_evaluator_test.go
@@ -35,6 +35,6 @@ func TestAllAtOnceEvaluateNodes(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, tt := range evaluateNodesScenario {
 		node := test.ParseData(tt.document)
 		list, _ := evaluator.EvaluateNodes(tt.expression, &node)
-		test.AssertResultComplex(t, tt.expected, resultsToString(list))
+		test.AssertResultComplex(t, tt.expected, resultsToString(t, list))
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_multiply.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_multiply.go
index 00265387..2746b568 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_multiply.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_multiply.go
@@ -21,29 +21,25 @@ func multiplyOperator(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, expressionNode *Exp
 	return crossFunction(d, context, expressionNode, multiply(expressionNode.Operation.Preferences.(multiplyPreferences)), false)
 }
 
-func getNewBlankNode(lhs *yaml.Node, rhs *yaml.Node) *yaml.Node {
-
-	blankNode := &yaml.Node{}
-
-	if lhs.HeadComment != "" {
-		blankNode.HeadComment = lhs.HeadComment
-	} else if rhs.HeadComment != "" {
-		blankNode.HeadComment = rhs.HeadComment
+func getComments(lhs *CandidateNode, rhs *CandidateNode) (leadingContent string, headComment string, footComment string) {
+	leadingContent = rhs.LeadingContent
+	headComment = rhs.Node.HeadComment
+	footComment = rhs.Node.FootComment
+	if lhs.Node.HeadComment != "" || lhs.LeadingContent != "" {
+		headComment = lhs.Node.HeadComment
+		leadingContent = lhs.LeadingContent
 	}
 
-	if lhs.FootComment != "" {
-		blankNode.FootComment = lhs.FootComment
-	} else if rhs.FootComment != "" {
-		blankNode.FootComment = rhs.FootComment
+	if lhs.Node.FootComment != "" {
+		footComment = lhs.Node.FootComment
 	}
-
-	return blankNode
+	return leadingContent, headComment, footComment
 }
 
 func multiply(preferences multiplyPreferences) func(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, lhs *CandidateNode, rhs *CandidateNode) (*CandidateNode, error) {
 	return func(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, lhs *CandidateNode, rhs *CandidateNode) (*CandidateNode, error) {
 		// need to do this before unWrapping the potential document node
-		newBlankNode := getNewBlankNode(lhs.Node, rhs.Node)
+		leadingContent, headComment, footComment := getComments(lhs, rhs)
 		lhs.Node = unwrapDoc(lhs.Node)
 		rhs.Node = unwrapDoc(rhs.Node)
 		log.Debugf("Multipling LHS: %v", lhs.Node.Tag)
@@ -56,15 +52,10 @@ func multiply(preferences multiplyPreferences) func(d *dataTreeNavigator, contex
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
-			newBlank.Node.HeadComment = newBlankNode.HeadComment
-			newBlank.Node.FootComment = newBlankNode.FootComment
+			newBlank.LeadingContent = leadingContent
+			newBlank.Node.HeadComment = headComment
+			newBlank.Node.FootComment = footComment
 
-			// var newBlank = lhs.CreateChild(nil, newBlankNode)
-			// log.Debugf("merge - merge lhs into blank")
-			// var newThing, err = mergeObjects(d, context.WritableClone(), newBlank, lhs, multiplyPreferences{})
-			// if err != nil {
-			// 	return nil, err
-			// }
 			return mergeObjects(d, context.WritableClone(), &newBlank, rhs, preferences)
 		} else if lhs.Node.Tag == "!!int" && rhs.Node.Tag == "!!int" {
 			return multiplyIntegers(lhs, rhs)
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_multiply_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_multiply_test.go
index 7e1f38f2..b1355075 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_multiply_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_multiply_test.go
@@ -40,8 +40,9 @@ var docWithHeader = `# here
 a: apple
 `
 
-var nodeWithHeader = `# here
-a: apple
+var nodeWithHeader = `node:
+  # here
+  a: apple
 `
 
 var docNoComments = `b: banana
@@ -83,9 +84,9 @@ var multiplyOperatorScenarios = []expressionScenario{
 		skipDoc:    true,
 		document:   nodeWithHeader,
 		document2:  docNoComments,
-		expression: `select(fi == 0) * select(fi == 1)`,
+		expression: `(select(fi == 0) | .node) * select(fi == 1)`,
 		expected: []string{
-			"D0, P[], (!!map)::# here\na: apple\nb: banana\n",
+			"D0, P[node], (!!map)::# here\na: apple\nb: banana\n",
 		},
 	},
 	{
@@ -101,7 +102,7 @@ var multiplyOperatorScenarios = []expressionScenario{
 		skipDoc:    true,
 		document:   docNoComments,
 		document2:  nodeWithHeader,
-		expression: `select(fi == 0) * select(fi == 1)`,
+		expression: `select(fi == 0) * (select(fi == 1) | .node)`,
 		expected: []string{
 			"D0, P[], (!!map)::b: banana\n# here\na: apple\n",
 		},
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_recursive_descent_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_recursive_descent_test.go
index 61caab12..0893242b 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_recursive_descent_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_recursive_descent_test.go
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ var recursiveDescentOperatorScenarios = []expressionScenario{
 			"D0, P[foobarList], (!!map)::b: foobarList_b\n!!merge <<: [*foo, *bar]\nc: foobarList_c\n",
 			"D0, P[foobarList b], (!!str)::b\n",
 			"D0, P[foobarList b], (!!str)::foobarList_b\n",
-			"D0, P[foobarList <<], (!!merge)::!!merge <<\n",
+			"D0, P[foobarList <<], (!!merge)::<<\n",
 			"D0, P[foobarList <<], (!!seq)::[*foo, *bar]\n",
 			"D0, P[foobarList << 0], (alias)::*foo\n",
 			"D0, P[foobarList << 1], (alias)::*bar\n",
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_style_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_style_test.go
index e02fa3ad..5f2490fd 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_style_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_style_test.go
@@ -142,8 +142,8 @@ e: >-
 		document:   `a: cat`,
 		expression: `.. | style`,
 		expected: []string{
-			"D0, P[], (!!str)::\"\"\n",
-			"D0, P[a], (!!str)::\"\"\n",
+			"D0, P[], (!!str)::\n",
+			"D0, P[a], (!!str)::\n",
 		},
 	},
 }
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_tag_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_tag_test.go
index fd90f734..08b22741 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_tag_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_tag_test.go
@@ -10,12 +10,12 @@ var tagOperatorScenarios = []expressionScenario{
 		document:    `{a: cat, b: 5, c: 3.2, e: true, f: []}`,
 		expression:  `.. | tag`,
 		expected: []string{
-			"D0, P[], (!!str)::'!!map'\n",
-			"D0, P[a], (!!str)::'!!str'\n",
-			"D0, P[b], (!!str)::'!!int'\n",
-			"D0, P[c], (!!str)::'!!float'\n",
-			"D0, P[e], (!!str)::'!!bool'\n",
-			"D0, P[f], (!!str)::'!!seq'\n",
+			"D0, P[], (!!str)::!!map\n",
+			"D0, P[a], (!!str)::!!str\n",
+			"D0, P[b], (!!str)::!!int\n",
+			"D0, P[c], (!!str)::!!float\n",
+			"D0, P[e], (!!str)::!!bool\n",
+			"D0, P[f], (!!str)::!!seq\n",
 		},
 	},
 	{
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ var tagOperatorScenarios = []expressionScenario{
 		document:   `{a: cat, b: 5, c: 3.2, e: true, f: []}`,
 		expression: `tag`,
 		expected: []string{
-			"D0, P[], (!!str)::'!!map'\n",
+			"D0, P[], (!!str)::!!map\n",
 		},
 	},
 	{
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_value_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_value_test.go
index 4821c1e3..81534804 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_value_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_value_test.go
@@ -125,13 +125,13 @@ var valueOperatorScenarios = []expressionScenario{
 		document:   ``,
 		expression: `"1.3"`,
 		expected: []string{
-			"D0, P[], (!!str)::\"1.3\"\n",
+			"D0, P[], (!!str)::1.3\n",
 		},
 	}, {
 		document:   ``,
 		expression: `"true"`,
 		expected: []string{
-			"D0, P[], (!!str)::\"true\"\n",
+			"D0, P[], (!!str)::true\n",
 		},
 	}, {
 		document:   ``,
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operators_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/operators_test.go
index 10c9260d..9352950a 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operators_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operators_test.go
@@ -87,17 +87,23 @@ func testScenario(t *testing.T, s *expressionScenario) {
 		t.Error(fmt.Errorf("%v: %v", err, s.expression))
 		return
 	}
-	test.AssertResultComplexWithContext(t, s.expected, resultsToString(context.MatchingNodes), fmt.Sprintf("desc: %v\nexp: %v\ndoc: %v", s.description, s.expression, s.document))
+	test.AssertResultComplexWithContext(t, s.expected, resultsToString(t, context.MatchingNodes), fmt.Sprintf("desc: %v\nexp: %v\ndoc: %v", s.description, s.expression, s.document))
 }
 
-func resultsToString(results *list.List) []string {
+func resultsToString(t *testing.T, results *list.List) []string {
 	var pretty []string = make([]string, 0)
 
 	for el := results.Front(); el != nil; el = el.Next() {
 		n := el.Value.(*CandidateNode)
 		var valueBuffer bytes.Buffer
 		printer := NewPrinterWithSingleWriter(bufio.NewWriter(&valueBuffer), YamlOutputFormat, true, false, 4, true)
-		printer.PrintResults(n.AsList())
+
+		err := printer.PrintResults(n.AsList())
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Error(err)
+			return nil
+		}
+
 		tag := n.Node.Tag
 		if n.Node.Kind == yaml.DocumentNode {
 			tag = "doc"
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/utils.go b/pkg/yqlib/utils.go
index 7405f730..5d46a29e 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/utils.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/utils.go
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ func processLeadingContent(mappedDoc *CandidateNode, writer io.Writer, printDocS
 	log.Debug("headcommentwas %v", mappedDoc.LeadingContent)
 	log.Debug("finished headcomment")
 	reader := bufio.NewReader(strings.NewReader(mappedDoc.LeadingContent))
-	mappedDoc.Node.HeadComment = ""
 
 	for {