diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_slice.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_slice.go
index e20311df..e496cf93 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_slice.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_slice.go
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ func sliceArrayOperator(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, expressionNode *E
 		relativeSecondNumber := secondNumber
 		if relativeSecondNumber < 0 {
 			relativeSecondNumber = len(original.Content) + secondNumber
+		} else if relativeSecondNumber > len(original.Content) {
+			relativeSecondNumber = len(original.Content)
 		}
 
 		log.Debug("calculateIndicesToTraverse: slice from %v to %v", relativeFirstNumber, relativeSecondNumber)
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_slice_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_slice_test.go
index 9785410b..29a821eb 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_slice_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_slice_test.go
@@ -55,6 +55,24 @@ var sliceArrayScenarios = []expressionScenario{
 			"D0, P[1], (!!seq)::- banana\n- grape\n",
 		},
 	},
+	{
+		skipDoc:     true,
+		description: "second index beyond array clamps",
+		document:    `[cat]`,
+		expression:  `.[:3]`,
+		expected: []string{
+			"D0, P[], (!!seq)::- cat\n",
+		},
+	},
+	{
+		skipDoc:     true,
+		description: "first index beyond array returns nothing",
+		document:    `[cat]`,
+		expression:  `.[3:]`,
+		expected: []string{
+			"D0, P[], (!!seq)::[]\n",
+		},
+	},
 	{
 		skipDoc:    true,
 		document:   `[[cat, dog, frog, cow], [apple, banana, grape, mango]]`,