diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/expression_processing_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/expression_processing_test.go
index d7ebbd08..28bcedff 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/expression_processing_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/expression_processing_test.go
@@ -12,6 +12,21 @@ var pathTests = []struct {
 	expectedTokens  []interface{}
 	expectedPostFix []interface{}
 }{
+	{
+		`[]|join(".")`, 
+		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "[", "EMPTY", "]", "PIPE", "JOIN", "(", ". (string)", ")"),
+		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "EMPTY", "COLLECT", "SHORT_PIPE", ". (string)", "JOIN", "PIPE" ),
+	},
+	{
+		`{"cool": .b or .c}`, 
+		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "{", "cool (string)", "CREATE_MAP", "b", "OR", "c", "}"),
+		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "cool (string)", "b", "c", "OR", "CREATE_MAP", "COLLECT_OBJECT", "SHORT_PIPE"),
+	},
+	{
+		`{"cool": []|join(".")}`, 
+		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "{", "cool (string)", "CREATE_MAP", "[", "EMPTY", "]", "PIPE", "JOIN", "(", ". (string)", ")", "}"),
+		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "cool (string)", "EMPTY", "COLLECT", "SHORT_PIPE", ". (string)", "JOIN", "PIPE", "CREATE_MAP", "COLLECT_OBJECT", "SHORT_PIPE"),
+	},
 	{
 		`.a as $item ireduce (0; . + $item)`, // note - add code to shuffle reduce to this position for postfix
 		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "a", "ASSIGN_VARIABLE", "GET_VARIABLE", "REDUCE", "(", "0 (int64)", "BLOCK", "SELF", "ADD", "GET_VARIABLE", ")"),
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/lib.go b/pkg/yqlib/lib.go
index c318016c..d855eb35 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/lib.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/lib.go
@@ -50,7 +50,9 @@ var alternativeOpType = &operationType{Type: "ALTERNATIVE", NumArgs: 2, Preceden
 
 var equalsOpType = &operationType{Type: "EQUALS", NumArgs: 2, Precedence: 40, Handler: equalsOperator}
 var notEqualsOpType = &operationType{Type: "EQUALS", NumArgs: 2, Precedence: 40, Handler: notEqualsOperator}
-var createMapOpType = &operationType{Type: "CREATE_MAP", NumArgs: 2, Precedence: 40, Handler: createMapOperator}
+
+//createmap needs to be above union, as we use union to build the components of the objects
+var createMapOpType = &operationType{Type: "CREATE_MAP", NumArgs: 2, Precedence: 15, Handler: createMapOperator}
 
 var shortPipeOpType = &operationType{Type: "SHORT_PIPE", NumArgs: 2, Precedence: 45, Handler: pipeOperator}