diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path.go
index aef22ce7..4f46b983 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path.go
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ func doTraverseMap(newMatches *orderedmap.OrderedMap, node *CandidateNode, wante
 	// if we don't find a match directly on this node first.
 
 	var contents = node.Content
-	for index := 0; index < len(contents); index = index + 2 {
+	for index := 0; index+1 < len(contents); index = index + 2 {
 		key := contents[index]
 		value := contents[index+1]
 
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path_test.go
index 2bc78947..4a2c7917 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path_test.go
@@ -35,6 +35,15 @@ steps:
 `
 
 var traversePathOperatorScenarios = []expressionScenario{
+	{
+		skipDoc:     true,
+		description: "strange map with key but no value",
+		document:    "!!null\n-",
+		expression:  ".x",
+		expected: []string{
+			"D0, P[x], (!!null)::null\n",
+		},
+	},
 	{
 		skipDoc:     true,
 		description: "access merge anchors",