diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_anchors_aliases_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_anchors_aliases_test.go
index a24f3fdd..743e8179 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_anchors_aliases_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_anchors_aliases_test.go
@@ -60,6 +60,15 @@ var anchorOperatorScenarios = []expressionScenario{
 		document:      "a: &a\n  - 0\nc:\n  <<: [*a]\n",
 		expectedError: "merge anchor only supports maps, got !!seq instead",
 		expression:    "explode(.)",
+		skipForGoccy:  true, // goccy yaml parser throws a different error
+	},
+	{
+		skipDoc:       true,
+		description:   "merge anchor not map",
+		document:      "a: &a\n  - 0\nc:\n  <<: [*a]\n",
+		expectedError: "merge anchor only supports maps, got !!seq instead a: &a",
+		expression:    "explode(.)",
+		skipForYamlV3: true, // yaml.v3 parser throws a different error
 	},
 	{
 		description:    "Merge one map",
@@ -275,6 +284,15 @@ var anchorOperatorScenarios = []expressionScenario{
 		expected: []string{
 			"D0, P[], (!!map)::{f: {a: cat, b: {foo: cat}, cat: {foo: cat}}}\n",
 		},
+		skipForGoccy: true, // can't handle no space between alias
+	},
+	{
+		skipDoc:    true,
+		document:   `{f : {a: &a cat, b: &b {foo: *a}, *a : *b}}`,
+		expression: `explode(.f)`,
+		expected: []string{
+			"D0, P[], (!!map)::{f: {a: cat, b: {foo: cat}, cat: {foo: cat}}}\n",
+		},
 	},
 	{
 		description:    "Dereference and update a field",
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operators_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/operators_test.go
index ff557ac2..3aa69fda 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operators_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operators_test.go
@@ -30,10 +30,9 @@ type expressionScenario struct {
 	dontFormatInputForDoc bool // dont format input doc for documentation generation
 	requiresFormat        string
 	skipForGoccy          bool
+	skipForYamlV3         bool
 }
 
-var goccyTesting = false
-
 var testingDecoder = NewYamlDecoder(ConfiguredYamlPreferences)
 
 func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
@@ -44,23 +43,19 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 	ConfiguredYamlPreferences.ColorsEnabled = false
 	ConfiguredJSONPreferences.ColorsEnabled = false
 
-	goccyTesting = os.Getenv("GOCCY") == "true"
-
-	if goccyTesting {
-		testingDecoder = NewGoccyYAMLDecoder(ConfiguredYamlPreferences)
-	}
-
 	Now = func() time.Time {
 		return time.Date(2021, time.May, 19, 1, 2, 3, 4, time.UTC)
 	}
 
-	ConfiguredYamlPreferences.UseGoccyParser = false
+	testingDecoder = NewGoccyYAMLDecoder(ConfiguredYamlPreferences)
+	ConfiguredYamlPreferences.UseGoccyParser = true
 	exitCode := m.Run()
 	if exitCode != 0 {
 		os.Exit(exitCode)
 	}
 
-	ConfiguredYamlPreferences.UseGoccyParser = true
+	testingDecoder = NewYamlDecoder(ConfiguredYamlPreferences)
+	ConfiguredYamlPreferences.UseGoccyParser = false
 	exitCode = m.Run()
 
 	os.Exit(exitCode)
@@ -82,8 +77,16 @@ func readDocument(content string, fakefilename string, fakeFileIndex int) (*list
 
 func testScenario(t *testing.T, s *expressionScenario) {
 	if s.skipForGoccy {
-		return
+		if ConfiguredYamlPreferences.UseGoccyParser {
+			t.Skipf("skipping scenario %v for yaml v3 parser", s.description)
+		}
 	}
+	if s.skipForYamlV3 {
+		if !ConfiguredYamlPreferences.UseGoccyParser {
+			t.Skipf("skipping scenario %v for yaml v3 parser", s.description)
+		}
+	}
+
 	var err error
 	node, err := getExpressionParser().ParseExpression(s.expression)
 	if err != nil {