diff --git a/commands_test.go b/commands_test.go
index 487bb7fd..370a0a97 100644
--- a/commands_test.go
+++ b/commands_test.go
@@ -94,6 +94,15 @@ func TestReadCmd(t *testing.T) {
 	test.AssertResult(t, "2", result.Output)
 }
 
+func TestReadWithAdvancedFilterCmd(t *testing.T) {
+	cmd := getRootCommand()
+	result := test.RunCmd(cmd, "read examples/sample.yaml b.e(name == sam).value")
+	if result.Error != nil {
+		t.Error(result.Error)
+	}
+	test.AssertResult(t, "4", result.Output)
+}
+
 func TestReadWithKeyAndValueCmd(t *testing.T) {
 	cmd := getRootCommand()
 	result := test.RunCmd(cmd, "read -p pv examples/sample.yaml b.c")
diff --git a/examples/sample.yaml b/examples/sample.yaml
index 1fb93352..603dc54d 100644
--- a/examples/sample.yaml
+++ b/examples/sample.yaml
@@ -1,9 +1,4 @@
-a: true
-b:
-  c: 2
-  d: [3, 4, 5]
-  e:
-    - name: fred
-      value: 3
-    - name: sam
-      value: 4
\ No newline at end of file
+- name: fred
+  value: 3
+- name: sam
+  value: 4
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/data_navigator.go b/pkg/yqlib/data_navigator.go
index 440331ce..8dedf9a8 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/data_navigator.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/data_navigator.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package yqlib
 
 import (
 	"strconv"
+	"strings"
 
 	errors "github.com/pkg/errors"
 	yaml "gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
@@ -69,7 +70,7 @@ func (n *navigator) recurse(value *yaml.Node, head string, tail []string, pathSt
 		return n.recurseMap(value, head, tail, pathStack)
 	case yaml.SequenceNode:
 		log.Debug("its a sequence of %v things!", len(value.Content))
-		if head == "*" || head == "**" {
+		if head == "*" || head == "**" || strings.Contains(head, "==") {
 			return n.splatArray(value, head, tail, pathStack)
 		} else if head == "+" {
 			return n.appendArray(value, head, tail, pathStack)
@@ -96,7 +97,7 @@ func (n *navigator) recurseMap(value *yaml.Node, head string, tail []string, pat
 		newPathStack := append(pathStack, contents[indexInMap].Value)
 		log.Debug("appended %v", contents[indexInMap].Value)
 		n.navigationStrategy.DebugVisitedNodes()
-		log.Debug("should I traverse? %v, %v", head, pathStackToString(newPathStack))
+		log.Debug("should I traverse? head: %v, path: %v", head, pathStackToString(newPathStack))
 		DebugNode(value)
 		if n.navigationStrategy.ShouldTraverse(NewNodeContext(contents[indexInMap+1], head, tail, newPathStack), contents[indexInMap].Value) {
 			log.Debug("recurseMap: Going to traverse")
@@ -214,9 +215,13 @@ func (n *navigator) splatArray(value *yaml.Node, head string, tail []string, pat
 		log.Debug("processing")
 		DebugNode(childValue)
 		childValue = n.getOrReplace(childValue, guessKind(head, tail, childValue.Kind))
-		var err = n.doTraverse(childValue, head, tail, append(pathStack, index))
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
+
+		newPathStack := append(pathStack, index)
+		if n.navigationStrategy.ShouldTraverse(NewNodeContext(childValue, head, tail, newPathStack), childValue.Value) {
+			var err = n.doTraverse(childValue, head, tail, newPathStack)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/filter_matching_node_navigation_strategy.go b/pkg/yqlib/filter_matching_node_navigation_strategy.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dde3b8a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/filter_matching_node_navigation_strategy.go
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+package yqlib
+
+func FilterMatchingNodesNavigationStrategy(value string) NavigationStrategy {
+	return &NavigationStrategyImpl{
+		visitedNodes: []*NodeContext{},
+		followAlias: func(nodeContext NodeContext) bool {
+			return true
+		},
+		autoCreateMap: func(nodeContext NodeContext) bool {
+			return false
+		},
+		visit: func(nodeContext NodeContext) error {
+			return nil
+		},
+		shouldVisitExtraFn: func(nodeContext NodeContext) bool {
+			log.Debug("does %v match %v ? %v", nodeContext.Node.Value, value, nodeContext.Node.Value == value)
+			return nodeContext.Node.Value == value
+		},
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/lib.go b/pkg/yqlib/lib.go
index e455d7ff..108ef3ac 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/lib.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/lib.go
@@ -108,10 +108,10 @@ func NewYqLib() YqLib {
 
 func (l *lib) Get(rootNode *yaml.Node, path string) ([]*NodeContext, error) {
 	var paths = l.parser.ParsePath(path)
-	NavigationStrategy := ReadNavigationStrategy()
-	navigator := NewDataNavigator(NavigationStrategy)
+	navigationStrategy := ReadNavigationStrategy()
+	navigator := NewDataNavigator(navigationStrategy)
 	error := navigator.Traverse(rootNode, paths)
-	return NavigationStrategy.GetVisitedNodes(), error
+	return navigationStrategy.GetVisitedNodes(), error
 
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/navigation_strategy.go b/pkg/yqlib/navigation_strategy.go
index d1d72ca0..a5ae1f1f 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/navigation_strategy.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/navigation_strategy.go
@@ -39,10 +39,11 @@ type NavigationStrategy interface {
 }
 
 type NavigationStrategyImpl struct {
-	followAlias   func(nodeContext NodeContext) bool
-	autoCreateMap func(nodeContext NodeContext) bool
-	visit         func(nodeContext NodeContext) error
-	visitedNodes  []*NodeContext
+	followAlias        func(nodeContext NodeContext) bool
+	autoCreateMap      func(nodeContext NodeContext) bool
+	visit              func(nodeContext NodeContext) error
+	shouldVisitExtraFn func(nodeContext NodeContext) bool
+	visitedNodes       []*NodeContext
 }
 
 func (ns *NavigationStrategyImpl) GetVisitedNodes() []*NodeContext {
@@ -90,8 +91,8 @@ func (ns *NavigationStrategyImpl) shouldVisit(nodeContext NodeContext) bool {
 	parser := NewPathParser()
 
 	// only visit aliases if its an exact match
-	return (nodeKey == "<<" && nodeContext.Head == "<<") || (nodeKey != "<<" &&
-		parser.MatchesNextPathElement(nodeContext, nodeKey))
+	return ((nodeKey == "<<" && nodeContext.Head == "<<") || (nodeKey != "<<" &&
+		parser.MatchesNextPathElement(nodeContext, nodeKey))) && (ns.shouldVisitExtraFn == nil || ns.shouldVisitExtraFn(nodeContext))
 }
 
 func (ns *NavigationStrategyImpl) Visit(nodeContext NodeContext) error {
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/path_parser.go b/pkg/yqlib/path_parser.go
index b18ff5d8..112d7912 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/path_parser.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/path_parser.go
@@ -28,6 +28,26 @@ func (p *pathParser) MatchesNextPathElement(nodeContext NodeContext, nodeKey str
 	if head == "**" || head == "*" {
 		return true
 	}
+	if strings.Contains(head, "==") {
+		log.Debug("ooh deep recursion time")
+		result := strings.SplitN(head, "==", 2)
+		path := strings.TrimSpace(result[0])
+		value := strings.TrimSpace(result[1])
+		log.Debug("path %v", path)
+		log.Debug("value %v", value)
+		DebugNode(nodeContext.Node)
+		navigationStrategy := FilterMatchingNodesNavigationStrategy(value)
+
+		navigator := NewDataNavigator(navigationStrategy)
+		err := navigator.Traverse(nodeContext.Node, p.ParsePath(path))
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Error(err.Error())
+		}
+		//crap handle error
+		log.Debug("done deep recursing, found %v matches", len(navigationStrategy.GetVisitedNodes()))
+		return len(navigationStrategy.GetVisitedNodes()) > 0
+	}
+
 	if head == "+" {
 		log.Debug("head is +, nodeKey is %v", nodeKey)
 		var _, err = strconv.ParseInt(nodeKey, 10, 64) // nolint
@@ -66,9 +86,12 @@ func (p *pathParser) nextYamlPath(path string) (pathElement string, remaining st
 	case '"':
 		// e.g "a.b".blah.cat -> we need to return "a.b" and "blah.cat"
 		return p.search(path[1:], []uint8{'"'}, true)
+	case '(':
+		// e.g "a.b".blah.cat -> we need to return "a.b" and "blah.cat"
+		return p.search(path[1:], []uint8{')'}, true)
 	default:
 		// e.g "a.blah.cat" -> return "a" and "blah.cat"
-		return p.search(path[0:], []uint8{'.', '['}, false)
+		return p.search(path[0:], []uint8{'.', '[', '"', '('}, false)
 	}
 }