diff --git a/cmd/read_test.go b/cmd/read_test.go
index f4990449..64f89a30 100644
--- a/cmd/read_test.go
+++ b/cmd/read_test.go
@@ -1207,6 +1207,26 @@ func TestReadBadDataCmd(t *testing.T) {
 	test.AssertResult(t, expectedOutput, result.Error.Error())
 }
 
+func TestReadDeepFromRootCmd(t *testing.T) {
+	content := `state:
+  country: 
+    city: foo
+`
+	filename := test.WriteTempYamlFile(content)
+	defer test.RemoveTempYamlFile(filename)
+
+	cmd := getRootCommand()
+	result := test.RunCmd(cmd, fmt.Sprintf("read %s (**.city==foo)", filename))
+	if result.Error != nil {
+		t.Error(result.Error)
+	}
+
+	expectedOutput := `country:
+  city: foo
+`
+	test.AssertResult(t, expectedOutput, result.Output)
+}
+
 func TestReadSplatPrefixCmd(t *testing.T) {
 	content := `a: 2
 b:
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/delete_navigation_strategy.go b/pkg/yqlib/delete_navigation_strategy.go
index 3f397b94..a0792c38 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/delete_navigation_strategy.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/delete_navigation_strategy.go
@@ -12,12 +12,6 @@ func DeleteNavigationStrategy(pathElementToDelete interface{}) NavigationStrateg
 		followAlias: func(nodeContext NodeContext) bool {
 			return false
 		},
-		autoCreateMap: func(nodeContext NodeContext) bool {
-			return false
-		},
-		shouldDeeplyTraverse: func(nodeContext NodeContext) bool {
-			return true
-		},
 		shouldOnlyDeeplyVisitLeaves: func(nodeContext NodeContext) bool {
 			return false
 		},
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/filter_matching_node_navigation_strategy.go b/pkg/yqlib/filter_matching_node_navigation_strategy.go
index ac49e1c4..4c15c4fe 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/filter_matching_node_navigation_strategy.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/filter_matching_node_navigation_strategy.go
@@ -4,12 +4,6 @@ func FilterMatchingNodesNavigationStrategy(value string) NavigationStrategy {
 	return &NavigationStrategyImpl{
 		visitedNodes: []*NodeContext{},
 		pathParser:   NewPathParser(),
-		followAlias: func(nodeContext NodeContext) bool {
-			return true
-		},
-		autoCreateMap: func(nodeContext NodeContext) bool {
-			return false
-		},
 		visit: func(nodeContext NodeContext) error {
 			return nil
 		},
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/navigation_strategy.go b/pkg/yqlib/navigation_strategy.go
index 81a1ce7b..8b00a623 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/navigation_strategy.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/navigation_strategy.go
@@ -62,19 +62,32 @@ func (ns *NavigationStrategyImpl) GetVisitedNodes() []*NodeContext {
 }
 
 func (ns *NavigationStrategyImpl) FollowAlias(nodeContext NodeContext) bool {
-	return ns.followAlias(nodeContext)
+	if ns.followAlias != nil {
+		return ns.followAlias(nodeContext)
+	}
+	return true
 }
 
 func (ns *NavigationStrategyImpl) AutoCreateMap(nodeContext NodeContext) bool {
-	return ns.autoCreateMap(nodeContext)
+	if ns.autoCreateMap != nil {
+		return ns.autoCreateMap(nodeContext)
+	}
+	return false
 }
 
 func (ns *NavigationStrategyImpl) ShouldDeeplyTraverse(nodeContext NodeContext) bool {
-	return ns.shouldDeeplyTraverse(nodeContext)
+	if ns.shouldDeeplyTraverse != nil {
+		return ns.shouldDeeplyTraverse(nodeContext)
+	}
+	return true
 }
 
 func (ns *NavigationStrategyImpl) ShouldOnlyDeeplyVisitLeaves(nodeContext NodeContext) bool {
-	return ns.shouldOnlyDeeplyVisitLeaves(nodeContext)
+	if ns.shouldOnlyDeeplyVisitLeaves != nil {
+		return ns.shouldOnlyDeeplyVisitLeaves(nodeContext)
+	}
+	return true
+
 }
 
 func (ns *NavigationStrategyImpl) ShouldTraverse(nodeContext NodeContext, nodeKey string) bool {
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/read_navigation_strategy.go b/pkg/yqlib/read_navigation_strategy.go
index 98b2df39..b3ec4b0b 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/read_navigation_strategy.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/read_navigation_strategy.go
@@ -4,12 +4,6 @@ func ReadNavigationStrategy(deeplyTraverseArrays bool) NavigationStrategy {
 	return &NavigationStrategyImpl{
 		visitedNodes: []*NodeContext{},
 		pathParser:   NewPathParser(),
-		followAlias: func(nodeContext NodeContext) bool {
-			return true
-		},
-		autoCreateMap: func(nodeContext NodeContext) bool {
-			return false
-		},
 		visit: func(nodeContext NodeContext) error {
 			return nil
 		},
@@ -26,8 +20,5 @@ func ReadNavigationStrategy(deeplyTraverseArrays bool) NavigationStrategy {
 			}
 			return deeplyTraverseArrays || !isInArray
 		},
-		shouldOnlyDeeplyVisitLeaves: func(nodeContext NodeContext) bool {
-			return true
-		},
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/update_navigation_strategy.go b/pkg/yqlib/update_navigation_strategy.go
index 99455925..bfb376e6 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/update_navigation_strategy.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/update_navigation_strategy.go
@@ -10,12 +10,6 @@ func UpdateNavigationStrategy(updateCommand UpdateCommand, autoCreate bool) Navi
 		autoCreateMap: func(nodeContext NodeContext) bool {
 			return autoCreate
 		},
-		shouldDeeplyTraverse: func(nodeContext NodeContext) bool {
-			return true
-		},
-		shouldOnlyDeeplyVisitLeaves: func(nodeContext NodeContext) bool {
-			return true
-		},
 		visit: func(nodeContext NodeContext) error {
 			node := nodeContext.Node
 			changesToApply := updateCommand.Value