diff --git a/cmd/commands_test.go b/cmd/commands_test.go
index 8f4f8b62..78432460 100644
--- a/cmd/commands_test.go
+++ b/cmd/commands_test.go
@@ -1999,6 +1999,27 @@ apples: red
 	test.AssertResult(t, expectedOutput, result.Output)
 }
 
+func TestMergeSpecialCharacterKeysCmd(t *testing.T) {
+	content := ``
+	filename := test.WriteTempYamlFile(content)
+	defer test.RemoveTempYamlFile(filename)
+
+	mergeContent := `key[bracket]: value
+key.bracket: value
+key"value": value
+key'value': value
+`
+	mergeFilename := test.WriteTempYamlFile(mergeContent)
+	defer test.RemoveTempYamlFile(mergeFilename)
+
+	cmd := getRootCommand()
+	result := test.RunCmd(cmd, fmt.Sprintf("merge %s %s", filename, mergeFilename))
+	if result.Error != nil {
+		t.Error(result.Error)
+	}
+	test.AssertResult(t, mergeContent, result.Output)
+}
+
 func TestMergeYamlMultiAllOverwriteCmd(t *testing.T) {
 	content := `b:
   c: 3
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/lib.go b/pkg/yqlib/lib.go
index 0cba90df..89036291 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/lib.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/lib.go
@@ -71,13 +71,20 @@ func mergePathStackToString(pathStack []interface{}, appendArrays bool) string {
 			s := fmt.Sprintf("%v", path)
 			var _, errParsingInt = strconv.ParseInt(s, 10, 64) // nolint
 
-			hasDot := strings.Contains(s, ".")
-			if hasDot || errParsingInt == nil {
-				sb.WriteString("\"")
+			hasSpecial := strings.Contains(s, ".") || strings.Contains(s, "[") || strings.Contains(s, "]") || strings.Contains(s, "\"")
+			hasDoubleQuotes := strings.Contains(s, "\"")
+			wrappingCharacterStart := "\""
+			wrappingCharacterEnd := "\""
+			if hasDoubleQuotes {
+				wrappingCharacterStart = "("
+				wrappingCharacterEnd = ")"
+			}
+			if hasSpecial || errParsingInt == nil {
+				sb.WriteString(wrappingCharacterStart)
 			}
 			sb.WriteString(s)
-			if hasDot || errParsingInt == nil {
-				sb.WriteString("\"")
+			if hasSpecial || errParsingInt == nil {
+				sb.WriteString(wrappingCharacterEnd)
 			}
 		}