diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/treeops/candidate_node.go b/pkg/yqlib/treeops/candidate_node.go
index 74096f58..61843a99 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/treeops/candidate_node.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/treeops/candidate_node.go
@@ -49,9 +49,9 @@ func (n *CandidateNode) UpdateAttributesFrom(other *CandidateNode) {
 	if n.Node.Style == 0 {
 		n.Node.Style = other.Node.Style
 	}
-	n.Node.FootComment = other.Node.FootComment
-	n.Node.HeadComment = other.Node.HeadComment
-	n.Node.LineComment = other.Node.LineComment
+	n.Node.FootComment = n.Node.FootComment + other.Node.FootComment
+	n.Node.HeadComment = n.Node.HeadComment + other.Node.HeadComment
+	n.Node.LineComment = n.Node.LineComment + other.Node.LineComment
 }
 
 func (n *CandidateNode) PathStackToString() string {
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/treeops/lib.go b/pkg/yqlib/treeops/lib.go
index 35fbdbc1..4f9e684f 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/treeops/lib.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/treeops/lib.go
@@ -18,6 +18,17 @@ type OperationType struct {
 	Handler    OperatorHandler
 }
 
+// operators TODO:
+// - stripComments (recursive)
+// - mergeAppend (merges and appends arrays)
+// - mergeIfEmpty (sets only if the document is empty, do I do that now?)
+// - updateStyle
+// - updateTag
+// - explodeAnchors
+// - compare ??
+// - validate ??
+// - exists ??
+
 var Or = &OperationType{Type: "OR", NumArgs: 2, Precedence: 20, Handler: OrOperator}
 var And = &OperationType{Type: "AND", NumArgs: 2, Precedence: 20, Handler: AndOperator}
 
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/treeops/operator_multiply_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/treeops/operator_multiply_test.go
index 65c5af22..fbcd7f90 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/treeops/operator_multiply_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/treeops/operator_multiply_test.go
@@ -95,6 +95,13 @@ b:
 			"D0, P[c], (!!map)::{g: thongs, c: frog}\n",
 		},
 	},
+	{
+		document:   mergeDocSample,
+		expression: `.foobar * .foobarList`,
+		expected: []string{
+			"D0, P[foobar], (!!map)::c: foobarList_c\n<<: [*foo, *bar]\nthing: foobar_thing\nb: foobarList_b\n",
+		},
+	},
 }
 
 func TestMultiplyOperatorScenarios(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/treeops/operator_recursive_descent_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/treeops/operator_recursive_descent_test.go
index 0079efea..7ced6738 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/treeops/operator_recursive_descent_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/treeops/operator_recursive_descent_test.go
@@ -60,6 +60,28 @@ var recursiveDescentOperatorScenarios = []expressionScenario{
 			"D0, P[b], (alias)::*cat\n",
 		},
 	},
+	{
+		document:   mergeDocSample,
+		expression: `.foobar | ..`,
+		expected: []string{
+			"D0, P[foobar], (!!map)::c: foobar_c\n!!merge <<: *foo\nthing: foobar_thing\n",
+			"D0, P[foobar c], (!!str)::foobar_c\n",
+			"D0, P[foobar <<], (alias)::*foo\n",
+			"D0, P[foobar thing], (!!str)::foobar_thing\n",
+		},
+	},
+	{
+		document:   mergeDocSample,
+		expression: `.foobarList | ..`,
+		expected: []string{
+			"D0, P[foobarList], (!!map)::b: foobarList_b\n!!merge <<: [*foo, *bar]\nc: foobarList_c\n",
+			"D0, P[foobarList b], (!!str)::foobarList_b\n",
+			"D0, P[foobarList <<], (!!seq)::[*foo, *bar]\n",
+			"D0, P[foobarList << 0], (alias)::*foo\n",
+			"D0, P[foobarList << 1], (alias)::*bar\n",
+			"D0, P[foobarList c], (!!str)::foobarList_c\n",
+		},
+	},
 }
 
 func TestRecursiveDescentOperatorScenarios(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/treeops/operator_traverse_path.go b/pkg/yqlib/treeops/operator_traverse_path.go
index a2bcc1de..3b12e9d3 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/treeops/operator_traverse_path.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/treeops/operator_traverse_path.go
@@ -44,12 +44,6 @@ func traverse(d *dataTreeNavigator, matchingNode *CandidateNode, operation *Oper
 	log.Debug("Traversing %v", NodeToString(matchingNode))
 	value := matchingNode.Node
 
-	followAlias := true
-
-	// if operation.Preferences != nil {
-	// 	followAlias = !operation.Preferences.(*TraversePreferences).DontFollowAlias
-	// }
-
 	if value.Tag == "!!null" && operation.Value != "[]" {
 		log.Debugf("Guessing kind")
 		// we must ahve added this automatically, lets guess what it should be now
@@ -102,11 +96,8 @@ func traverse(d *dataTreeNavigator, matchingNode *CandidateNode, operation *Oper
 
 	case yaml.AliasNode:
 		log.Debug("its an alias!")
-		if followAlias {
-			matchingNode.Node = matchingNode.Node.Alias
-			return traverse(d, matchingNode, operation)
-		}
-		return []*CandidateNode{matchingNode}, nil
+		matchingNode.Node = matchingNode.Node.Alias
+		return traverse(d, matchingNode, operation)
 	case yaml.DocumentNode:
 		log.Debug("digging into doc node")
 		return traverse(d, &CandidateNode{
@@ -130,6 +121,12 @@ func traverseMap(newMatches *orderedmap.OrderedMap, candidate *CandidateNode, op
 
 	node := candidate.Node
 
+	followAlias := true
+
+	if operation.Preferences != nil {
+		followAlias = !operation.Preferences.(*TraversePreferences).DontFollowAlias
+	}
+
 	var contents = node.Content
 	for index := 0; index < len(contents); index = index + 2 {
 		key := contents[index]
@@ -137,7 +134,7 @@ func traverseMap(newMatches *orderedmap.OrderedMap, candidate *CandidateNode, op
 
 		log.Debug("checking %v (%v)", key.Value, key.Tag)
 		//skip the 'merge' tag, find a direct match first
-		if key.Tag == "!!merge" {
+		if key.Tag == "!!merge" && followAlias {
 			log.Debug("Merge anchor")
 			traverseMergeAnchor(newMatches, candidate, value, operation)
 		} else if keyMatches(key, operation) {