diff --git a/cmd/commands_test.go b/cmd/commands_test.go
index 271eb52c..7a0e7199 100644
--- a/cmd/commands_test.go
+++ b/cmd/commands_test.go
@@ -282,6 +282,47 @@ func TestReadMergeAnchorsOriginalCmd(t *testing.T) {
 	test.AssertResult(t, "original", result.Output)
 }
 
+func TestReadMergeAnchorsExplodeJsonCmd(t *testing.T) {
+	cmd := getRootCommand()
+	result := test.RunCmd(cmd, "read -j ../examples/merge-anchor.yaml")
+	if result.Error != nil {
+		t.Error(result.Error)
+	}
+	expectedOutput := `{"bar":{"b":2,"c":"oldbar","thing":"coconut"},"foo":{"a":"original","thing":"coolasdf","thirsty":"yep"},"foobar":{"a":"original","c":3,"thing":"ice","thirsty":"yep","thirty":"well beyond"},"foobarList":{"a":"original","b":2,"c":"newbar","thing":"coconut","thirsty":"yep"}}
+`
+	test.AssertResult(t, expectedOutput, result.Output)
+}
+
+func TestReadMergeAnchorsExplodeCmd(t *testing.T) {
+	cmd := getRootCommand()
+	result := test.RunCmd(cmd, "read -X ../examples/merge-anchor.yaml")
+	if result.Error != nil {
+		t.Error(result.Error)
+	}
+	expectedOutput := `foo:
+  a: original
+  thing: coolasdf
+  thirsty: yep
+bar:
+  b: 2
+  thing: coconut
+  c: oldbar
+foobarList:
+  c: newbar
+  b: 2
+  thing: coconut
+  a: original
+  thirsty: yep
+foobar:
+  thirty: well beyond
+  thing: ice
+  c: 3
+  a: original
+  thirsty: yep
+`
+	test.AssertResult(t, expectedOutput, result.Output)
+}
+
 func TestReadMergeAnchorsOverrideCmd(t *testing.T) {
 	cmd := getRootCommand()
 	result := test.RunCmd(cmd, "read ../examples/merge-anchor.yaml foobar.thing")
diff --git a/cmd/utils.go b/cmd/utils.go
index d6982527..791be2d3 100644
--- a/cmd/utils.go
+++ b/cmd/utils.go
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ func writeString(writer io.Writer, txt string) error {
 }
 
 func explode(matchingNodes []*yqlib.NodeContext) error {
+
 	for _, nodeContext := range matchingNodes {
 		var targetNode = yaml.Node{Kind: yaml.MappingNode}
 		explodedNodes, errorRetrieving := lib.Get(nodeContext.Node, "**")
@@ -112,7 +113,10 @@ func explode(matchingNodes []*yqlib.NodeContext) error {
 		for _, matchingNode := range explodedNodes {
 			mergePath := lib.MergePathStackToString(matchingNode.PathStack, appendFlag)
 			updateCommand := yqlib.UpdateCommand{Command: "update", Path: mergePath, Value: matchingNode.Node, Overwrite: overwriteFlag}
-			lib.Update(&targetNode, updateCommand, true)
+			errorUpdating := lib.Update(&targetNode, updateCommand, true)
+			if errorUpdating != nil {
+				return errorUpdating
+			}
 		}
 		nodeContext.Node = &targetNode
 	}
@@ -126,7 +130,10 @@ func printResults(matchingNodes []*yqlib.NodeContext, writer io.Writer) error {
 
 	//always explode anchors when printing json
 	if explodeAnchors || outputToJSON {
-		explode(matchingNodes)
+		errorExploding := explode(matchingNodes)
+		if errorExploding != nil {
+			return errorExploding
+		}
 	}
 
 	bufferedWriter := bufio.NewWriter(writer)