diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/doc/Traverse (Read).md b/pkg/yqlib/doc/Traverse (Read).md
index f5acb2d7..b949ba45 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/doc/Traverse (Read).md	
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/doc/Traverse (Read).md	
@@ -32,6 +32,21 @@ b: apple
 c: banana
 ```
 
+## Optional Splat
+Just like splat, but won't error if you run it against scalars
+
+Given a sample.yml file of:
+```yaml
+cat
+```
+then
+```bash
+yq eval '.[]' sample.yml
+```
+will output
+```yaml
+```
+
 ## Special characters
 Use quotes with brackets around path elements with special characters
 
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/expression_postfix.go b/pkg/yqlib/expression_postfix.go
index c814269c..101dfe29 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/expression_postfix.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/expression_postfix.go
@@ -55,7 +55,15 @@ func (p *expressionPostFixerImpl) ConvertToPostfix(infixTokens []*token) ([]*Ope
 			log.Debugf("deleteing open bracket from opstack")
 
 			//and append a collect to the opStack
-			result = append(result, &Operation{OperationType: collectOperator})
+			// hack - see if there's the optional traverse flag
+			// on the close op - move it to the collect op.
+			// allows for .["cat"]?
+			prefs := traversePreferences{}
+			closeTokenMatch := string(currentToken.Match.Bytes)
+			if closeTokenMatch[len(closeTokenMatch)-1:] == "?" {
+				prefs.OptionalTraverse = true
+			}
+			result = append(result, &Operation{OperationType: collectOperator, Preferences: prefs})
 			log.Debugf("put collect onto the result")
 			result = append(result, &Operation{OperationType: shortPipeOpType})
 			log.Debugf("put shortpipe onto the result")
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/expression_processing_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/expression_processing_test.go
index b72e6e94..93cb2047 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/expression_processing_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/expression_processing_test.go
@@ -62,6 +62,11 @@ var pathTests = []struct {
 		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "b", "TRAVERSE_ARRAY", "[", "a", "]"),
 		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "b", "a", "COLLECT", "SHORT_PIPE", "TRAVERSE_ARRAY"),
 	},
+	{
+		`.b[.a]?`,
+		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "b", "TRAVERSE_ARRAY", "[", "a", "]"),
+		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "b", "a", "COLLECT", "SHORT_PIPE", "TRAVERSE_ARRAY"),
+	},
 	{
 		`.[]`,
 		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "SELF", "TRAVERSE_ARRAY", "[", "EMPTY", "]"),
@@ -72,6 +77,11 @@ var pathTests = []struct {
 		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "a", "TRAVERSE_ARRAY", "[", "EMPTY", "]"),
 		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "a", "EMPTY", "COLLECT", "SHORT_PIPE", "TRAVERSE_ARRAY"),
 	},
+	{
+		`.a[]?`,
+		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "a", "TRAVERSE_ARRAY", "[", "EMPTY", "]"),
+		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "a", "EMPTY", "COLLECT", "SHORT_PIPE", "TRAVERSE_ARRAY"),
+	},
 	{
 		`.a.[]`,
 		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "a", "TRAVERSE_ARRAY", "[", "EMPTY", "]"),
@@ -82,6 +92,11 @@ var pathTests = []struct {
 		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "a", "TRAVERSE_ARRAY", "[", "0 (int64)", "]"),
 		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "a", "0 (int64)", "COLLECT", "SHORT_PIPE", "TRAVERSE_ARRAY"),
 	},
+	{
+		`.a[0]?`,
+		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "a", "TRAVERSE_ARRAY", "[", "0 (int64)", "]"),
+		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "a", "0 (int64)", "COLLECT", "SHORT_PIPE", "TRAVERSE_ARRAY"),
+	},
 	{
 		`.a.[0]`,
 		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "a", "TRAVERSE_ARRAY", "[", "0 (int64)", "]"),
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/expression_tokeniser.go b/pkg/yqlib/expression_tokeniser.go
index 64e672c7..ad0dd2cf 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/expression_tokeniser.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/expression_tokeniser.go
@@ -29,8 +29,9 @@ const (
 type token struct {
 	TokenType            tokenType
 	Operation            *Operation
-	AssignOperation      *Operation // e.g. tag (GetTag) op becomes AssignTag if '=' follows it
-	CheckForPostTraverse bool       // e.g. [1]cat should really be [1].cat
+	AssignOperation      *Operation      // e.g. tag (GetTag) op becomes AssignTag if '=' follows it
+	CheckForPostTraverse bool            // e.g. [1]cat should really be [1].cat
+	Match                *machines.Match // match that created this token
 
 }
 
@@ -145,7 +146,7 @@ func assignAllCommentsOp(updateAssign bool) lex.Action {
 
 func literalToken(pType tokenType, checkForPost bool) lex.Action {
 	return func(s *lex.Scanner, m *machines.Match) (interface{}, error) {
-		return &token{TokenType: pType, CheckForPostTraverse: checkForPost}, nil
+		return &token{TokenType: pType, CheckForPostTraverse: checkForPost, Match: m}, nil
 	}
 }
 
@@ -331,7 +332,7 @@ func initLexer() (*lex.Lexer, error) {
 	lexer.Add([]byte(`env\([^\)]+\)`), envOp(false))
 
 	lexer.Add([]byte(`\[`), literalToken(openCollect, false))
-	lexer.Add([]byte(`\]`), literalToken(closeCollect, true))
+	lexer.Add([]byte(`\]\??`), literalToken(closeCollect, true))
 	lexer.Add([]byte(`\{`), literalToken(openCollectObject, false))
 	lexer.Add([]byte(`\}`), literalToken(closeCollectObject, true))
 	lexer.Add([]byte(`\*[\+|\?d]*`), multiplyWithPrefs())
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path.go
index db24ac80..c2c82174 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path.go
@@ -90,14 +90,19 @@ func traverseArrayOperator(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, expressionNode
 	// rhs is a collect expression that will yield indexes to retreive of the arrays
 
 	rhs, err := d.GetMatchingNodes(context, expressionNode.Rhs)
+
 	if err != nil {
 		return Context{}, err
 	}
+	prefs := traversePreferences{}
 
+	if expressionNode.Rhs.Rhs != nil && expressionNode.Rhs.Rhs.Operation.Preferences != nil {
+		prefs = expressionNode.Rhs.Rhs.Operation.Preferences.(traversePreferences)
+	}
 	var indicesToTraverse = rhs.MatchingNodes.Front().Value.(*CandidateNode).Node.Content
 
 	//now we traverse the result of the lhs against the indices we found
-	result, err := traverseNodesWithArrayIndices(lhs, indicesToTraverse, traversePreferences{})
+	result, err := traverseNodesWithArrayIndices(lhs, indicesToTraverse, prefs)
 	if err != nil {
 		return Context{}, err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path_test.go
index f6869461..b2a31f9a 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path_test.go
@@ -45,14 +45,13 @@ var traversePathOperatorScenarios = []expressionScenario{
 			"D0, P[1], (!!map)::{c: banana}\n",
 		},
 	},
-	// {
-	// 	description:    "Optional Splat",
-	// 	subdescription: "Just like splat, but won't error if you run it against scalars",
-	// 	document:       `"cat"`,
-	// 	expression:     `.[]?`,
-	// 	expected: []string{
-	// 	},
-	// },
+	{
+		description:    "Optional Splat",
+		subdescription: "Just like splat, but won't error if you run it against scalars",
+		document:       `"cat"`,
+		expression:     `.[]`,
+		expected:       []string{},
+	},
 	{
 		description:    "Special characters",
 		subdescription: "Use quotes with brackets around path elements with special characters",
@@ -112,13 +111,12 @@ var traversePathOperatorScenarios = []expressionScenario{
 		expression:     `.a?`,
 		expected:       []string{},
 	},
-	// {
-	// 	skipDoc: true,
-	// 	document:       `[1,2,3]`,
-	// 	expression:     `.["a"]?`,
-	// 	expected: []string{
-	// 	},
-	// },
+	{
+		skipDoc:    true,
+		document:   `[[1,2,3], {a: frog}]`,
+		expression: `.[] | .["a"]?`,
+		expected:   []string{"D0, P[1 a], (!!str)::frog\n"},
+	},
 	{
 		skipDoc:    true,
 		document:   ``,