diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/lib.go b/pkg/yqlib/lib.go
index ef4be5fd..dd328dcf 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/lib.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/lib.go
@@ -352,6 +352,13 @@ func parseInt(numberString string) (int, error) {
 	return int(parsed), err
 }
 
+func createStringScalarNode(stringValue string) *yaml.Node {
+	var node = &yaml.Node{Kind: yaml.ScalarNode}
+	node.Value = stringValue
+	node.Tag = "!!str"
+	return node
+}
+
 func createScalarNode(value interface{}, stringValue string) *yaml.Node {
 	var node = &yaml.Node{Kind: yaml.ScalarNode}
 	node.Value = stringValue
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_entries.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_entries.go
index c7ab6351..2af9fe94 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_entries.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_entries.go
@@ -72,20 +72,20 @@ func parseEntry(entry *yaml.Node, position int) (*yaml.Node, *yaml.Node, error)
 	prefs := traversePreferences{DontAutoCreate: true}
 	candidateNode := &CandidateNode{Node: entry}
 
-	keyResults, err := traverseMap(Context{}, candidateNode, "key", prefs, false)
+	keyResults, err := traverseMap(Context{}, candidateNode, createStringScalarNode("key"), prefs, false)
 
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	} else if keyResults.Len() != 1 {
-		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("Expected to find one 'key' entry but found %v in position %v", keyResults.Len(), position)
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("expected to find one 'key' entry but found %v in position %v", keyResults.Len(), position)
 	}
 
-	valueResults, err := traverseMap(Context{}, candidateNode, "value", prefs, false)
+	valueResults, err := traverseMap(Context{}, candidateNode, createStringScalarNode("value"), prefs, false)
 
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	} else if valueResults.Len() != 1 {
-		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("Expected to find one 'value' entry but found %v in position %v", valueResults.Len(), position)
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("expected to find one 'value' entry but found %v in position %v", valueResults.Len(), position)
 	}
 
 	return keyResults.Front().Value.(*CandidateNode).Node, valueResults.Front().Value.(*CandidateNode).Node, nil
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path.go
index 2b40282f..ca7141aa 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package yqlib
 import (
 	"container/list"
 	"fmt"
-	"strconv"
 
 	"github.com/elliotchance/orderedmap"
 	yaml "gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
@@ -57,7 +56,7 @@ func traverse(context Context, matchingNode *CandidateNode, operation *Operation
 	switch value.Kind {
 	case yaml.MappingNode:
 		log.Debug("its a map with %v entries", len(value.Content)/2)
-		return traverseMap(context, matchingNode, operation.StringValue, operation.Preferences.(traversePreferences), false)
+		return traverseMap(context, matchingNode, createStringScalarNode(operation.StringValue), operation.Preferences.(traversePreferences), false)
 
 	case yaml.SequenceNode:
 		log.Debug("its a sequence of %v things!", len(value.Content))
@@ -131,11 +130,8 @@ func traverseArrayIndices(context Context, matchingNode *CandidateNode, indicesT
 		node.Tag = ""
 		node.Kind = yaml.SequenceNode
 		//check that the indices are numeric, if not, then we should create an object
-		if len(indicesToTraverse) != 0 {
-			_, err := strconv.ParseInt(indicesToTraverse[0].Value, 10, 64)
-			if err != nil {
-				node.Kind = yaml.MappingNode
-			}
+		if len(indicesToTraverse) != 0 && indicesToTraverse[0].Tag != "!!int" {
+			node.Kind = yaml.MappingNode
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -155,14 +151,14 @@ func traverseArrayIndices(context Context, matchingNode *CandidateNode, indicesT
 
 func traverseMapWithIndices(context Context, candidate *CandidateNode, indices []*yaml.Node, prefs traversePreferences) (*list.List, error) {
 	if len(indices) == 0 {
-		return traverseMap(context, candidate, "", prefs, true)
+		return traverseMap(context, candidate, createStringScalarNode(""), prefs, true)
 	}
 
 	var matchingNodeMap = list.New()
 
 	for _, indexNode := range indices {
 		log.Debug("traverseMapWithIndices: %v", indexNode.Value)
-		newNodes, err := traverseMap(context, candidate, indexNode.Value, prefs, false)
+		newNodes, err := traverseMap(context, candidate, indexNode, prefs, false)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
@@ -224,9 +220,9 @@ func keyMatches(key *yaml.Node, wantedKey string) bool {
 	return matchKey(key.Value, wantedKey)
 }
 
-func traverseMap(context Context, matchingNode *CandidateNode, key string, prefs traversePreferences, splat bool) (*list.List, error) {
+func traverseMap(context Context, matchingNode *CandidateNode, keyNode *yaml.Node, prefs traversePreferences, splat bool) (*list.List, error) {
 	var newMatches = orderedmap.NewOrderedMap()
-	err := doTraverseMap(newMatches, matchingNode, key, prefs, splat)
+	err := doTraverseMap(newMatches, matchingNode, keyNode.Value, prefs, splat)
 
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -235,7 +231,7 @@ func traverseMap(context Context, matchingNode *CandidateNode, key string, prefs
 	if !prefs.DontAutoCreate && !context.DontAutoCreate && newMatches.Len() == 0 {
 		//no matches, create one automagically
 		valueNode := &yaml.Node{Tag: "!!null", Kind: yaml.ScalarNode, Value: "null"}
-		keyNode := &yaml.Node{Kind: yaml.ScalarNode, Value: key}
+
 		node := matchingNode.Node
 
 		if len(node.Content) == 0 {
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path_test.go
index 464cbba5..56b3cc9c 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path_test.go
@@ -44,6 +44,13 @@ var traversePathOperatorScenarios = []expressionScenario{
 			"D0, P[0 0], (!!int)::1\n",
 		},
 	},
+	{
+		skipDoc:    true,
+		expression: `.cat["12"] = "things"`,
+		expected: []string{
+			"D0, P[], ()::cat:\n    \"12\": things\n",
+		},
+	},
 	{
 		skipDoc:    true,
 		document:   `blah: {}`,