diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/decode_xml_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/decode_xml_test.go
index 714e4c7c..cf1e2427 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/decode_xml_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/decode_xml_test.go
@@ -41,13 +41,13 @@ var xmlScenarios = []xmlScenario{
 	{
 		description:    "Parse xml: array",
 		subdescription: "Consecutive nodes with identical xml names are assumed to be arrays.",
-		inputXml:       "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\"?>\n<animal>1</animal><animal>2</animal>",
+		inputXml:       "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\"?>\n<animal>1</animal>\n<animal>2</animal>",
 		expected:       "D0, P[], (doc)::animal:\n    - \"1\"\n    - \"2\"\n",
 	},
 	{
 		description:    "Parse xml: attributes",
 		subdescription: "Attributes are converted to fields, with the attribute prefix.",
-		inputXml:       "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\"?>\n<cat legs=\"4\"><legs>7</legs></cat>",
+		inputXml:       "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\"?>\n<cat legs=\"4\">\n  <legs>7</legs>\n</cat>",
 		expected:       "D0, P[], (doc)::cat:\n    +legs: \"4\"\n    legs: \"7\"\n",
 	},
 	{
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/doc/usage/xml.md b/pkg/yqlib/doc/usage/xml.md
index 245f9cbd..e084149e 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/doc/usage/xml.md
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/doc/usage/xml.md
@@ -4,7 +4,12 @@ At the moment, `yq` only supports decoding `xml` (into one of the other supporte
 
 As yaml does not have the concept of attributes, these are converted to regular fields with a prefix to prevent clobbering. Consecutive xml nodes with the same name are assumed to be arrays.
 
-All values in XML are assumed to be strings.
+All values in XML are assumed to be strings - but you can use `from_yaml` to parse them into their correct types:
+
+
+```
+yq e -p=xml '.myNumberField |= from_yaml' my.xml
+```
 
 ## Parse xml: simple
 Given a sample.xml file of:
@@ -27,7 +32,8 @@ Consecutive nodes with identical xml names are assumed to be arrays.
 Given a sample.xml file of:
 ```xml
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
-<animal>1</animal><animal>2</animal>
+<animal>1</animal>
+<animal>2</animal>
 ```
 then
 ```bash
@@ -46,7 +52,9 @@ Attributes are converted to fields, with the attribute prefix.
 Given a sample.xml file of:
 ```xml
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
-<cat legs="4"><legs>7</legs></cat>
+<cat legs="4">
+  <legs>7</legs>
+</cat>
 ```
 then
 ```bash