diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/treeops/operator_explode.go b/pkg/yqlib/treeops/operator_explode.go
index 77ad39d6..de3a73bd 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/treeops/operator_explode.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/treeops/operator_explode.go
@@ -50,35 +50,35 @@ func explodeNode(node *yaml.Node) error {
 		}
 		return nil
 	case yaml.MappingNode:
+		var newContent = list.New()
 		for index := 0; index < len(node.Content); index = index + 2 {
 			keyNode := node.Content[index]
 			valueNode := node.Content[index+1]
 			log.Debugf("traversing %v", keyNode.Value)
 			if keyNode.Value != "<<" {
-				errorInContent := explodeNode(valueNode)
-				if errorInContent != nil {
-					return errorInContent
-				}
-				errorInContent = explodeNode(keyNode)
-				if errorInContent != nil {
-					return errorInContent
+				err := overrideEntry(node, keyNode, valueNode, index, newContent)
+				if err != nil {
+					return err
 				}
 			} else {
 				if valueNode.Kind == yaml.SequenceNode {
 					log.Debugf("an alias merge list!")
-					for index := len(valueNode.Content) - 1; index >= 0; index = index - 1 {
+					for index := 0; index < len(valueNode.Content); index = index + 1 {
 						aliasNode := valueNode.Content[index]
-						applyAlias(node, aliasNode.Alias)
+						applyAlias(node, aliasNode.Alias, index, newContent)
 					}
 				} else {
 					log.Debugf("an alias merge!")
-					applyAlias(node, valueNode.Alias)
+					applyAlias(node, valueNode.Alias, index, newContent)
 				}
-				node.Content = append(node.Content[:index], node.Content[index+2:]...)
-				//replay that index, since the array is shorter now.
-				index = index - 2
 			}
 		}
+		node.Content = make([]*yaml.Node, newContent.Len())
+		index := 0
+		for newEl := newContent.Front(); newEl != nil; newEl = newEl.Next() {
+			node.Content[index] = newEl.Value.(*yaml.Node)
+			index++
+		}
 
 		return nil
 	default:
@@ -86,27 +86,57 @@ func explodeNode(node *yaml.Node) error {
 	}
 }
 
-func applyAlias(node *yaml.Node, alias *yaml.Node) {
+func applyAlias(node *yaml.Node, alias *yaml.Node, aliasIndex int, newContent *list.List) error {
 	if alias == nil {
-		return
+		return nil
 	}
 	for index := 0; index < len(alias.Content); index = index + 2 {
 		keyNode := alias.Content[index]
 		log.Debugf("applying alias key %v", keyNode.Value)
 		valueNode := alias.Content[index+1]
-		setIfNotThere(node, keyNode.Value, valueNode)
-	}
-}
-
-func setIfNotThere(node *yaml.Node, key string, value *yaml.Node) {
-	for index := 0; index < len(node.Content); index = index + 2 {
-		keyNode := node.Content[index]
-		if keyNode.Value == key {
-			return
+		err := overrideEntry(node, keyNode, valueNode, aliasIndex, newContent)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
 		}
 	}
-	// need to add it to the map
-	mapEntryKey := yaml.Node{Value: key, Kind: yaml.ScalarNode}
-	node.Content = append(node.Content, &mapEntryKey)
-	node.Content = append(node.Content, value)
+	return nil
+}
+
+func overrideEntry(node *yaml.Node, key *yaml.Node, value *yaml.Node, startIndex int, newContent *list.List) error {
+
+	err := explodeNode(value)
+
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	for newEl := newContent.Front(); newEl != nil; newEl = newEl.Next() {
+		valueEl := newEl.Next() // move forward twice
+		keyNode := newEl.Value.(*yaml.Node)
+		log.Debugf("checking new content %v:%v", keyNode.Value, valueEl.Value.(*yaml.Node).Value)
+		if keyNode.Value == key.Value && keyNode.Alias == nil && key.Alias == nil {
+			log.Debugf("overridign new content")
+			valueEl.Value = value
+			return nil
+		}
+		newEl = valueEl // move forward twice
+	}
+
+	for index := startIndex + 2; index < len(node.Content); index = index + 2 {
+		keyNode := node.Content[index]
+
+		if keyNode.Value == key.Value && keyNode.Alias == nil {
+			log.Debugf("content will be overridden at index %v", index)
+			return nil
+		}
+	}
+
+	err = explodeNode(key)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	log.Debugf("adding %v:%v", key.Value, value.Value)
+	newContent.PushBack(key)
+	newContent.PushBack(value)
+	return nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/treeops/operator_explode_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/treeops/operator_explode_test.go
index ed283636..b9f79cc5 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/treeops/operator_explode_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/treeops/operator_explode_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 )
 
+//nested alias
+
 var explodeTest = []expressionScenario{
 	{
 		document:   `{a: mike}`,
@@ -20,10 +22,26 @@ var explodeTest = []expressionScenario{
 		},
 	},
 	{
-		document:   mergeDocSample,
-		expression: `.foo* | explode(.)`,
+		document:   `{f : {a: &a cat, *a: b}}`,
+		expression: `explode(.f)`,
 		expected: []string{
-			"D0, P[], (doc)::{f: {a: cat, b: cat}}\n",
+			"D0, P[], (doc)::{f: {a: cat, cat: b}}\n",
+		},
+	},
+	{
+		document:   mergeDocSample,
+		expression: `.foo* | explode(.) | (. style="flow")`,
+		expected: []string{
+			"D0, P[foo], (!!map)::{a: foo_a, thing: foo_thing, c: foo_c}\n",
+			"D0, P[foobarList], (!!map)::{b: bar_b, a: foo_a, thing: bar_thing, c: foobarList_c}\n",
+			"D0, P[foobar], (!!map)::{c: foo_c, a: foo_a, thing: foobar_thing}\n",
+		},
+	},
+	{
+		document:   `{f : {a: &a cat, b: &b {f: *a}, *a: *b}}`,
+		expression: `explode(.f)`,
+		expected: []string{
+			"D0, P[], (doc)::{f: {a: cat, b: {f: cat}, cat: {f: cat}}}\n",
 		},
 	},
 }
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/treeops/path_parse_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/treeops/path_parse_test.go
index 3bd3ee68..1142f4bf 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/treeops/path_parse_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/treeops/path_parse_test.go
@@ -109,6 +109,11 @@ var pathTests = []struct {
 		append(make([]interface{}, 0), " (string)"),
 		append(make([]interface{}, 0), " (string)"),
 	},
+	{
+		`.foo* | (. style="flow")`,
+		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "foo*", "PIPE", "(", "SELF", "ASSIGN_STYLE", "flow (string)", ")"),
+		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "foo*", "SELF", "flow (string)", "ASSIGN_STYLE", "PIPE"),
+	},
 
 	// {".animals | .==cat", append(make([]interface{}, 0), "animals", "TRAVERSE", "SELF", "EQUALS", "cat")},
 	// {".animals | (. == cat)", append(make([]interface{}, 0), "animals", "TRAVERSE", "(", "SELF", "EQUALS", "cat", ")")},
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/treeops/path_tree_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/treeops/path_tree_test.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 005dee7e..00000000
--- a/pkg/yqlib/treeops/path_tree_test.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-package treeops