diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_anchors_aliases.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_anchors_aliases.go
index 9ad74b2f..cd1752e9 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_anchors_aliases.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_anchors_aliases.go
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import (
 	"slices"
 )
 
+var showMergeAnchorToSpecWarning = true
+
 func assignAliasOperator(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, expressionNode *ExpressionNode) (Context, error) {
 
 	log.Debugf("AssignAlias operator!")
@@ -159,8 +161,9 @@ func reconstructAliasedMap(node *CandidateNode, context Context) error {
 				}
 			}
 		}
-	} else {
+	} else if showMergeAnchorToSpecWarning {
 		log.Warning("--yaml-fix-merge-anchor-to-spec is false; causing merge anchors to override the existing values which isn't to the yaml spec. This flag will default to true in late 2025.")
+		showMergeAnchorToSpecWarning = false
 	}
 
 	for index := 0; index < len(node.Content); index = index + 2 {
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path.go
index 85490fff..2042828b 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_traverse_path.go
@@ -283,8 +283,6 @@ func doTraverseMap(newMatches *orderedmap.OrderedMap, node *CandidateNode, wante
 					}
 				}
 			}
-		} else {
-			log.Warning("--yaml-fix-merge-anchor-to-spec is false; causing merge anchors to override the existing values which isn't to the yaml spec. This flag will default to true in late 2025.")
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -296,6 +294,10 @@ func doTraverseMap(newMatches *orderedmap.OrderedMap, node *CandidateNode, wante
 		if key.Tag == "!!merge" && !prefs.DontFollowAlias && wantedKey != key.Value {
 			if !ConfiguredYamlPreferences.FixMergeAnchorToSpec {
 				log.Debug("Merge anchor")
+				if showMergeAnchorToSpecWarning {
+					log.Warning("--yaml-fix-merge-anchor-to-spec is false; causing merge anchors to override the existing values which isn't to the yaml spec. This flag will default to true in late 2025.")
+					showMergeAnchorToSpecWarning = false
+				}
 				err := traverseMergeAnchor(newMatches, value, wantedKey, prefs, splat)
 				if err != nil {
 					return err