diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/expression_processing_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/expression_processing_test.go
index 98d007f0..6b905068 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/expression_processing_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/expression_processing_test.go
@@ -28,10 +28,15 @@ var pathTests = []struct {
 		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "EMPTY", "COLLECT_OBJECT", "SHORT_PIPE"),
 	},
 	{
-		`[{}]`, // [{}]
+		`[{}]`,
 		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "[", "{", "EMPTY", "}", "]"),
 		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "EMPTY", "COLLECT_OBJECT", "SHORT_PIPE", "COLLECT", "SHORT_PIPE"),
 	},
+	{
+		`.realnames as $names | $names["anon"]`,
+		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "realnames", "ASSIGN_VARIABLE", "GET_VARIABLE", "PIPE", "GET_VARIABLE", "TRAVERSE_ARRAY", "[", "anon (string)", "]"),
+		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "realnames", "GET_VARIABLE", "ASSIGN_VARIABLE", "GET_VARIABLE", "anon (string)", "COLLECT", "SHORT_PIPE", "TRAVERSE_ARRAY", "PIPE"),
+	},
 	{
 		`.b[.a]`,
 		append(make([]interface{}, 0), "b", "TRAVERSE_ARRAY", "[", "a", "]"),
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/lib.go b/pkg/yqlib/lib.go
index 1372fedf..d33ce8d3 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/lib.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/lib.go
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ var shortPipeOpType = &operationType{Type: "SHORT_PIPE", NumArgs: 2, Precedence:
 var lengthOpType = &operationType{Type: "LENGTH", NumArgs: 0, Precedence: 50, Handler: lengthOperator}
 var collectOpType = &operationType{Type: "COLLECT", NumArgs: 0, Precedence: 50, Handler: collectOperator}
 var splitDocumentOpType = &operationType{Type: "SPLIT_DOC", NumArgs: 0, Precedence: 50, Handler: splitDocumentOperator}
-var getVariableOpType = &operationType{Type: "GET_VARIABLE", NumArgs: 0, Precedence: 50, Handler: getVariableOperator}
+var getVariableOpType = &operationType{Type: "GET_VARIABLE", NumArgs: 0, Precedence: 55, Handler: getVariableOperator}
 var getStyleOpType = &operationType{Type: "GET_STYLE", NumArgs: 0, Precedence: 50, Handler: getStyleOperator}
 var getTagOpType = &operationType{Type: "GET_TAG", NumArgs: 0, Precedence: 50, Handler: getTagOperator}
 var getCommentOpType = &operationType{Type: "GET_COMMENT", NumArgs: 0, Precedence: 50, Handler: getCommentsOperator}
@@ -72,10 +72,10 @@ var splitStringOpType = &operationType{Type: "SPLIT", NumArgs: 1, Precedence: 50
 var keysOpType = &operationType{Type: "KEYS", NumArgs: 0, Precedence: 50, Handler: keysOperator}
 
 var collectObjectOpType = &operationType{Type: "COLLECT_OBJECT", NumArgs: 0, Precedence: 50, Handler: collectObjectOperator}
-var traversePathOpType = &operationType{Type: "TRAVERSE_PATH", NumArgs: 0, Precedence: 51, Handler: traversePathOperator}
+var traversePathOpType = &operationType{Type: "TRAVERSE_PATH", NumArgs: 0, Precedence: 55, Handler: traversePathOperator}
 var traverseArrayOpType = &operationType{Type: "TRAVERSE_ARRAY", NumArgs: 2, Precedence: 50, Handler: traverseArrayOperator}
 
-var selfReferenceOpType = &operationType{Type: "SELF", NumArgs: 0, Precedence: 51, Handler: selfOperator}
+var selfReferenceOpType = &operationType{Type: "SELF", NumArgs: 0, Precedence: 55, Handler: selfOperator}
 var valueOpType = &operationType{Type: "VALUE", NumArgs: 0, Precedence: 50, Handler: valueOperator}
 var envOpType = &operationType{Type: "ENV", NumArgs: 0, Precedence: 50, Handler: envOperator}
 var notOpType = &operationType{Type: "NOT", NumArgs: 0, Precedence: 50, Handler: notOperator}
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_variables_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_variables_test.go
index b00c4ba0..1d65c71b 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_variables_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_variables_test.go
@@ -22,6 +22,18 @@ var variableOperatorScenarios = []expressionScenario{
 			"D0, P[1], (!!str)::dog\n",
 		},
 	},
+	{
+		description: "Using variables as a lookup",
+		document: `{"posts": [{"title": "Frist psot", "author": "anon"},
+		{"title": "A well-written article", "author": "person1"}],
+"realnames": {"anon": "Anonymous Coward",
+				"person1": "Person McPherson"}}`,
+		expression: `.realnames as $names | .posts[] | {"title":.title, "author": $names[.author]}`,
+		expected: []string{
+			"D0, P[], (!!map)::title: \"Frist psot\"\nauthor: \"Anonymous Coward\"\n",
+			"D0, P[], (!!map)::title: \"A well-written article\"\nauthor: \"Person McPherson\"\n",
+		},
+	},
 }
 
 func TestVariableOperatorScenarios(t *testing.T) {