diff --git a/examples/small.properties b/examples/small.properties
index c73af7a6..7a75a2e5 100644
--- a/examples/small.properties
+++ b/examples/small.properties
@@ -1,10 +1 @@
-# great huh
-
-# things and stuff
-this.is = a properties file
-
-
-this.cat.0 = free
-# this one is important
-# another thing
-this.cat.1 = meow
+this.is = a properties file
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/decoder_properties.go b/pkg/yqlib/decoder_properties.go
index 1ec9b069..f234f9c3 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/decoder_properties.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/decoder_properties.go
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@ func (dec *propertiesDecoder) applyPropertyComments(context Context, path []inte
 	return err
 }
 
-// TODO: test comment on array
 func (dec *propertiesDecoder) applyProperty(context Context, properties *properties.Properties, key string) error {
 	value, _ := properties.Get(key)
 	path := parsePropKey(key)
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/doc/operators/load.md b/pkg/yqlib/doc/operators/load.md
index ff76f442..79dc0149 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/doc/operators/load.md
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/doc/operators/load.md
@@ -154,9 +154,7 @@ will output
 cool: things
 more_stuff:
   this:
-    is: a properties file # great huh
-    # things and stuff
-    another: a properties file # another thing
+    is: a properties file
 ```
 
 ## Merge from properties
@@ -175,10 +173,8 @@ yq '. *= load_props("../../examples/small.properties")' sample.yml
 will output
 ```yaml
 this:
-  is: a properties file # great huh
-  # things and stuff
+  is: a properties file
   cool: ay
-  another: a properties file # another thing
 ```
 
 ## Load from base64 encoded file
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/doc/usage/properties.md b/pkg/yqlib/doc/usage/properties.md
index d9331aa8..4e21e08b 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/doc/usage/properties.md
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/doc/usage/properties.md
@@ -139,10 +139,12 @@ yq -p=props sample.properties
 will output
 ```yaml
 person:
-    name: Mike Wazowski # block comments come through
+    # block comments come through
     # comments on values appear
+    name: Mike Wazowski
     pets:
-        - cat # comments on array values appear
+        # comments on array values appear
+        - cat
     food:
         - pizza
 ```
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/encoder_properties.go b/pkg/yqlib/encoder_properties.go
index dc7c630a..e62b3f16 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/encoder_properties.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/encoder_properties.go
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ func (pe *propertiesEncoder) PrintLeadingContent(writer io.Writer, content strin
 func (pe *propertiesEncoder) Encode(writer io.Writer, node *yaml.Node) error {
 	mapKeysToStrings(node)
 	p := properties.NewProperties()
-	err := pe.doEncode(p, node, "")
+	err := pe.doEncode(p, node, "", nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -74,10 +74,17 @@ func (pe *propertiesEncoder) Encode(writer io.Writer, node *yaml.Node) error {
 	return err
 }
 
-func (pe *propertiesEncoder) doEncode(p *properties.Properties, node *yaml.Node, path string) error {
+func (pe *propertiesEncoder) doEncode(p *properties.Properties, node *yaml.Node, path string, keyNode *yaml.Node) error {
 
-	commentsWithSpaces := strings.ReplaceAll(headAndLineComment(node), "\n", "\n ")
+	comments := ""
+	if keyNode != nil {
+		// include the key node comments if present
+		comments = headAndLineComment(keyNode)
+	}
+	comments = comments + headAndLineComment(node)
+	commentsWithSpaces := strings.ReplaceAll(comments, "\n", "\n ")
 	p.SetComments(path, strings.Split(commentsWithSpaces, "\n"))
+
 	switch node.Kind {
 	case yaml.ScalarNode:
 		var nodeValue string
@@ -89,13 +96,13 @@ func (pe *propertiesEncoder) doEncode(p *properties.Properties, node *yaml.Node,
 		_, _, err := p.Set(path, nodeValue)
 		return err
 	case yaml.DocumentNode:
-		return pe.doEncode(p, node.Content[0], path)
+		return pe.doEncode(p, node.Content[0], path, node)
 	case yaml.SequenceNode:
 		return pe.encodeArray(p, node.Content, path)
 	case yaml.MappingNode:
 		return pe.encodeMap(p, node.Content, path)
 	case yaml.AliasNode:
-		return pe.doEncode(p, node.Alias, path)
+		return pe.doEncode(p, node.Alias, path, nil)
 	default:
 		return fmt.Errorf("Unsupported node %v", node.Tag)
 	}
@@ -110,7 +117,7 @@ func (pe *propertiesEncoder) appendPath(path string, key interface{}) string {
 
 func (pe *propertiesEncoder) encodeArray(p *properties.Properties, kids []*yaml.Node, path string) error {
 	for index, child := range kids {
-		err := pe.doEncode(p, child, pe.appendPath(path, index))
+		err := pe.doEncode(p, child, pe.appendPath(path, index), nil)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -122,7 +129,7 @@ func (pe *propertiesEncoder) encodeMap(p *properties.Properties, kids []*yaml.No
 	for index := 0; index < len(kids); index = index + 2 {
 		key := kids[index]
 		value := kids[index+1]
-		err := pe.doEncode(p, value, pe.appendPath(path, key.Value))
+		err := pe.doEncode(p, value, pe.appendPath(path, key.Value), key)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/properties_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/properties_test.go
index 1bdaa457..1d201f53 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/properties_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/properties_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,48 @@ import (
 	"github.com/mikefarah/yq/v4/test"
 )
 
+const propertiesWithCommentsOnMap = `this.thing = hi hi
+# important notes
+# about this value
+this.value = cool
+`
+
+const expectedPropertiesWithCommentsOnMapProps = `this.thing = hi hi
+
+# important notes
+# about this value
+this.value = cool
+`
+
+const expectedPropertiesWithCommentsOnMapYaml = `this:
+  thing: hi hi
+  # important notes
+  # about this value
+  value: cool
+`
+
+const propertiesWithCommentInArray = `
+this.array.0 = cat
+# important notes
+# about dogs
+this.array.1 = dog
+`
+
+const expectedPropertiesWithCommentInArrayProps = `this.array.0 = cat
+
+# important notes
+# about dogs
+this.array.1 = dog
+`
+
+const expectedPropertiesWithCommentInArrayYaml = `this:
+  array:
+    - cat
+    # important notes
+    # about dogs
+    - dog
+`
+
 const samplePropertiesYaml = `# block comments come through
 person: # neither do comments on maps
     name: Mike Wazowski # comments on values appear
@@ -46,9 +88,12 @@ person.food.0 = pizza
 `
 
 const expectedDecodedYaml = `person:
-  name: Mike Wazowski # comments on values appear
+  # block comments come through
+  # comments on values appear
+  name: Mike Wazowski
   pets:
-    - cat # comments on array values appear
+    # comments on array values appear
+    - cat
   food:
     - pizza
 `
@@ -116,6 +161,34 @@ var propertyScenarios = []formatScenario{
 		expected:     expectedUpdatedProperties,
 		scenarioType: "roundtrip",
 	},
+	{
+		skipDoc:      true,
+		description:  "comments on arrays roundtrip",
+		input:        propertiesWithCommentInArray,
+		expected:     expectedPropertiesWithCommentInArrayProps,
+		scenarioType: "roundtrip",
+	},
+	{
+		skipDoc:      true,
+		description:  "comments on arrays decode",
+		input:        propertiesWithCommentInArray,
+		expected:     expectedPropertiesWithCommentInArrayYaml,
+		scenarioType: "decode",
+	},
+	{
+		skipDoc:      true,
+		description:  "comments on map roundtrip",
+		input:        propertiesWithCommentsOnMap,
+		expected:     expectedPropertiesWithCommentsOnMapProps,
+		scenarioType: "roundtrip",
+	},
+	{
+		skipDoc:      true,
+		description:  "comments on map decode",
+		input:        propertiesWithCommentsOnMap,
+		expected:     expectedPropertiesWithCommentsOnMapYaml,
+		scenarioType: "decode",
+	},
 	{
 		description:  "Empty doc",
 		skipDoc:      true,
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/string_evaluator.go b/pkg/yqlib/string_evaluator.go
index 738b3066..59d451ca 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/string_evaluator.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/string_evaluator.go
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 package yqlib
 
 import (
+	"bufio"
 	"bytes"
 	"container/list"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"strings"
 )
 
 type StringEvaluator interface {
@@ -35,10 +37,7 @@ func (s *stringEvaluator) Evaluate(expression string, input string, encoder Enco
 		return "", err
 	}
 
-	reader, err := readString(input)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
+	reader := bufio.NewReader(strings.NewReader(input))
 
 	var currentIndex uint
 	err = decoder.Init(reader)
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/utils.go b/pkg/yqlib/utils.go
index 0d39046f..a1afff27 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/utils.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/utils.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"os"
-	"strings"
 )
 
 func readStream(filename string) (io.Reader, error) {
@@ -27,10 +26,6 @@ func readStream(filename string) (io.Reader, error) {
 
 }
 
-func readString(input string) (io.Reader, error) {
-	return bufio.NewReader(strings.NewReader(input)), nil
-}
-
 func writeString(writer io.Writer, txt string) error {
 	_, errorWriting := writer.Write([]byte(txt))
 	return errorWriting