diff --git a/src/data.cpp b/src/data.cpp
index 9b9601a..2ba9bf4 100644
--- a/src/data.cpp
+++ b/src/data.cpp
@@ -716,6 +716,8 @@ bool Value::tryCopyIn(const void *ptr, StoreType type)
 void Value::traverse(const std::string &expr, bool modify)
 {
     size_t pos=0;
+    bool maybedot = false;
+
     while(desc && pos<expr.size()) {
         if(expr[pos]=='<') {
             // attempt traverse to parent
@@ -739,6 +741,18 @@ void Value::traverse(const std::string &expr, bool modify)
         if(desc->code.code==TypeCode::Struct) {
             // attempt traverse to member.
             // expect: [0-9a-zA-Z_.]+[\[-$]
+
+            // skip a leading dot
+            if(maybedot) {
+                if(expr[pos]!='.') {
+                    store.reset();
+                    desc = nullptr;
+                    break;
+                }
+                maybedot = false;
+                pos++;
+            }
+
             size_t sep = expr.find_first_of("<[-", pos);
 
             decltype (desc->mlookup)::const_iterator it;
@@ -761,6 +775,8 @@ void Value::traverse(const std::string &expr, bool modify)
             // attempt to traverse to (and maybe select) member
             // expect: ->[0-9a-zA-Z_]+[.\[-$]
 
+            maybedot = false;
+
             if(expr.size()-pos >= 3 && expr[pos]=='-' && expr[pos+1]=='>') {
                 pos += 2; // skip past "->"
 
@@ -787,6 +803,7 @@ void Value::traverse(const std::string &expr, bool modify)
                             }
                             pos = sep;
                             *this = fld;
+                            maybedot = true;
 
                         } else {
                             // traversing const Value, can't select Union
@@ -805,6 +822,8 @@ void Value::traverse(const std::string &expr, bool modify)
             // attempt to traverse into array of Struct, Union, or Any
             // expect: \[[0-9]+\]
 
+            maybedot = false;
+
             size_t sep = expr.find_first_of(']', pos);
             unsigned long long index=0;
 
@@ -819,6 +838,8 @@ void Value::traverse(const std::string &expr, bool modify)
                 {
                     *this = arr[index];
                     pos = sep+1;
+                    maybedot = true;
+
                 } else {
                     // wrong element type or out of range
                     store.reset();
diff --git a/test/testdata.cpp b/test/testdata.cpp
index e1961cc..fbcbb52 100644
--- a/test/testdata.cpp
+++ b/test/testdata.cpp
@@ -333,9 +333,9 @@ void testDeserialize2()
         testOk1(!val["value"].isMarked());
         testOk1(!!val["arbitrary.sarr"].isMarked());
         testEq(val["arbitrary.sarr"].as<shared_array<const void>>().size(), 3u*sizeof(Value));
-        testEq(val["arbitrary.sarr[0]value"].as<uint32_t>(), 0xdeadbeef);
-        testEq(val["arbitrary.sarr[1]value"].as<uint32_t>(), 0x1badfaceu);
-        testEq(val["arbitrary.sarr[2]value"].type(), TypeCode::Null);
+        testEq(val["arbitrary.sarr[0].value"].as<uint32_t>(), 0xdeadbeef);
+        testEq(val["arbitrary.sarr[1]"]["value"].as<uint32_t>(), 0x1badfaceu);
+        testEq(val["arbitrary.sarr[2].value"].type(), TypeCode::Null);
     }
 
     {
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ void testDeserialize2()
         testOk1(!!val["anya"].isMarked());
         testEq(val["anya"].as<shared_array<const void>>().size(), 3u*sizeof(Value));
         testEq(val["anya[0]"].as<uint32_t>(), 0x7bu);
-        testEq(val["anya[1]q"].as<std::string>(), "theq");
+        testEq(val["anya[1].q"].as<std::string>(), "theq");
         testEq(val["anya[2]"].type(), TypeCode::Null);
     }
 }
diff --git a/test/testtype.cpp b/test/testtype.cpp
index 27fc7db..e706fb4 100644
--- a/test/testtype.cpp
+++ b/test/testtype.cpp
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ R"out(
 
         fld = arr.freeze().castTo<const void>();
 
-        testEq(val["arbitrary.sarr[1]value"].as<double>(), 2.0);
+        testEq(val["arbitrary.sarr[1].value"].as<double>(), 2.0);
     }
 
     // Union
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ R"out(
         fld = arr.freeze().castTo<const void>();
 
         testEq(fld["[0]"].as<uint64_t>(), 123u);
-        testEq(fld["[1]q"].as<std::string>(), "theq");
+        testEq(fld["[1].q"].as<std::string>(), "theq");
     }
 
     testEq(std::string(SB()<<val),