diff --git a/decode.go b/decode.go
index 20bf4cfb..d489cac9 100644
--- a/decode.go
+++ b/decode.go
@@ -89,8 +89,11 @@ func (d *Decoder) castToFloat(v interface{}) interface{} {
 func (d *Decoder) setToMapValue(node ast.Node, m map[string]interface{}) {
 	switch n := node.(type) {
 	case *ast.MappingValueNode:
-		if n.Key.Type() == ast.MergeKeyType {
-			d.setToMapValue(n.Value, m)
+		if n.Key.Type() == ast.MergeKeyType && n.Value.Type() == ast.AliasType {
+			aliasNode := n.Value.(*ast.AliasNode)
+			aliasName := aliasNode.Value.GetToken().Value
+			node := d.anchorNodeMap[aliasName]
+			d.setToMapValue(node, m)
 		} else {
 			key := n.Key.GetToken().Value
 			m[key] = d.nodeToValue(n.Value)
@@ -143,9 +146,12 @@ func (d *Decoder) nodeToValue(node ast.Node) interface{} {
 	case *ast.LiteralNode:
 		return n.Value.GetValue()
 	case *ast.MappingValueNode:
-		if n.Key.Type() == ast.MergeKeyType {
+		if n.Key.Type() == ast.MergeKeyType && n.Value.Type() == ast.AliasType {
+			aliasNode := n.Value.(*ast.AliasNode)
+			aliasName := aliasNode.Value.GetToken().Value
+			node := d.anchorNodeMap[aliasName]
 			m := map[string]interface{}{}
-			d.setToMapValue(n.Value, m)
+			d.setToMapValue(node, m)
 			return m
 		}
 		key := n.Key.GetToken().Value
@@ -846,11 +852,20 @@ func (d *Decoder) decodeMap(dst reflect.Value, src ast.Node) error {
 	keyType := mapValue.Type().Key()
 	valueType := mapValue.Type().Elem()
 	mapIter := mapNode.MapRange()
-
 	var foundErr error
 	for mapIter.Next() {
 		key := mapIter.Key()
 		value := mapIter.Value()
+		if key.Type() == ast.MergeKeyType {
+			if err := d.decodeMap(dst, value); err != nil {
+				return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to decode map with merge key")
+			}
+			iter := dst.MapRange()
+			for iter.Next() {
+				mapValue.SetMapIndex(iter.Key(), iter.Value())
+			}
+			continue
+		}
 		k := reflect.ValueOf(d.nodeToValue(key))
 		if k.IsValid() && k.Type().ConvertibleTo(keyType) {
 			k = k.Convert(keyType)
diff --git a/decode_test.go b/decode_test.go
index 7547cf7c..1dfeb6be 100644
--- a/decode_test.go
+++ b/decode_test.go
@@ -1082,6 +1082,87 @@ items:
 	if v.Items[1].B != 1 || v.Items[1].C != "world" {
 		t.Fatal("failed to decode with merge key")
 	}
+	t.Run("decode with interface{}", func(t *testing.T) {
+		buf := bytes.NewBufferString(yml)
+		dec := yaml.NewDecoder(buf)
+		var v interface{}
+		if err := dec.Decode(&v); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("%+v", err)
+		}
+		items := v.(map[string]interface{})["items"].([]interface{})
+		if len(items) != 2 {
+			t.Fatal("failed to decode with merge key")
+		}
+		b0 := items[0].(map[string]interface{})["b"]
+		if _, ok := b0.(uint64); !ok {
+			t.Fatal("failed to decode with merge key")
+		}
+		if b0.(uint64) != 1 {
+			t.Fatal("failed to decode with merge key")
+		}
+		c0 := items[0].(map[string]interface{})["c"]
+		if _, ok := c0.(string); !ok {
+			t.Fatal("failed to decode with merge key")
+		}
+		if c0.(string) != "hello" {
+			t.Fatal("failed to decode with merge key")
+		}
+		b1 := items[1].(map[string]interface{})["b"]
+		if _, ok := b1.(uint64); !ok {
+			t.Fatal("failed to decode with merge key")
+		}
+		if b1.(uint64) != 1 {
+			t.Fatal("failed to decode with merge key")
+		}
+		c1 := items[1].(map[string]interface{})["c"]
+		if _, ok := c1.(string); !ok {
+			t.Fatal("failed to decode with merge key")
+		}
+		if c1.(string) != "world" {
+			t.Fatal("failed to decode with merge key")
+		}
+	})
+	t.Run("decode with map", func(t *testing.T) {
+		var v struct {
+			Items []map[string]interface{}
+		}
+		buf := bytes.NewBufferString(yml)
+		dec := yaml.NewDecoder(buf)
+		if err := dec.Decode(&v); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("%+v", err)
+		}
+		if len(v.Items) != 2 {
+			t.Fatal("failed to decode with merge key")
+		}
+		b0 := v.Items[0]["b"]
+		if _, ok := b0.(uint64); !ok {
+			t.Fatal("failed to decode with merge key")
+		}
+		if b0.(uint64) != 1 {
+			t.Fatal("failed to decode with merge key")
+		}
+		c0 := v.Items[0]["c"]
+		if _, ok := c0.(string); !ok {
+			t.Fatal("failed to decode with merge key")
+		}
+		if c0.(string) != "hello" {
+			t.Fatal("failed to decode with merge key")
+		}
+		b1 := v.Items[1]["b"]
+		if _, ok := b1.(uint64); !ok {
+			t.Fatal("failed to decode with merge key")
+		}
+		if b1.(uint64) != 1 {
+			t.Fatal("failed to decode with merge key")
+		}
+		c1 := v.Items[1]["c"]
+		if _, ok := c1.(string); !ok {
+			t.Fatal("failed to decode with merge key")
+		}
+		if c1.(string) != "world" {
+			t.Fatal("failed to decode with merge key")
+		}
+	})
 }
 
 func TestDecoder_Inline(t *testing.T) {