diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/candidate_node.go b/pkg/yqlib/candidate_node.go
index 488eed251e..4762ea67d2 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/candidate_node.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/candidate_node.go
@@ -205,6 +205,7 @@ func (n *CandidateNode) AddKeyValueChild(rawKey *CandidateNode, rawValue *Candid
 
 	value := rawValue.Copy()
 	value.SetParent(n)
+	value.IsMapKey = false // force this, incase we are creating a value from a key
 	value.Key = key
 
 	n.Content = append(n.Content, key, value)
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/candidate_node_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/candidate_node_test.go
index 1ca707ba9d..2a09b48a6a 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/candidate_node_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/candidate_node_test.go
@@ -147,3 +147,16 @@ func TestGetParsedKeyForArrayValue(t *testing.T) {
 	n := CandidateNode{Key: key, Value: "meow", document: 3}
 	test.AssertResult(t, 4, n.getParsedKey())
 }
+
+func TestCandidateNodeAddKeyValueChild(t *testing.T) {
+	key := CandidateNode{Value: "cool", IsMapKey: true}
+	node := CandidateNode{}
+
+	// if we use a key in a new node as a value, it should no longer be marked as a key
+
+	_, keyIsValueNow := node.AddKeyValueChild(&CandidateNode{Value: "newKey"}, &key)
+
+	test.AssertResult(t, keyIsValueNow.IsMapKey, false)
+	test.AssertResult(t, key.IsMapKey, true)
+
+}
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_delete.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_delete.go
index 4ca37a83d9..63f05f81d8 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_delete.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_delete.go
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ func deleteFromMap(node *CandidateNode, childPath interface{}) {
 
 		shouldDelete := key.Value == childPath
 
-		log.Debugf("shouldDelete %v ? %v", NodeToString(value), shouldDelete)
+		log.Debugf("shouldDelete %v? %v == %v = %v", NodeToString(value), key.Value, childPath, shouldDelete)
 
 		if !shouldDelete {
 			newContents = append(newContents, key, value)
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_entries.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_entries.go
index 2279d75bd1..3b19350267 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_entries.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_entries.go
@@ -8,12 +8,10 @@ import (
 func entrySeqFor(key *CandidateNode, value *CandidateNode) *CandidateNode {
 	var keyKey = &CandidateNode{Kind: ScalarNode, Tag: "!!str", Value: "key"}
 	var valueKey = &CandidateNode{Kind: ScalarNode, Tag: "!!str", Value: "value"}
-
-	return &CandidateNode{
-		Kind:    MappingNode,
-		Tag:     "!!map",
-		Content: []*CandidateNode{keyKey, key, valueKey, value},
-	}
+	candidate := &CandidateNode{Kind: MappingNode, Tag: "!!map"}
+	candidate.AddKeyValueChild(keyKey, key)
+	candidate.AddKeyValueChild(valueKey, value)
+	return candidate
 }
 
 func toEntriesFromMap(candidateNode *CandidateNode) *CandidateNode {
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_entries_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_entries_test.go
index b867b94da9..7d27095aa1 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_entries_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_entries_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,15 @@ import (
 )
 
 var entriesOperatorScenarios = []expressionScenario{
+	{
+		description: "to_entries, delete key",
+		skipDoc:     true,
+		document:    `{a: 1, b: 2}`,
+		expression:  `to_entries | map(del(.key))`,
+		expected: []string{
+			"D0, P[], (!!seq)::- value: 1\n- value: 2\n",
+		},
+	},
 	{
 		description: "to_entries Map",
 		document:    `{a: 1, b: 2}`,