diff --git a/lib/northbound_oper.c b/lib/northbound_oper.c
index 4a7a0bb559b7..ab9abdeae2ee 100644
--- a/lib/northbound_oper.c
+++ b/lib/northbound_oper.c
@@ -499,7 +499,11 @@ static enum nb_error nb_op_ys_init_node_infos(struct nb_op_yield_state *ys)
 			ret = NB_ERR_NOT_FOUND;
 		return ret;
 	}
-	assert(CHECK_FLAG(node->schema->nodetype, LYS_CONTAINER | LYS_LIST));
+	while (node &&
+	       !CHECK_FLAG(node->schema->nodetype, LYS_CONTAINER | LYS_LIST))
+		node = &node->parent->node;
+	if (!node)
+		return NB_ERR_NOT_FOUND;
 
 	inner = (struct lyd_node_inner *)node;
 	for (len = 1; inner->parent; len++)
@@ -1237,9 +1241,18 @@ static enum nb_error __walk(struct nb_op_yield_state *ys, bool is_resume)
 			 * `route-entry` element for a query
 			 * `.../route-entry/metric` where the list element had
 			 * no metric value.
+			 *
+			 * However, if the user query is for a key of a list
+			 * element, then when we reach that list element it will
+			 * have no non-key children, check for this condition
+			 * and do not reap if true.
 			 */
 			if (!list_start && ni->inner &&
 			    !lyd_child_no_keys(&ni->inner->node) &&
+			    /* not the top element with a key match */
+			    !((darr_ilen(ys->node_infos) ==
+			       darr_ilen(ys->schema_path) - 1) &&
+			      lysc_is_key((*darr_last(ys->schema_path)))) &&
 			    /* is this at or below the base? */
 			    darr_ilen(ys->node_infos) <= ys->query_base_level)
 				lyd_free_tree(&ni->inner->node);
@@ -1674,7 +1687,6 @@ static enum nb_error nb_op_walk_start(struct nb_op_yield_state *ys)
 	 * Get the node_info path (stack) corresponding to the uniquely
 	 * resolvable data nodes from the beginning of the xpath query.
 	 */
-	// I think this moves
 	ret = nb_op_ys_init_node_infos(ys);
 	if (ret != NB_OK)
 		return ret;
diff --git a/tests/topotests/mgmt_oper/simple-results/result-intf-eth0-name.json b/tests/topotests/mgmt_oper/simple-results/result-intf-eth0-name.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..3988204bb83b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/topotests/mgmt_oper/simple-results/result-intf-eth0-name.json
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+  "frr-interface:lib": {
+    "interface": [
+      {
+        "name": "r1-eth0"
+      }
+    ]
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tests/topotests/mgmt_oper/simple-results/result-intf-eth0-vrf.json b/tests/topotests/mgmt_oper/simple-results/result-intf-eth0-vrf.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..3a6eeb853d6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/topotests/mgmt_oper/simple-results/result-intf-eth0-vrf.json
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "frr-interface:lib": {
+    "interface": [
+      {
+        "name": "r1-eth0",
+        "vrf": "default"
+      }
+    ]
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tests/topotests/mgmt_oper/simple-results/result-intf-name.json b/tests/topotests/mgmt_oper/simple-results/result-intf-name.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..9d8ea759b9c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/topotests/mgmt_oper/simple-results/result-intf-name.json
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+{
+  "frr-interface:lib": {
+    "interface": [
+      {
+        "name": "lo"
+      },
+      {
+        "name": "r1-eth0"
+      },
+      {
+        "name": "lo-red"
+      },
+      {
+        "name": "r1-eth1"
+      },
+      {
+        "name": "red"
+      }
+    ]
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tests/topotests/mgmt_oper/test_simple.py b/tests/topotests/mgmt_oper/test_simple.py
index f3d64e156a3d..1f9f21b8defb 100644
--- a/tests/topotests/mgmt_oper/test_simple.py
+++ b/tests/topotests/mgmt_oper/test_simple.py
@@ -46,6 +46,23 @@ def test_oper_simple(tgen):
         pytest.skip(tgen.errors)
 
     query_results = [
+        (
+            # Non-key query with key specific selection
+            '/frr-interface:lib/interface[name="r1-eth0"]/vrf',
+            "simple-results/result-intf-eth0-vrf.json",
+        ),
+        # Test machines will have different sets of interfaces so the test results will
+        # vary and need to be generated dynamically before this test is re-enabled
+        # (
+        #     # Key query on generic list
+        #     "/frr-interface:lib/interface/name",
+        #     "simple-results/result-intf-name.json",
+        # ),
+        (
+            # Key query with key specific selection
+            '/frr-interface:lib/interface[name="r1-eth0"]/name',
+            "simple-results/result-intf-eth0-name.json",
+        ),
         ("/frr-vrf:lib", "simple-results/result-lib.json"),
         ("/frr-vrf:lib/vrf", "simple-results/result-lib-vrf-nokey.json"),
         (