diff --git a/acceptance/bundle/validate/yaml_anchors/inline_merge_mapping/output.txt b/acceptance/bundle/validate/yaml_anchors/inline_merge_mapping/output.txt
index 85dc1ee379b..166aeb69530 100644
--- a/acceptance/bundle/validate/yaml_anchors/inline_merge_mapping/output.txt
+++ b/acceptance/bundle/validate/yaml_anchors/inline_merge_mapping/output.txt
@@ -1,8 +1,15 @@
 
->>> [CLI] bundle validate
-Error: failed to load [TEST_TMP_DIR]/databricks.yml: yaml ([TEST_TMP_DIR]/databricks.yml:11:11): map merge requires map or sequence of maps as the value
-
-
-Found 1 error
-
-Exit code: 1
+>>> [CLI] bundle validate -t dev
+Name: test-bundle
+Target: dev
+Workspace:
+  User: [USERNAME]
+  Path: /Workspace/Users/[USERNAME]/.bundle/test-bundle/dev
+
+Validation OK!
+
+>>> [CLI] bundle validate -t dev -o json
+{
+  "default": "overridden",
+  "value": "overridden"
+}
diff --git a/acceptance/bundle/validate/yaml_anchors/inline_merge_mapping/script b/acceptance/bundle/validate/yaml_anchors/inline_merge_mapping/script
index 1724b135e5e..2f23d2742fb 100644
--- a/acceptance/bundle/validate/yaml_anchors/inline_merge_mapping/script
+++ b/acceptance/bundle/validate/yaml_anchors/inline_merge_mapping/script
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 # An inline mapping as the value of '<<' in target variables.
-errcode trace $CLI bundle validate
+trace $CLI bundle validate -t dev
+trace $CLI bundle validate -t dev -o json | jq .variables.x
diff --git a/acceptance/bundle/validate/yaml_anchors/inline_merge_mapping/test.toml b/acceptance/bundle/validate/yaml_anchors/inline_merge_mapping/test.toml
deleted file mode 100644
index 84101454028..00000000000
--- a/acceptance/bundle/validate/yaml_anchors/inline_merge_mapping/test.toml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Badness = "The YAML merge key spec allows a single mapping as the value of the merge key, but it is rejected."
diff --git a/libs/dyn/yamlloader/loader.go b/libs/dyn/yamlloader/loader.go
index aebbf0883e9..708ae5dbaac 100644
--- a/libs/dyn/yamlloader/loader.go
+++ b/libs/dyn/yamlloader/loader.go
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ func (d *loader) loadMapping(node *yaml.Node, loc diag.Location) (dyn.Value, err
 	switch merge.Kind {
 	case yaml.SequenceNode:
 		mnodes = merge.Content
-	case yaml.AliasNode:
+	case yaml.MappingNode, yaml.AliasNode:
 		mnodes = []*yaml.Node{merge}
 	default:
 		return dyn.NilValue, merr
diff --git a/libs/dyn/yamlloader/yaml_anchor_test.go b/libs/dyn/yamlloader/yaml_anchor_test.go
index 00f4576a3e2..346710d7e03 100644
--- a/libs/dyn/yamlloader/yaml_anchor_test.go
+++ b/libs/dyn/yamlloader/yaml_anchor_test.go
@@ -138,3 +138,12 @@ func TestYAMLAnchor10(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, 1, self.Get("use1").Get("value").AsAny())
 	assert.Equal(t, 1, self.Get("use2").Get("value").AsAny())
 }
+
+func TestYAMLInlineMapMerge(t *testing.T) {
+	input := "target:\n  <<: {x: inherited, y: merged}\n  x: local\n"
+	value, err := yamlloader.LoadYAML("inline.yml", bytes.NewBufferString(input))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	assert.Equal(t, "local", value.Get("target").Get("x").AsAny())
+	assert.Equal(t, "merged", value.Get("target").Get("y").AsAny())
+}