diff --git a/mqlc/mqlc.go b/mqlc/mqlc.go
index 268dfaa4d5..3f26046fdb 100644
--- a/mqlc/mqlc.go
+++ b/mqlc/mqlc.go
@@ -1558,7 +1558,10 @@ func (c *compiler) compileOperand(operand *parser.Operand) (*llx.Primitive, erro
 				return nil, err
 			}
 			if !found {
-				if typ != types.Dict || !reAccessor.MatchString(id) {
+				// we add simple accessors for maps and dicts, but this also requires
+				// the `id` to look like a regular accessor (to avoid matching against more
+				// native internal operators)
+				if !((typ == types.Dict || typ.IsMap()) && reAccessor.MatchString(id)) {
 					addFieldSuggestions(availableFields(c, typ), id, c.Result)
 					return nil, errors.New("cannot find field '" + id + "' in " + typ.Label())
 				}
@@ -1569,7 +1572,7 @@ func (c *compiler) compileOperand(operand *parser.Operand) (*llx.Primitive, erro
 					Call: llx.Chunk_FUNCTION,
 					Id:   "[]",
 					Function: &llx.Function{
-						Type:    string(typ),
+						Type:    string(typ.Child()),
 						Binding: ref,
 						Args:    []*llx.Primitive{llx.StringPrimitive(id)},
 					},
diff --git a/mqlc/mqlc_test.go b/mqlc/mqlc_test.go
index 645e23dbb3..9b0425fcee 100644
--- a/mqlc/mqlc_test.go
+++ b/mqlc/mqlc_test.go
@@ -1946,9 +1946,9 @@ func TestSuggestions(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		{
 			// native type function call
-			"sshd.config.params.leng",
+			"sshd.config.ciphers.leng",
 			[]string{"length"},
-			errors.New("cannot find field 'leng' in map[string]string"),
+			errors.New("cannot find field 'leng' in []string"),
 			nil,
 		},
 		{
diff --git a/providers/core/resources/mql_test.go b/providers/core/resources/mql_test.go
index dd046f1bb3..39d3d5c1dc 100644
--- a/providers/core/resources/mql_test.go
+++ b/providers/core/resources/mql_test.go
@@ -704,6 +704,14 @@ func TestMap(t *testing.T) {
 	m := "{'a': 1, 'b': 1, 'c': 2}"
 	x := testutils.InitTester(testutils.LinuxMock())
 	x.TestSimple(t, []testutils.SimpleTest{
+		{
+			Code:        m + "['c']",
+			ResultIndex: 0, Expectation: int64(2),
+		},
+		{
+			Code:        m + ".c",
+			ResultIndex: 0, Expectation: int64(2),
+		},
 		// contains
 		{
 			Code:        m + ".contains(key == 'a')",