diff --git a/src/metadata/file.rs b/src/metadata/file.rs
index ca1deec8..d6fadf84 100644
--- a/src/metadata/file.rs
+++ b/src/metadata/file.rs
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ use super::{
         validate_message_contents,
     },
     yaml::{
-        EmitYaml, TryFromYaml, YamlEmitter, YamlObjectType, as_string_node,
-        get_required_string_value, get_string_value, parse_condition,
+        EmitYaml, TryFromYaml, YamlEmitter, YamlObjectType, get_required_string_value,
+        get_string_value, get_value, parse_condition,
     },
 };
 
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ impl TryFromYaml for File {
 
                 let display_name = get_string_value(h, "display", YamlObjectType::File)?;
 
-                let detail = match h.get(&as_string_node("detail")) {
+                let detail = match get_value(h, "detail") {
                     Some(n) => parse_message_contents_yaml(
                         n,
                         "detail",
diff --git a/src/metadata/message.rs b/src/metadata/message.rs
index 36c1669c..ea07c719 100644
--- a/src/metadata/message.rs
+++ b/src/metadata/message.rs
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ use super::{
         ParseMetadataError,
     },
     yaml::{
-        EmitYaml, TryFromYaml, YamlEmitter, YamlObjectType, as_mapping, as_string_node,
-        get_required_string_value, get_strings_vec_value, parse_condition,
+        EmitYaml, TryFromYaml, YamlEmitter, YamlObjectType, as_mapping, get_required_string_value,
+        get_strings_vec_value, get_value, parse_condition,
     },
 };
 
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ impl TryFromYaml for Message {
             _ => MessageType::Say,
         };
 
-        let mut content = match mapping.get(&as_string_node("content")) {
+        let mut content = match get_value(mapping, "content") {
             Some(n) => parse_message_contents_yaml(n, "content", YamlObjectType::Message)?,
             None => {
                 return Err(ParseMetadataError::missing_key(
diff --git a/src/metadata/metadata_document.rs b/src/metadata/metadata_document.rs
index d1b11629..25f1dd4d 100644
--- a/src/metadata/metadata_document.rs
+++ b/src/metadata/metadata_document.rs
@@ -16,7 +16,9 @@ use super::{
     group::Group,
     message::Message,
     plugin_metadata::PluginMetadata,
-    yaml::{EmitYaml, TryFromYaml, YamlEmitter, YamlObjectType, get_as_slice, process_merge_keys},
+    yaml::{
+        EmitYaml, TryFromYaml, YamlEmitter, YamlObjectType, get_slice_value, process_merge_keys,
+    },
 };
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Eq, PartialEq)]
@@ -115,7 +117,7 @@ impl MetadataDocument {
 
         let mut plugins: HashMap<Filename, PluginMetadata> = HashMap::new();
         let mut regex_plugins: Vec<PluginMetadata> = Vec::new();
-        for plugin_yaml in get_as_slice(&doc, "plugins", YamlObjectType::MetadataDocument)? {
+        for plugin_yaml in get_slice_value(&doc, "plugins", YamlObjectType::MetadataDocument)? {
             let plugin = PluginMetadata::try_from_yaml(plugin_yaml)?;
             if plugin.is_regex_plugin() {
                 regex_plugins.push(plugin);
@@ -132,14 +134,14 @@ impl MetadataDocument {
             }
         }
 
-        let messages = get_as_slice(&doc, "globals", YamlObjectType::MetadataDocument)?
+        let messages = get_slice_value(&doc, "globals", YamlObjectType::MetadataDocument)?
             .iter()
             .map(Message::try_from_yaml)
             .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, _>>()?;
 
         let mut bash_tags = Vec::new();
         let mut str_set = HashSet::new();
-        for bash_tag_yaml in get_as_slice(&doc, "bash_tags", YamlObjectType::MetadataDocument)? {
+        for bash_tag_yaml in get_slice_value(&doc, "bash_tags", YamlObjectType::MetadataDocument)? {
             let bash_tag: &str = match bash_tag_yaml.data.as_str() {
                 Some(b) => b,
                 None => {
@@ -167,7 +169,7 @@ impl MetadataDocument {
 
         let mut group_names = HashSet::new();
         let mut groups = Vec::new();
-        for group_yaml in get_as_slice(&doc, "groups", YamlObjectType::MetadataDocument)? {
+        for group_yaml in get_slice_value(&doc, "groups", YamlObjectType::MetadataDocument)? {
             let group = Group::try_from_yaml(group_yaml)?;
 
             let name = group.name().to_owned();
diff --git a/src/metadata/plugin_cleaning_data.rs b/src/metadata/plugin_cleaning_data.rs
index 7dac15ed..07cc9c3e 100644
--- a/src/metadata/plugin_cleaning_data.rs
+++ b/src/metadata/plugin_cleaning_data.rs
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@ use super::{
         validate_message_contents,
     },
     yaml::{
-        EmitYaml, TryFromYaml, YamlEmitter, YamlObjectType, as_mapping, as_string_node,
-        get_required_string_value, get_u32_value,
+        EmitYaml, TryFromYaml, YamlEmitter, YamlObjectType, as_mapping, get_required_string_value,
+        get_u32_value, get_value,
     },
 };
 
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ impl TryFromYaml for PluginCleaningData {
         let udr = get_u32_value(mapping, "udr", YamlObjectType::PluginCleaningData)?.unwrap_or(0);
         let nav = get_u32_value(mapping, "nav", YamlObjectType::PluginCleaningData)?.unwrap_or(0);
 
-        let detail = match mapping.get(&as_string_node("detail")) {
+        let detail = match get_value(mapping, "detail") {
             Some(n) => {
                 parse_message_contents_yaml(n, "detail", YamlObjectType::PluginCleaningData)?
             }
diff --git a/src/metadata/plugin_metadata.rs b/src/metadata/plugin_metadata.rs
index 9803785e..02f57bc3 100644
--- a/src/metadata/plugin_metadata.rs
+++ b/src/metadata/plugin_metadata.rs
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ use super::{
     plugin_cleaning_data::PluginCleaningData,
     tag::Tag,
     yaml::{
-        EmitYaml, TryFromYaml, YamlEmitter, YamlObjectType, as_mapping, get_as_slice,
-        get_required_string_value, get_string_value,
+        EmitYaml, TryFromYaml, YamlEmitter, YamlObjectType, as_mapping, get_required_string_value,
+        get_slice_value, get_string_value,
     },
 };
 
@@ -444,7 +444,7 @@ fn get_boxed_slice<T: TryFromYaml>(
     mapping: &saphyr::AnnotatedMapping<MarkedYaml>,
     key: &'static str,
 ) -> Result<Box<[T]>, ParseMetadataError> {
-    get_as_slice(mapping, key, YamlObjectType::PluginMetadata)?
+    get_slice_value(mapping, key, YamlObjectType::PluginMetadata)?
         .iter()
         .map(|e| T::try_from_yaml(e))
         .collect()
diff --git a/src/metadata/yaml/merge.rs b/src/metadata/yaml/merge.rs
index 4322bfc3..1ca5c986 100644
--- a/src/metadata/yaml/merge.rs
+++ b/src/metadata/yaml/merge.rs
@@ -1,13 +1,7 @@
-use std::sync::LazyLock;
-
 use saphyr::{MarkedYaml, YamlData};
 
 use crate::metadata::error::YamlMergeKeyError;
 
-use super::as_string_node;
-
-static MERGE_KEY: LazyLock<MarkedYaml> = LazyLock::new(|| as_string_node("<<"));
-
 pub fn process_merge_keys(mut yaml: MarkedYaml) -> Result<MarkedYaml, YamlMergeKeyError> {
     match yaml.data {
         YamlData::Sequence(a) => {
@@ -39,7 +33,7 @@ fn merge_mapping_keys<'a, 'b>(
         })
         .collect::<Result<_, _>>()?;
 
-    if let Some(value) = mapping.remove(&MERGE_KEY) {
+    if let Some(value) = mapping.remove(&MarkedYaml::value_from_str("<<")) {
         merge_into_mapping(mapping, value)
     } else {
         Ok(mapping)
diff --git a/src/metadata/yaml/mod.rs b/src/metadata/yaml/mod.rs
index 14fc1db5..615b38b9 100644
--- a/src/metadata/yaml/mod.rs
+++ b/src/metadata/yaml/mod.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ mod parse;
 pub use emit::{EmitYaml, YamlEmitter};
 pub use merge::process_merge_keys;
 pub use parse::{
-    TryFromYaml, YamlObjectType, as_mapping, as_string_node, get_as_slice,
-    get_required_string_value, get_string_value, get_strings_vec_value, get_u32_value,
-    parse_condition, to_unmarked_yaml,
+    TryFromYaml, YamlObjectType, as_mapping, get_required_string_value, get_slice_value,
+    get_string_value, get_strings_vec_value, get_u32_value, get_value, parse_condition,
+    to_unmarked_yaml,
 };
diff --git a/src/metadata/yaml/parse.rs b/src/metadata/yaml/parse.rs
index 71a85120..88a5deca 100644
--- a/src/metadata/yaml/parse.rs
+++ b/src/metadata/yaml/parse.rs
@@ -55,8 +55,11 @@ pub fn to_unmarked_yaml<'a>(yaml: &MarkedYaml<'a>) -> Yaml<'a> {
     }
 }
 
-pub fn as_string_node(value: &str) -> MarkedYaml {
-    MarkedYaml::value_from_str(value)
+pub fn get_value<'a, 'b>(
+    mapping: &'a AnnotatedMapping<'b, MarkedYaml<'b>>,
+    key: &'static str,
+) -> Option<&'a MarkedYaml<'b>> {
+    mapping.get(&MarkedYaml::value_from_str(key))
 }
 
 pub fn get_string_value<'a>(
@@ -64,7 +67,7 @@ pub fn get_string_value<'a>(
     key: &'static str,
     yaml_type: YamlObjectType,
 ) -> Result<Option<(Marker, &'a str)>, ParseMetadataError> {
-    match mapping.get(&as_string_node(key)) {
+    match get_value(mapping, key) {
         Some(n) => match n.data.as_str() {
             Some(s) => Ok(Some((n.span.start, s))),
             None => Err(ParseMetadataError::unexpected_value_type(
@@ -95,7 +98,7 @@ pub fn get_strings_vec_value<'a>(
     key: &'static str,
     yaml_type: YamlObjectType,
 ) -> Result<Vec<&'a str>, ParseMetadataError> {
-    match mapping.get(&as_string_node(key)) {
+    match get_value(mapping, key) {
         Some(n) => match n.data.as_vec() {
             Some(n) => n
                 .iter()
@@ -139,7 +142,7 @@ pub fn get_u32_value(
     key: &'static str,
     yaml_type: YamlObjectType,
 ) -> Result<Option<u32>, ParseMetadataError> {
-    match mapping.get(&as_string_node(key)) {
+    match get_value(mapping, key) {
         Some(n) => match n.data.as_integer() {
             Some(i) => i.try_into().map(Some).map_err(|_e| {
                 ParseMetadataError::new(n.span.start, MetadataParsingErrorReason::NonU32Number(i))
@@ -155,12 +158,12 @@ pub fn get_u32_value(
     }
 }
 
-pub fn get_as_slice<'a>(
+pub fn get_slice_value<'a>(
     mapping: &'a saphyr::AnnotatedMapping<MarkedYaml>,
     key: &'static str,
     yaml_type: YamlObjectType,
 ) -> Result<&'a [MarkedYaml<'a>], ParseMetadataError> {
-    if let Some(value) = mapping.get(&as_string_node(key)) {
+    if let Some(value) = get_value(mapping, key) {
         match value.data.as_vec() {
             Some(n) => Ok(n.as_slice()),
             None => Err(ParseMetadataError::unexpected_value_type(