diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 0d91ddc6..43fff3a4 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ jc changelog
 - Fix `pkg-index-deb`, `apt-cache-show`, and  `rpm-qi` parsers to correctly convert contiguous packages with the same name
 - Fix `traceroute` parser to support extreme IPv6 cases
 - Fix `uptime` parser for data that contains `user` instead of `users`
+- Fix `yaml` parser to support values that start with an equal sign
 - Enhance `jc.utils.convert_size_to_int()` to add `posix_mode` and `decimal_bias` parameters
 
 20240609 v1.25.3
diff --git a/jc/parsers/yaml.py b/jc/parsers/yaml.py
index 8a13a5b6..eb536d58 100644
--- a/jc/parsers/yaml.py
+++ b/jc/parsers/yaml.py
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ from jc.exceptions import LibraryNotInstalled
 
 class info():
     """Provides parser metadata (version, author, etc.)"""
-    version = '1.7'
+    version = '1.8'
     description = 'YAML file parser'
     author = 'Kelly Brazil'
     author_email = 'kellyjonbrazil@gmail.com'
@@ -111,7 +111,6 @@ def _process(proc_data):
 
         List of Dictionaries. Each dictionary represents a YAML document.
     """
-
     # No further processing
     return proc_data
 
@@ -148,17 +147,20 @@ def parse(data, raw=False, quiet=False):
         # plugin code is incompatible with the pyoxidizer packager
         YAML.official_plug_ins = lambda a: []
 
-        yaml = YAML(typ='safe')
+        # use the default `typ` to correctly load values that start with a literal "="
+        yaml = YAML(typ=None)
 
         # modify the timestamp constructor to output datetime objects as
         # strings since JSON does not support datetime objects
         yaml.constructor.yaml_constructors['tag:yaml.org,2002:timestamp'] = \
             yaml.constructor.yaml_constructors['tag:yaml.org,2002:str']
 
+        # modify the value constructor to output values starting with a
+        # literal "=" as a string.
+        yaml.constructor.yaml_constructors['tag:yaml.org,2002:value'] =  \
+            yaml.constructor.yaml_constructors['tag:yaml.org,2002:str']
+
         for document in yaml.load_all(data):
             raw_output.append(document)
 
-    if raw:
-        return raw_output
-    else:
-        return _process(raw_output)
+    return raw_output if raw else _process(raw_output)
diff --git a/tests/test_yaml.py b/tests/test_yaml.py
index b61150d7..0579b47e 100644
--- a/tests/test_yaml.py
+++ b/tests/test_yaml.py
@@ -56,6 +56,14 @@ class MyTests(unittest.TestCase):
         expected = [{"deploymentTime":"2022-04-18T11:12:47"}]
         self.assertEqual(jc.parsers.yaml.parse(data, quiet=True), expected)
 
+    def test_yaml_equalsign(self):
+        """
+        Test yaml file with a value that starts with a literal equal sign "=" (should convert to a string)
+        """
+        data = 'key: ='
+        expected = [{"key":"="}]
+        self.assertEqual(jc.parsers.yaml.parse(data, quiet=True), expected)
+
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()