diff --git a/kyaml/kio/byteio_readwriter_test.go b/kyaml/kio/byteio_readwriter_test.go
index 4488cce6e1d..e096f2707f2 100644
--- a/kyaml/kio/byteio_readwriter_test.go
+++ b/kyaml/kio/byteio_readwriter_test.go
@@ -425,14 +425,12 @@ spec:
 `,
 		},
 		{
-			name: "round_trip with mixed indentations in same resource, wide wins",
+			name: "round_trip with mixed indentations in same resource, wide wins as it is first",
 			input: `
 apiVersion: apps/v1
 kind: Deployment
 spec:
   - foo
-  - bar
-  - baz
 env:
 - foo
 - bar
@@ -442,22 +440,18 @@ apiVersion: apps/v1
 kind: Deployment
 spec:
   - foo
-  - bar
-  - baz
 env:
   - foo
   - bar
 `,
 		},
 		{
-			name: "round_trip with mixed indentations in same resource, compact wins",
+			name: "round_trip with mixed indentations in same resource, compact wins as it is first",
 			input: `
 apiVersion: apps/v1
 kind: Deployment
 spec:
 - foo
-- bar
-- baz
 env:
   - foo
   - bar
@@ -467,31 +461,6 @@ apiVersion: apps/v1
 kind: Deployment
 spec:
 - foo
-- bar
-- baz
-env:
-- foo
-- bar
-`,
-		},
-		{
-			name: "round_trip with mixed indentations in same resource, compact in case of a tie",
-			input: `
-apiVersion: apps/v1
-kind: Deployment
-spec:
-- foo
-- bar
-env:
-  - foo
-  - bar
-`,
-			expectedOutput: `
-apiVersion: apps/v1
-kind: Deployment
-spec:
-- foo
-- bar
 env:
 - foo
 - bar
diff --git a/kyaml/kio/byteio_writer.go b/kyaml/kio/byteio_writer.go
index 628ce438a17..33e5a8999d8 100644
--- a/kyaml/kio/byteio_writer.go
+++ b/kyaml/kio/byteio_writer.go
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ func (w ByteWriter) Write(inputNodes []*yaml.RNode) error {
 	// don't wrap the elements
 	if w.WrappingKind == "" {
 		for i := range nodes {
-			if seqIndentsForNodes[i] == string(yaml.WideSeqIndent) {
+			if seqIndentsForNodes[i] == string(yaml.WideSequenceStyle) {
 				encoder.DefaultSeqIndent()
 			} else {
 				encoder.CompactSeqIndent()
diff --git a/kyaml/yaml/alias.go b/kyaml/yaml/alias.go
index b4a60ad112c..5a373011877 100644
--- a/kyaml/yaml/alias.go
+++ b/kyaml/yaml/alias.go
@@ -11,19 +11,19 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	WideSeqIndent    SeqIndentType = "wide"
-	CompactSeqIndent SeqIndentType = "compact"
-	DefaultIndent                  = 2
+	WideSequenceStyle    SequenceIndentStyle = "wide"
+	CompactSequenceStyle SequenceIndentStyle = "compact"
+	DefaultIndent                            = 2
 )
 
 // SeqIndentType holds the indentation style for sequence nodes
-type SeqIndentType string
+type SequenceIndentStyle string
 
 // EncoderOptions are options that can be used to configure the encoder,
 // do not expose new options without considerable justification
 type EncoderOptions struct {
 	// SeqIndent is the indentation style for YAML Sequence nodes
-	SeqIndent SeqIndentType
+	SeqIndent SequenceIndentStyle
 }
 
 // Expose the yaml.v3 functions so this package can be used as a replacement
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ func MarshalWithOptions(in interface{}, opts *EncoderOptions) ([]byte, error) {
 func NewEncoderWithOptions(w io.Writer, opts *EncoderOptions) *yaml.Encoder {
 	encoder := NewEncoder(w)
 	encoder.SetIndent(DefaultIndent)
-	if opts.SeqIndent == WideSeqIndent {
+	if opts.SeqIndent == WideSequenceStyle {
 		encoder.DefaultSeqIndent()
 	} else {
 		encoder.CompactSeqIndent()
diff --git a/kyaml/yaml/util.go b/kyaml/yaml/util.go
index df6c79d33d0..bada8711c80 100644
--- a/kyaml/yaml/util.go
+++ b/kyaml/yaml/util.go
@@ -29,20 +29,21 @@ func DeriveSeqIndentStyle(originalYAML string) string {
 
 		numSpacesBeforeKeyElem := len(keyLine) - len(strings.TrimLeft(keyLine, " "))
 		trimmedKeyLine := strings.Trim(keyLine, " ")
-		if strings.HasSuffix(trimmedKeyLine, "|") || strings.HasSuffix(trimmedKeyLine, "|-") {
+		if strings.Count(trimmedKeyLine, ":") != 1 || !strings.HasSuffix(trimmedKeyLine, ":") {
+			// if the key line doesn't contain only one : that too at the end,
 			// this is not a sequence node, it is a wrapped sequence node string
 			// ignore it
 			continue
 		}
 
 		if numSpacesBeforeSeqElem == numSpacesBeforeKeyElem {
-			return string(CompactSeqIndent)
+			return string(CompactSequenceStyle)
 		}
 
 		if numSpacesBeforeSeqElem-numSpacesBeforeKeyElem == 2 {
-			return string(WideSeqIndent)
+			return string(WideSequenceStyle)
 		}
 	}
 
-	return string(CompactSeqIndent)
+	return string(CompactSequenceStyle)
 }
diff --git a/kyaml/yaml/util_test.go b/kyaml/yaml/util_test.go
index a83725c2874..ef0d1fb5d24 100644
--- a/kyaml/yaml/util_test.go
+++ b/kyaml/yaml/util_test.go
@@ -79,16 +79,42 @@ env:
 			expectedOutput: `compact`,
 		},
 		{
-			name: "skip wrapped sequence strings",
+			name: "skip wrapped sequence strings, pipe hyphen",
 			input: `apiVersion: apps/v1
 kind: Deployment
 spec: |-
   - foo
   - bar
-env:
-- foo
-- bar
-- baz
+`,
+			expectedOutput: `compact`,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "skip wrapped sequence strings, pipe",
+			input: `apiVersion: apps/v1
+kind: Deployment
+spec: |
+  - foo
+  - bar
+`,
+			expectedOutput: `compact`,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "skip wrapped sequence strings, right angle bracket",
+			input: `apiVersion: apps/v1
+kind: Deployment
+spec: >
+  - foo
+  - bar
+`,
+			expectedOutput: `compact`,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "skip wrapped sequence strings, plus",
+			input: `apiVersion: apps/v1
+kind: Deployment
+spec: +
+  - foo
+  - bar
 `,
 			expectedOutput: `compact`,
 		},