diff --git a/app/controllers/lookups_controller.rb b/app/controllers/lookups_controller.rb
index 66dbacd5..31220e68 100644
--- a/app/controllers/lookups_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/lookups_controller.rb
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ class LookupsController < ApplicationController
 
   def show
     @result = @key.lookup(@node)
-  rescue Hdm::Error => error
-    @error = error
+  rescue Hdm::Error => e
+    @error = e
 
     render action: "error"
   end
diff --git a/app/models/hiera_data/lookup.rb b/app/models/hiera_data/lookup.rb
index 6be870ef..3b06613e 100644
--- a/app/models/hiera_data/lookup.rb
+++ b/app/models/hiera_data/lookup.rb
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@ def flat_hash_merge(values)
     def deep_merge(values)
       values.inject do |memo, value|
         memo ||= {}
-        raise Hdm::Error, "Merge strategy `deep` can only be used with hashes and arrays." unless value.is_a?(Hash) || value.is_a?(Array)
 
         DeepMerge.deep_merge!(memo, value, merge_hash_arrays: true)
       end
diff --git a/test/fixtures/files/puppet/environments/lookup_tests/data/common.yaml b/test/fixtures/files/puppet/environments/lookup_tests/data/common.yaml
index 5f46d2d2..be7caf03 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/files/puppet/environments/lookup_tests/data/common.yaml
+++ b/test/fixtures/files/puppet/environments/lookup_tests/data/common.yaml
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ hdm_nested_hash:
     integer: 32
     added_by_common: common
 hdm_mixed_types: 42
+hdm_mixed_types2:
+  from_common: 42
 lookup_options:
   '^hdm_duplicates':
     merge: hash
diff --git a/test/fixtures/files/puppet/environments/lookup_tests/data/nodes/lookup.betadots.training.yaml b/test/fixtures/files/puppet/environments/lookup_tests/data/nodes/lookup.betadots.training.yaml
index fefa500d..00a44de1 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/files/puppet/environments/lookup_tests/data/nodes/lookup.betadots.training.yaml
+++ b/test/fixtures/files/puppet/environments/lookup_tests/data/nodes/lookup.betadots.training.yaml
@@ -16,3 +16,4 @@ hdm_nested_hash:
     integer: 5
 hdm_mixed_types:
   from_node: 23
+hdm_mixed_types2: 23
diff --git a/test/models/hiera_data/lookup_test.rb b/test/models/hiera_data/lookup_test.rb
index 03e6376d..42a4e690 100644
--- a/test/models/hiera_data/lookup_test.rb
+++ b/test/models/hiera_data/lookup_test.rb
@@ -118,6 +118,18 @@ class LookupTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
       assert_equal expected, result
     end
 
+    test "looking up a mixed value key where a hash is on the highest layer with merge strategy `deep`" do
+      result = perform_lookup("hdm_mixed_types", merge_strategy: :deep)
+
+      assert_equal({ "from_node" => 23 }, result)
+    end
+
+    test "looking up a mixed value key where a hash is on the lowest layer with merge strategy `deep`" do
+      result = perform_lookup("hdm_mixed_types2", merge_strategy: :deep)
+
+      assert_equal 23, result
+    end
+
     private
 
     def perform_lookup(key, merge_strategy:)