diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/update.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/update.rs
index 0796cde54e64..c4daced13bc0 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/update.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/update.rs
@@ -75,6 +75,11 @@ impl Command for Update {
                 example: "[[project, authors]; ['nu', ['Andrés', 'JT', 'Yehuda']]] | update authors {|row| $row.authors | str join ','}",
                 result: Some(Value::List { vals: vec![Value::Record { cols: vec!["project".into(), "authors".into()], vals: vec![Value::test_string("nu"), Value::test_string("Andrés,JT,Yehuda")], span: Span::test_data()}], span: Span::test_data()}),
             },
+            Example {
+                description: "You can also use a simple command to update 'authors' to a single string",
+                example: "[[project, authors]; ['nu', ['Andrés', 'JT', 'Yehuda']]] | update authors {|| str join ','}",
+                result: Some(Value::List { vals: vec![Value::Record { cols: vec!["project".into(), "authors".into()], vals: vec![Value::test_string("nu"), Value::test_string("Andrés,JT,Yehuda")], span: Span::test_data()}], span: Span::test_data()}),
+            }
         ]
     }
 }
@@ -118,11 +123,16 @@ fn update(
                     }
                 }
 
+                let input_at_path = match input.clone().follow_cell_path(&cell_path.members, false)
+                {
+                    Err(e) => return Value::Error { error: Box::new(e) },
+                    Ok(v) => v,
+                };
                 let output = eval_block(
                     &engine_state,
                     &mut stack,
                     &block,
-                    input.clone().into_pipeline_data(),
+                    input_at_path.into_pipeline_data(),
                     redirect_stdout,
                     redirect_stderr,
                 );