diff --git a/apis/v1alpha2/config.go b/apis/v1alpha2/config.go
index cd5832d787..740237b18e 100644
--- a/apis/v1alpha2/config.go
+++ b/apis/v1alpha2/config.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import (
 
 // AnyConfig represent parts of the config.
 type AnyConfig struct {
-	Object map[string]interface{} `json:"-"`
+	Object map[string]interface{} `json:"-" yaml:",inline"`
 }
 
 // DeepCopyInto is an autogenerated deepcopy function, copying the receiver, writing into out. in must be non-nil.
@@ -72,24 +72,24 @@ func (c *AnyConfig) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
 // Config encapsulates collector config.
 type Config struct {
 	// +kubebuilder:pruning:PreserveUnknownFields
-	Receivers AnyConfig `json:"receivers"`
+	Receivers AnyConfig `json:"receivers" yaml:"receivers"`
 	// +kubebuilder:pruning:PreserveUnknownFields
-	Exporters AnyConfig `json:"exporters"`
+	Exporters AnyConfig `json:"exporters" yaml:"exporters"`
 	// +kubebuilder:pruning:PreserveUnknownFields
-	Processors *AnyConfig `json:"processors,omitempty"`
+	Processors *AnyConfig `json:"processors,omitempty" yaml:"processors,omitempty"`
 	// +kubebuilder:pruning:PreserveUnknownFields
-	Connectors *AnyConfig `json:"connectors,omitempty"`
+	Connectors *AnyConfig `json:"connectors,omitempty" yaml:"connectors,omitempty"`
 	// +kubebuilder:pruning:PreserveUnknownFields
-	Extensions *AnyConfig `json:"extensions,omitempty"`
-	Service    Service    `json:"service"`
+	Extensions *AnyConfig `json:"extensions,omitempty" yaml:"extensions,omitempty"`
+	Service    Service    `json:"service" yaml:"service"`
 }
 
 type Service struct {
-	Extensions *[]string `json:"extensions,omitempty"`
+	Extensions *[]string `json:"extensions,omitempty" yaml:"extensions,omitempty"`
 	// +kubebuilder:pruning:PreserveUnknownFields
-	Telemetry *AnyConfig `json:"telemetry,omitempty"`
+	Telemetry *AnyConfig `json:"telemetry,omitempty" yaml:"telemetry,omitempty"`
 	// +kubebuilder:pruning:PreserveUnknownFields
-	Pipelines AnyConfig `json:"pipelines"`
+	Pipelines AnyConfig `json:"pipelines" yaml:"pipelines"`
 }
 
 // Returns null objects in the config.
@@ -128,7 +128,11 @@ func hasNullValue(cfg map[string]interface{}) []string {
 			nullKeys = append(nullKeys, fmt.Sprintf("%s:", k))
 		}
 		if reflect.ValueOf(v).Kind() == reflect.Map {
-			nulls := hasNullValue(v.(map[string]interface{}))
+			var nulls []string
+			val, ok := v.(map[string]interface{})
+			if ok {
+				nulls = hasNullValue(val)
+			}
 			if len(nulls) > 0 {
 				prefixed := addPrefix(k+".", nulls)
 				nullKeys = append(nullKeys, prefixed...)
diff --git a/apis/v1alpha2/config_test.go b/apis/v1alpha2/config_test.go
index 079f6ba548..a672c4aa3f 100644
--- a/apis/v1alpha2/config_test.go
+++ b/apis/v1alpha2/config_test.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	go_yaml "gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/yaml"
 )
 
@@ -71,3 +72,41 @@ func TestNullObjects(t *testing.T) {
 	nullObjects := cfg.nullObjects()
 	assert.Equal(t, []string{"connectors.spanmetrics:", "exporters.otlp.endpoint:", "extensions.health_check:", "processors.batch:", "receivers.otlp.protocols.grpc:", "receivers.otlp.protocols.http:"}, nullObjects)
 }
+
+func TestConfigFiles_go_yaml(t *testing.T) {
+	files, err := os.ReadDir("./testdata")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	for _, file := range files {
+		if !strings.HasPrefix(file.Name(), "otelcol-") {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		testFile := path.Join("./testdata", file.Name())
+		t.Run(testFile, func(t *testing.T) {
+			collectorYaml, err := os.ReadFile(testFile)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+
+			cfg := &Config{}
+			err = go_yaml.Unmarshal(collectorYaml, cfg)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			yamlCfg, err := go_yaml.Marshal(cfg)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			assert.YAMLEq(t, string(collectorYaml), string(yamlCfg))
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNullObjects_go_yaml(t *testing.T) {
+	collectorYaml, err := os.ReadFile("./testdata/otelcol-null-values.yaml")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	cfg := &Config{}
+	err = go_yaml.Unmarshal(collectorYaml, cfg)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	nullObjects := cfg.nullObjects()
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{"connectors.spanmetrics:", "exporters.otlp.endpoint:", "extensions.health_check:", "processors.batch:", "receivers.otlp.protocols.grpc:", "receivers.otlp.protocols.http:"}, nullObjects)
+}