diff --git a/anyconfig/backend/yaml.py b/anyconfig/backend/yaml.py
index c85ba639..520fee6a 100644
--- a/anyconfig/backend/yaml.py
+++ b/anyconfig/backend/yaml.py
@@ -181,7 +181,10 @@ def _yml_load(stream, container, **options):
         options["Loader"] = _customized_loader(container)
 
     ret = _yml_fnc("load", stream, **_filter_from_options("ac_dict", options))
-    return anyconfig.backend.base.safe_container(ret, container, **options)
+    if ret is None:
+        return container()
+
+    return ret
 
 
 def _yml_dump(cnf, stream, **options):
@@ -216,6 +219,7 @@ class Parser(anyconfig.backend.base.StreamParser):
                   "allow_unicode", "line_break", "encoding", "explicit_start",
                   "explicit_end", "version", "tags"]
     _ordered = True
+    _allow_primitives = True
     _dict_opts = ["ac_dict"]
 
     load_from_stream = anyconfig.backend.base.to_method(_yml_load)
diff --git a/tests/backend/yaml.py b/tests/backend/yaml.py
index e19a6ec6..537e8a70 100644
--- a/tests/backend/yaml.py
+++ b/tests/backend/yaml.py
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
 
 import os
 import anyconfig.backend.yaml as TT
-import anyconfig.globals
 import tests.backend.common as TBC
 
 from anyconfig.compat import OrderedDict
@@ -62,7 +61,6 @@ def test_18_load__list(self):
 
             cnf = self.psr.load(ioi)
             self.assertTrue(cnf)
-            key = anyconfig.globals.PRIMITIVES_TO_DICT_KEY
-            self._assert_dicts_equal(cnf, ref=OrderedDict({key: [1, 2]}))
+            self.assertEqual(cnf, [1, 2])
 
 # vim:sw=4:ts=4:et: