diff --git a/config/vufind/searchspecs.yaml b/config/vufind/searchspecs.yaml
index 5e94d5cf055dab578a701f352ea878066470e5b9..13448bc5ab039304b1beb242a874dc66db441ce1 100644
--- a/config/vufind/searchspecs.yaml
+++ b/config/vufind/searchspecs.yaml
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@
 # Note that you may create a "@parent_yaml" entry at the very top of the file to
 # inherit sections from another file. For example:
 #
-# @parent_yaml: "/path/to/my/file.yaml"
+# "@parent_yaml": "/path/to/my/file.yaml"
 #
 # Only sections not found in this file will be loaded in from the parent file.
 # In some complex scenarios, this can be a useful way of sharing settings
diff --git a/module/VuFind/tests/unit-tests/src/VuFindTest/Config/SearchSpecsReaderTest.php b/module/VuFind/tests/unit-tests/src/VuFindTest/Config/SearchSpecsReaderTest.php
index 52d8c0f294722b12b7c986f5f04618488bf2e542..43363b88f3f47438fb2ae84caf1a65a6954424f0 100644
--- a/module/VuFind/tests/unit-tests/src/VuFindTest/Config/SearchSpecsReaderTest.php
+++ b/module/VuFind/tests/unit-tests/src/VuFindTest/Config/SearchSpecsReaderTest.php
@@ -65,9 +65,9 @@ class SearchSpecsReaderTest extends \VuFindTest\Unit\TestCase
         $parentPath = Locator::getLocalConfigPath('top.yaml', null, true);
         $parent = "top: foo";
         $childPath = Locator::getLocalConfigPath('middle.yaml', null, true);
-        $child = "@parent_yaml: $parentPath\nmiddle: bar";
+        $child = "\"@parent_yaml\": $parentPath\nmiddle: bar";
         $grandchildPath = Locator::getLocalConfigPath('bottom.yaml', null, true);
-        $grandchild = "@parent_yaml: $childPath\nbottom: baz";
+        $grandchild = "\"@parent_yaml\": $childPath\nbottom: baz";
 
         // Fail if we are unable to write files:
         if (null === $parentPath || null === $childPath || null === $grandchildPath