diff --git a/MarshalTests/MarshalTests.swift b/MarshalTests/MarshalTests.swift
index 4dfd266..7d7b1e4 100644
--- a/MarshalTests/MarshalTests.swift
+++ b/MarshalTests/MarshalTests.swift
@@ -185,6 +185,28 @@ class MarshalTests: XCTestCase {
         waitForExpectations(timeout: 1, handler: nil)
     }
     
+    func testOptionalArrayOfDictionaries() {
+        let jsonObject: JSONObject = ["not an array": 12]
+        
+        do {
+            let optArrayOfObjects: [JSONObject]? = try jsonObject.value(for: "who cares")
+            XCTAssertNil(optArrayOfObjects)
+        } catch {
+            XCTFail()
+        }
+        
+        let expectation = self.expectation(description: "type mismatch")
+        do {
+            let notAnArray: [JSONObject]? = try jsonObject.value(for: "not an array")
+            XCTFail("should have thrown instead of returning this: \(notAnArray)")
+        } catch {
+            if case MarshalError.typeMismatchWithKey = error {
+                expectation.fulfill()
+            }
+        }
+        waitForExpectations(timeout: 1, handler: nil)
+    }
+    
     func testSimpleArray() {
         let path = Bundle(for: type(of: self)).path(forResource: "TestSimpleArray", ofType: "json")!
         var data = try! Data(contentsOf: URL(fileURLWithPath: path))
diff --git a/Sources/MarshaledObject.swift b/Sources/MarshaledObject.swift
index ced2a6f..a74c34b 100644
--- a/Sources/MarshaledObject.swift
+++ b/Sources/MarshaledObject.swift
@@ -137,6 +137,18 @@ public extension MarshaledObject {
         }
         return object
     }
+    
+    public func value(for key: KeyType) throws -> [MarshalDictionary]? {
+        do {
+            return try value(for: key) as [MarshalDictionary]
+        }
+        catch MarshalError.keyNotFound {
+            return nil
+        }
+        catch MarshalError.nullValue {
+            return nil
+        }
+    }
 
     public func value(for key: KeyType) throws -> MarshalDictionary {
         let any = try self.any(for: key)
diff --git a/Sources/Operators.swift b/Sources/Operators.swift
index f2a4b75..d7232b3 100644
--- a/Sources/Operators.swift
+++ b/Sources/Operators.swift
@@ -49,6 +49,12 @@ public func <| <A: RawRepresentable>(dictionary: MarshaledObject, key: String) t
 public func <| (dictionary: MarshaledObject, key: String) throws -> JSONObject {
     return try dictionary.value(for: key)
 }
+public func <| (dictionary: MarshaledObject, key: String) throws -> JSONObject? {
+    return try dictionary.value(for: key)
+}
 public func <| (dictionary: MarshaledObject, key: String) throws -> [JSONObject] {
     return try dictionary.value(for: key)
 }
+public func <| (dictionary: MarshaledObject, key: String) throws -> [JSONObject]? {
+    return try dictionary.value(for: key)
+}