diff --git a/parser/yaml/yaml.go b/parser/yaml/yaml.go
index 671eacd18..31617a61a 100644
--- a/parser/yaml/yaml.go
+++ b/parser/yaml/yaml.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package yaml
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
+	"slices"
 
 	"sigs.k8s.io/yaml"
 )
@@ -10,6 +11,12 @@ import (
 // Parser is a YAML parser.
 type Parser struct{}
 
+var (
+	lf   = []byte{'\n'}
+	crlf = []byte{'\r', '\n'}
+	sep  = []byte{'-', '-', '-'}
+)
+
 // Unmarshal unmarshals YAML files.
 func (yp *Parser) Unmarshal(p []byte, v interface{}) error {
 	subDocuments := separateSubDocuments(p)
@@ -29,12 +36,36 @@ func (yp *Parser) Unmarshal(p []byte, v interface{}) error {
 }
 
 func separateSubDocuments(data []byte) [][]byte {
-	linebreak := "\n"
-	if bytes.Contains(data, []byte("\r\n---\r\n")) {
-		linebreak = "\r\n"
+	// Determine line ending style
+	linebreak := lf
+	if bytes.Contains(data, crlf) {
+		linebreak = crlf
+	}
+
+	separator := slices.Concat(linebreak, sep, linebreak)
+
+	// Count actual document separators
+	parts := bytes.Split(data, separator)
+
+	// If we have a directive, first part is not a separate document
+	if bytes.HasPrefix(data, []byte("%")) {
+		if len(parts) <= 2 {
+			// Single document with directive
+			return [][]byte{data}
+		}
+		// Multiple documents - combine directive with first real document
+		firstDoc := append(parts[0], append(separator, parts[1]...)...)
+		result := [][]byte{firstDoc}
+		result = append(result, parts[2:]...)
+		return result
 	}
 
-	return bytes.Split(data, []byte(linebreak+"---"+linebreak))
+	// No directive case
+	if len(parts) <= 1 {
+		// Single document
+		return [][]byte{data}
+	}
+	return parts
 }
 
 func unmarshalMultipleDocuments(subDocuments [][]byte, v interface{}) error {
diff --git a/parser/yaml/yaml_test.go b/parser/yaml/yaml_test.go
index 5d1012607..775023dd6 100644
--- a/parser/yaml/yaml_test.go
+++ b/parser/yaml/yaml_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package yaml_test
 
 import (
 	"reflect"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/open-policy-agent/conftest/parser/yaml"
@@ -15,6 +16,12 @@ func TestYAMLParser(t *testing.T) {
 			expectedResult interface{}
 			shouldError    bool
 		}{
+			{
+				name:           "empty config",
+				controlConfigs: []byte(``),
+				expectedResult: nil,
+				shouldError:    false,
+			},
 			{
 				name:           "a single config",
 				controlConfigs: []byte(`sample: true`),
@@ -44,6 +51,72 @@ nice: true`),
 				},
 				shouldError: false,
 			},
+			{
+				name: "a single config with multiple yaml subdocs with crlf line endings",
+				controlConfigs: []byte(strings.ReplaceAll(`---
+sample: true
+---
+hello: true
+---
+nice: true`, "\n", "\r\n")),
+				expectedResult: []interface{}{
+					map[string]interface{}{
+						"sample": true,
+					},
+					map[string]interface{}{
+						"hello": true,
+					},
+					map[string]interface{}{
+						"nice": true,
+					},
+				},
+				shouldError: false,
+			},
+			{
+				name: "multiple documents with one invalid yaml",
+				controlConfigs: []byte(`---
+valid: true
+---
+invalid:
+  - not closed
+[
+---
+also_valid: true`),
+				expectedResult: nil,
+				shouldError:    true,
+			},
+			{
+				name: "yaml with version directive",
+				controlConfigs: []byte(`%YAML 1.1
+---
+group_id: 1234`),
+				expectedResult: map[string]interface{}{
+					"group_id": float64(1234),
+				},
+				shouldError: false,
+			},
+			{
+				name: "yaml with version directive and multiple documents",
+				controlConfigs: []byte(`%YAML 1.1
+---
+group_id: 1234
+---
+other_id: 5678
+---
+third_id: 9012`),
+				expectedResult: []interface{}{
+					map[string]interface{}{
+						"group_id": float64(1234),
+					},
+					map[string]interface{}{
+						"other_id": float64(5678),
+					},
+					map[string]interface{}{
+						"third_id": float64(9012),
+					},
+				},
+				shouldError: false,
+			},
 		}
 
 		for _, test := range testTable {
@@ -51,14 +124,13 @@ nice: true`),
 				var unmarshalledConfigs interface{}
 				yamlParser := new(yaml.Parser)
 
-				if err := yamlParser.Unmarshal(test.controlConfigs, &unmarshalledConfigs); err != nil {
+				err := yamlParser.Unmarshal(test.controlConfigs, &unmarshalledConfigs)
+				if test.shouldError && err == nil {
+					t.Error("expected error but got none")
+				} else if !test.shouldError && err != nil {
 					t.Errorf("errors unmarshalling: %v", err)
 				}
 
-				if unmarshalledConfigs == nil {
-					t.Error("error seeing actual value in object, received nil")
-				}
-
 				if !reflect.DeepEqual(test.expectedResult, unmarshalledConfigs) {
 					t.Errorf("Expected\n%T : %v\n to equal\n%T : %v\n", unmarshalledConfigs, unmarshalledConfigs, test.expectedResult, test.expectedResult)
 				}