diff --git a/compliance b/compliance
index ffa8a5a..304b287 160000
--- a/compliance
+++ b/compliance
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit ffa8a5ac6eb73c4297ff7d997ac5786ee4309d59
+Subproject commit 304b287a9537673227c2e300a34ff8e4757579c5
diff --git a/pkg/interpreter/interpreter.go b/pkg/interpreter/interpreter.go
index 7d5dc95..f8d7277 100644
--- a/pkg/interpreter/interpreter.go
+++ b/pkg/interpreter/interpreter.go
@@ -371,7 +371,13 @@ func (intr *treeInterpreter) Execute(node parsing.ASTNode, value interface{}) (i
 			}
 			stringType, ok := left.(string)
 			if allowString && ok {
-				return stringType, nil
+				// a projection is really a sub-expression in disguise
+				// we must evaluate the right hand expression
+				result, err := intr.Execute(node.Children[1], stringType)
+				if err != nil {
+					return nil, err
+				}
+				return result, nil
 			}
 			return nil, nil
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/interpreter/interpreter_test.go b/pkg/interpreter/interpreter_test.go
index 7d664cb..b31db14 100644
--- a/pkg/interpreter/interpreter_test.go
+++ b/pkg/interpreter/interpreter_test.go
@@ -195,6 +195,15 @@ func TestCanSupportSliceOfStructsWithFunctions(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(result.(float64), 2.0)
 }
 
+func TestCanSupportEvaluatingRightHandSideOfStringSlice(t *testing.T) {
+	assert := assert.New(t)
+	data := make(map[string]interface{})
+	result, err := search(t, "'foo'[:].length(@)", data)
+	assert.Nil(err)
+	assert.Equal(result.(float64), 3.0)
+
+}
+
 func BenchmarkInterpretSingleFieldStruct(b *testing.B) {
 	assert := assert.New(b)
 	caller := NewFunctionCaller(functions.GetDefaultFunctions()...)