diff --git a/news/364.bugfix b/news/364.bugfix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..18dce42e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/news/364.bugfix
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Properly crash when accessing `${foo.bar}` if `foo` is a value node (instead of silently returning `${foo}`)
diff --git a/omegaconf/base.py b/omegaconf/base.py
index 4dec6fc11..dcbba0d52 100644
--- a/omegaconf/base.py
+++ b/omegaconf/base.py
@@ -252,7 +252,6 @@ def _select_impl(
         :param key:
         :return:
         """
-        from . import ValueNode
         from .omegaconf import _select_one
 
         if key == "":
@@ -277,9 +276,6 @@ def _select_impl(
                     throw_on_resolution_failure=throw_on_resolution_failure,
                 )
 
-            if isinstance(ret, ValueNode):
-                return ret._get_parent(), k, ret
-
             assert ret is None or isinstance(ret, Container)
             root = ret
 
diff --git a/tests/test_interpolation.py b/tests/test_interpolation.py
index a7c79fe8f..7193e52f2 100644
--- a/tests/test_interpolation.py
+++ b/tests/test_interpolation.py
@@ -394,6 +394,12 @@ def test_merge_with_interpolation() -> None:
         OmegaConf.merge(cfg, {"typed_bar": "nope"})
 
 
+def test_non_container_interpolation() -> None:
+    cfg = OmegaConf.create(dict(foo=0, bar="${foo.baz}"))
+    with pytest.raises(AssertionError):
+        cfg.bar
+
+
 def test_indirect_interpolation() -> None:
     d = {
         "a": {"aa": 10},
@@ -414,7 +420,7 @@ def test_indirect_interpolation2() -> None:
     d = {
         "a": {"aa": 10},
         "b": "${a.aa}",
-        "c": "${b.aa}",
+        "c": "${b}",
     }
 
     cfg = OmegaConf.create(d)