diff --git a/src/object/base.rs b/src/object/base.rs
index 56ec87ad49..9075fc123b 100644
--- a/src/object/base.rs
+++ b/src/object/base.rs
@@ -347,6 +347,62 @@ impl Value {
         }
     }
 
+    pub fn get_data_by_path(&'a self, span: Span, path: &str) -> Option<Spanned<&Value>> {
+        let mut current = self;
+        for p in path.split(".") {
+            match current.get_data_by_key(p) {
+                Some(v) => current = v,
+                None => return None,
+            }
+        }
+
+        Some(Spanned {
+            item: current,
+            span,
+        })
+    }
+
+    pub fn replace_data_at_path(
+        &'a self,
+        span: Span,
+        path: &str,
+        replaced_value: Value,
+    ) -> Option<Spanned<Value>> {
+        let mut new_obj = self.clone();
+
+        let split_path: Vec<_> = path.split(".").collect();
+
+        if let Value::Object(ref mut o) = new_obj {
+            let mut current = o;
+            for idx in 0..split_path.len() {
+                match current.entries.get_mut(split_path[idx]) {
+                    Some(next) => {
+                        if idx == (split_path.len() - 1) {
+                            *next = Spanned {
+                                item: replaced_value,
+                                span,
+                            };
+                            return Some(Spanned {
+                                item: new_obj,
+                                span,
+                            });
+                        } else {
+                            match next.item {
+                                Value::Object(ref mut o) => {
+                                    current = o;
+                                }
+                                _ => return None,
+                            }
+                        }
+                    }
+                    _ => return None,
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        None
+    }
+
     pub fn get_data(&'a self, desc: &String) -> MaybeOwned<'a, Value> {
         match self {
             p @ Value::Primitive(_) => MaybeOwned::Borrowed(p),
diff --git a/src/parser/parse/span.rs b/src/parser/parse/span.rs
index 30d4efeb79..d82f43468f 100644
--- a/src/parser/parse/span.rs
+++ b/src/parser/parse/span.rs
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ impl<T> Spanned<T> {
         }
     }
 
-    crate fn map<U>(self, input: impl FnOnce(T) -> U) -> Spanned<U> {
+    pub fn map<U>(self, input: impl FnOnce(T) -> U) -> Spanned<U> {
         let Spanned { span, item } = self;
 
         let mapped = input(item);
diff --git a/src/plugins/inc.rs b/src/plugins/inc.rs
index faf5ccc2b5..5c8d89129e 100644
--- a/src/plugins/inc.rs
+++ b/src/plugins/inc.rs
@@ -5,11 +5,56 @@ use nu::{
 };
 
 struct Inc {
-    inc_by: i64,
+    field: Option<String>,
 }
 impl Inc {
     fn new() -> Inc {
-        Inc { inc_by: 1 }
+        Inc { field: None }
+    }
+
+    fn inc(value: Spanned<Value>, field: &Option<String>) -> Result<Spanned<Value>, ShellError> {
+        match value.item {
+            Value::Primitive(Primitive::Int(i)) => Ok(Value::int(i + 1).spanned(value.span)),
+            Value::Primitive(Primitive::Bytes(b)) => {
+                Ok(Value::bytes(b + 1 as u64).spanned(value.span))
+            }
+            Value::Primitive(Primitive::String(s)) => {
+                if let Ok(i) = s.parse::<u64>() {
+                    Ok(Spanned {
+                        item: Value::string(format!("{}", i + 1)),
+                        span: value.span,
+                    })
+                } else {
+                    Err(ShellError::string("string could not be incremented"))
+                }
+            }
+            Value::Object(_) => match field {
+                Some(f) => {
+                    let replacement = match value.item.get_data_by_path(value.span, f) {
+                        Some(result) => Inc::inc(result.map(|x| x.clone()), &None)?,
+                        None => {
+                            return Err(ShellError::string("inc could not find field to replace"))
+                        }
+                    };
+                    match value
+                        .item
+                        .replace_data_at_path(value.span, f, replacement.item.clone())
+                    {
+                        Some(v) => return Ok(v),
+                        None => {
+                            return Err(ShellError::string("inc could not find field to replace"))
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                None => Err(ShellError::string(
+                    "inc needs a field when incrementing a value in an object",
+                )),
+            },
+            x => Err(ShellError::string(format!(
+                "Unrecognized type in stream: {:?}",
+                x
+            ))),
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -17,7 +62,7 @@ impl Plugin for Inc {
     fn config(&mut self) -> Result<CommandConfig, ShellError> {
         Ok(CommandConfig {
             name: "inc".to_string(),
-            positional: vec![PositionalType::optional_any("Increment")],
+            positional: vec![PositionalType::optional_any("Field")],
             is_filter: true,
             is_sink: false,
             named: IndexMap::new(),
@@ -29,12 +74,17 @@ impl Plugin for Inc {
             for arg in args {
                 match arg {
                     Spanned {
-                        item: Value::Primitive(Primitive::Int(i)),
+                        item: Value::Primitive(Primitive::String(s)),
                         ..
                     } => {
-                        self.inc_by = i;
+                        self.field = Some(s);
+                    }
+                    _ => {
+                        return Err(ShellError::string(format!(
+                            "Unrecognized type in params: {:?}",
+                            arg
+                        )))
                     }
-                    _ => return Err(ShellError::string("Unrecognized type in params")),
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -43,20 +93,7 @@ impl Plugin for Inc {
     }
 
     fn filter(&mut self, input: Spanned<Value>) -> Result<Vec<ReturnValue>, ShellError> {
-        let span = input.span;
-
-        match input.item {
-            Value::Primitive(Primitive::Int(i)) => Ok(vec![ReturnSuccess::value(
-                Value::int(i + self.inc_by).spanned(span),
-            )]),
-            Value::Primitive(Primitive::Bytes(b)) => Ok(vec![ReturnSuccess::value(
-                Value::bytes(b + self.inc_by as u64).spanned(span),
-            )]),
-            x => Err(ShellError::string(format!(
-                "Unrecognized type in stream: {:?}",
-                x
-            ))),
-        }
+        Ok(vec![ReturnSuccess::value(Inc::inc(input, &self.field)?)])
     }
 }