diff --git a/sheriff.go b/sheriff.go
index 0d4844e..30ae2ef 100644
--- a/sheriff.go
+++ b/sheriff.go
@@ -121,7 +121,8 @@ func Marshal(options *Options, data interface{}) (interface{}, error) {
 		field := t.Field(i)
 		val := v.Field(i)
 
-		jsonTag, jsonOpts := parseTag(field.Tag.Get("json"))
+		jsonTagVal, jsonTagExists := field.Tag.Lookup("json")
+		jsonTag, jsonOpts := parseTag(jsonTagVal)
 
 		// If no json tag is provided, use the field Name
 		if jsonTag == "" {
@@ -194,7 +195,7 @@ func Marshal(options *Options, data interface{}) (interface{}, error) {
 		// when a composition field we want to bring the child
 		// nodes to the top
 		nestedVal, ok := v.(KVStore)
-		if isEmbeddedField && ok {
+		if !jsonTagExists && isEmbeddedField && ok {
 			nestedVal.Each(func(k string, v interface{}) {
 				dest.Set(k, v)
 			})
diff --git a/sheriff_test.go b/sheriff_test.go
index 68bb4c1..85f7510 100644
--- a/sheriff_test.go
+++ b/sheriff_test.go
@@ -580,6 +580,10 @@ type TestMarshal_Embedded struct {
 	Foo string `json:"foo" groups:"test"`
 }
 
+type TestMarshal_NamedEmbedded struct {
+	Qux string `json:"qux" groups:"test"`
+}
+
 // TestMarshal_EmbeddedCustom is used to test an embedded struct with a custom marshaler that is not a pointer.
 type TestMarshal_EmbeddedCustom struct {
 	Val int
@@ -610,14 +614,16 @@ func (t *TestMarshal_EmbeddedCustomPtr) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
 
 type TestMarshal_EmbeddedParent struct {
 	*TestMarshal_Embedded
+	*TestMarshal_NamedEmbedded `json:"embedded"`
 	*TestMarshal_EmbeddedCustom    `json:"value"`
 	*TestMarshal_EmbeddedCustomPtr `json:"value_ptr"`
-	Bar                            string `json:"bar" groups:"test"`
+	Bar                        string `json:"bar" groups:"test"`
 }
 
 func TestMarshal_EmbeddedField(t *testing.T) {
 	v := TestMarshal_EmbeddedParent{
 		&TestMarshal_Embedded{"Hello"},
+		&TestMarshal_NamedEmbedded{"Big"},
 		&TestMarshal_EmbeddedCustom{10, true},
 		&TestMarshal_EmbeddedCustomPtr{20, true},
 		"World",
@@ -630,15 +636,26 @@ func TestMarshal_EmbeddedField(t *testing.T) {
 	actual, err := json.Marshal(actualMap)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
-	expected, err := json.Marshal(map[string]interface{}{
-		"bar":       "World",
-		"foo":       "Hello",
-		"value":     10,
-		"value_ptr": 20,
+	t.Run("should match the original json marshal", func(t *testing.T) {
+		expected, err := json.Marshal(v)
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+		assert.JSONEq(t, string(expected), string(actual))
 	})
-	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
-	assert.Equal(t, string(expected), string(actual))
+	t.Run("should match the expected map", func(t *testing.T) {
+		expectedMap, err := json.Marshal(map[string]interface{}{
+			"bar": "World",
+			"foo": "Hello",
+			"value":     10,
+			"value_ptr": 20,
+			"embedded": map[string]interface{}{
+				"qux": "Big",
+			},
+		})
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.JSONEq(t, string(expectedMap), string(actual))
+	})
 }
 
 type TestMarshal_EmbeddedEmpty struct {