diff --git a/src/encoding/json/encode.go b/src/encoding/json/encode.go
index 7e5e209b4f..f10124e67d 100644
--- a/src/encoding/json/encode.go
+++ b/src/encoding/json/encode.go
@@ -629,12 +629,12 @@ type structEncoder struct {
 
 func (se structEncoder) encode(e *encodeState, v reflect.Value, opts encOpts) {
 	next := byte('{')
+FieldLoop:
 	for i := range se.fields {
 		f := &se.fields[i]
 
 		// Find the nested struct field by following f.index.
 		fv := v
-	FieldLoop:
 		for _, i := range f.index {
 			if fv.Kind() == reflect.Ptr {
 				if fv.IsNil() {
diff --git a/src/encoding/json/encode_test.go b/src/encoding/json/encode_test.go
index 1b7838c895..cd5eadf3c1 100644
--- a/src/encoding/json/encode_test.go
+++ b/src/encoding/json/encode_test.go
@@ -405,6 +405,19 @@ func TestAnonymousFields(t *testing.T) {
 			return S{s1{1, 2, s2{3, 4}}, 6}
 		},
 		want: `{"MyInt1":1,"MyInt2":3}`,
+	}, {
+		// If an anonymous struct pointer field is nil, we should ignore
+		// the embedded fields behind it. Not properly doing so may
+		// result in the wrong output or reflect panics.
+		label: "EmbeddedFieldBehindNilPointer",
+		makeInput: func() interface{} {
+			type (
+				S2 struct{ Field string }
+				S  struct{ *S2 }
+			)
+			return S{}
+		},
+		want: `{}`,
 	}}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {