diff --git a/src/encoding/json/encode.go b/src/encoding/json/encode.go
index 40bc060644ff2e..bb4c54e8d6fd06 100644
--- a/src/encoding/json/encode.go
+++ b/src/encoding/json/encode.go
@@ -632,8 +632,21 @@ func (se structEncoder) encode(e *encodeState, v reflect.Value, opts encOpts) {
 	first := true
 	for i := range se.fields {
 		f := &se.fields[i]
-		fv := fieldByIndex(v, f.index)
-		if !fv.IsValid() || f.omitEmpty && isEmptyValue(fv) {
+
+		// 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() {
+					continue FieldLoop
+				}
+				fv = fv.Elem()
+			}
+			fv = fv.Field(i)
+		}
+
+		if f.omitEmpty && isEmptyValue(fv) {
 			continue
 		}
 		if first {
@@ -835,19 +848,6 @@ func isValidTag(s string) bool {
 	return true
 }
 
-func fieldByIndex(v reflect.Value, index []int) reflect.Value {
-	for _, i := range index {
-		if v.Kind() == reflect.Ptr {
-			if v.IsNil() {
-				return reflect.Value{}
-			}
-			v = v.Elem()
-		}
-		v = v.Field(i)
-	}
-	return v
-}
-
 func typeByIndex(t reflect.Type, index []int) reflect.Type {
 	for _, i := range index {
 		if t.Kind() == reflect.Ptr {