diff --git a/hashstructure.go b/hashstructure.go
index 9d102ce..f0e4de9 100644
--- a/hashstructure.go
+++ b/hashstructure.go
@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@ type HashOptions struct {
 	// precedence (meaning that if the type doesn't implement fmt.Stringer, we
 	// panic)
 	UseStringer bool
+
+	// StringIgnoredStructs will attempt to .String() a struct if all of the
+	// members of the struct are ignored for the purposes of hashing.
+	StringIgnoredStructs bool
 }
 
 // Format specifies the hashing process used. Different formats typically
@@ -116,25 +120,27 @@ func Hash(v interface{}, format Format, opts *HashOptions) (uint64, error) {
 
 	// Create our walker and walk the structure
 	w := &walker{
-		format:          format,
-		h:               opts.Hasher,
-		tag:             opts.TagName,
-		zeronil:         opts.ZeroNil,
-		ignorezerovalue: opts.IgnoreZeroValue,
-		sets:            opts.SlicesAsSets,
-		stringer:        opts.UseStringer,
+		format:               format,
+		h:                    opts.Hasher,
+		tag:                  opts.TagName,
+		zeronil:              opts.ZeroNil,
+		ignorezerovalue:      opts.IgnoreZeroValue,
+		sets:                 opts.SlicesAsSets,
+		stringer:             opts.UseStringer,
+		stringignoredstructs: opts.StringIgnoredStructs,
 	}
 	return w.visit(reflect.ValueOf(v), nil)
 }
 
 type walker struct {
-	format          Format
-	h               hash.Hash64
-	tag             string
-	zeronil         bool
-	ignorezerovalue bool
-	sets            bool
-	stringer        bool
+	format               Format
+	h                    hash.Hash64
+	tag                  string
+	zeronil              bool
+	ignorezerovalue      bool
+	sets                 bool
+	stringer             bool
+	stringignoredstructs bool
 }
 
 type visitOpts struct {
@@ -385,11 +391,14 @@ func (w *walker) visit(v reflect.Value, opts *visitOpts) (uint64, error) {
 			}
 		}
 		// no fields involved in the hash! try and string instead.
-		if unhashedfields == l {
-			if impl, ok := v.Interface().(fmt.Stringer); ok {
+		if unhashedfields == l && w.stringignoredstructs {
+			if impl, ok := parent.(fmt.Stringer); ok {
 				w.h.Reset()
 				_, err := w.h.Write([]byte(impl.String()))
-				return w.h.Sum64(), err
+				if err != nil {
+					return 0, err
+				}
+				return w.h.Sum64(), nil
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/hashstructure_test.go b/hashstructure_test.go
index 650e353..f69b319 100644
--- a/hashstructure_test.go
+++ b/hashstructure_test.go
@@ -738,7 +738,7 @@ func (u Unexported) String() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%d", u.n)
 }
 
-func TestHash_unexported_stringable(t *testing.T) {
+func TestHash_StringIgnoredStructs(t *testing.T) {
 	cases := []struct {
 		One, Two interface{}
 		Match    bool
@@ -784,7 +784,7 @@ func TestHash_unexported_stringable(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for i, tc := range cases {
 		t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("%d", i), func(t *testing.T) {
-			one, err := Hash(tc.One, testFormat, &HashOptions{})
+			one, err := Hash(tc.One, testFormat, &HashOptions{StringIgnoredStructs: true})
 			if tc.Err != "" {
 				if err == nil {
 					t.Fatal("expected error")
@@ -800,7 +800,7 @@ func TestHash_unexported_stringable(t *testing.T) {
 				t.Fatalf("Failed to hash %#v: %s", tc.One, err)
 			}
 
-			two, err := Hash(tc.Two, testFormat, nil)
+			two, err := Hash(tc.Two, testFormat, &HashOptions{StringIgnoredStructs: true})
 			if err != nil {
 				t.Fatalf("Failed to hash %#v: %s", tc.Two, err)
 			}