diff --git a/dsl/matcher.go b/dsl/matcher.go
index f084bf823..9e42431a6 100644
--- a/dsl/matcher.go
+++ b/dsl/matcher.go
@@ -301,6 +301,10 @@ func match(srcType reflect.Type, params params) Matcher {
 
 		for i := 0; i < srcType.NumField(); i++ {
 			field := srcType.Field(i)
+			// Skip unexported fields.
+			if field.PkgPath != "" {
+				continue
+			}
 			fieldName := getJsonFieldName(field)
 			if fieldName == "" {
 				continue
diff --git a/dsl/matcher_test.go b/dsl/matcher_test.go
index 599851fb4..4800ff17d 100644
--- a/dsl/matcher_test.go
+++ b/dsl/matcher_test.go
@@ -598,6 +598,9 @@ func TestMatch(t *testing.T) {
 		Word     string `json:"word"`
 		WordDash string `json:"-,"`
 	}
+	type unexportedDTO struct {
+		unexported string
+	}
 	str := "str"
 	type args struct {
 		src interface{}
@@ -752,6 +755,13 @@ func TestMatch(t *testing.T) {
 				"-":    Like("string"),
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "recursive case - struct with unexported field",
+			args: args{
+				src: unexportedDTO{},
+			},
+			want: StructMatcher{},
+		},
 		{
 			name: "base case - string",
 			args: args{