diff --git a/mapstructure.go b/mapstructure.go
index 7581806a..0c189c51 100644
--- a/mapstructure.go
+++ b/mapstructure.go
@@ -918,9 +918,6 @@ func (d *Decoder) decodeMapFromStruct(name string, dataVal reflect.Value, val re
 		// Next get the actual value of this field and verify it is assignable
 		// to the map value.
 		v := dataVal.Field(i)
-		if !v.Type().AssignableTo(valMap.Type().Elem()) {
-			return fmt.Errorf("cannot assign type '%s' to map value field of type '%s'", v.Type(), valMap.Type().Elem())
-		}
 
 		tagValue := f.Tag.Get(d.config.TagName)
 		keyName := f.Name
@@ -973,9 +970,21 @@ func (d *Decoder) decodeMapFromStruct(name string, dataVal reflect.Value, val re
 			x := reflect.New(v.Type())
 			x.Elem().Set(v)
 
-			vType := valMap.Type()
-			vKeyType := vType.Key()
-			vElemType := vType.Elem()
+			var vKeyType reflect.Type
+			var vElemType reflect.Type
+			switch valMap.Type().Elem().Kind() {
+			case reflect.Map:
+				// When the target field is a typed map, use the map type
+				vType := valMap.Type().Elem()
+				vKeyType = vType.Key()
+				vElemType = vType.Elem()
+
+			default:
+				// For any other target field type, use the root map type (map[string]interface{})
+				vKeyType = valMap.Type().Key()
+				vElemType = valMap.Type().Elem()
+			}
+
 			mType := reflect.MapOf(vKeyType, vElemType)
 			vMap := reflect.MakeMap(mType)
 
@@ -1004,6 +1013,10 @@ func (d *Decoder) decodeMapFromStruct(name string, dataVal reflect.Value, val re
 			}
 
 		default:
+			if !v.Type().AssignableTo(valMap.Type().Elem()) {
+				return fmt.Errorf("cannot assign type '%s' to map value field of type '%s'", v.Type(), valMap.Type().Elem())
+			}
+
 			valMap.SetMapIndex(reflect.ValueOf(keyName), v)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/mapstructure_test.go b/mapstructure_test.go
index d31129d7..96fa4fdb 100644
--- a/mapstructure_test.go
+++ b/mapstructure_test.go
@@ -2788,6 +2788,94 @@ func testArrayInput(t *testing.T, input map[string]interface{}, expected *Array)
 	}
 }
 
+func TestDecode_structToGenericMap(t *testing.T) {
+	type SourceChild struct {
+		String string             `mapstructure:"string"`
+		Int    int                `mapstructure:"int"`
+		Map    map[string]float32 `mapstructure:"map"`
+	}
+
+	type SourceParent struct {
+		Child SourceChild `mapstructure:"child"`
+	}
+
+	var target map[string]interface{}
+
+	source := SourceParent{
+		Child: SourceChild{
+			String: "hello",
+			Int:    1,
+			Map: map[string]float32{
+				"one": 1.0,
+				"two": 2.0,
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	if err := Decode(source, &target); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("got error: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	expected := map[string]interface{}{
+		"child": map[string]interface{}{
+			"string": "hello",
+			"int":    1,
+			"map": map[string]float32{
+				"one": 1.0,
+				"two": 2.0,
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(target, expected) {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: \nexpected: %#v\nresult: %#v", expected, target)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDecode_structToTypedMap(t *testing.T) {
+	type SourceChild struct {
+		String string             `mapstructure:"string"`
+		Int    int                `mapstructure:"int"`
+		Map    map[string]float32 `mapstructure:"map"`
+	}
+
+	type SourceParent struct {
+		Child SourceChild `mapstructure:"child"`
+	}
+
+	var target map[string]map[string]interface{}
+
+	source := SourceParent{
+		Child: SourceChild{
+			String: "hello",
+			Int:    1,
+			Map: map[string]float32{
+				"one": 1.0,
+				"two": 2.0,
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	if err := Decode(source, &target); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("got error: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	expected := map[string]map[string]interface{}{
+		"child": {
+			"string": "hello",
+			"int":    1,
+			"map": map[string]float32{
+				"one": 1.0,
+				"two": 2.0,
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(target, expected) {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: \nexpected: %#v\nresult: %#v", expected, target)
+	}
+}
+
 func stringPtr(v string) *string              { return &v }
 func intPtr(v int) *int                       { return &v }
 func uintPtr(v uint) *uint                    { return &v }