diff --git a/patch_test.go b/patch_test.go
index 8dd7b3e..023ab9f 100644
--- a/patch_test.go
+++ b/patch_test.go
@@ -87,6 +87,13 @@ type I struct {
 	I interface{} `json:"i"`
 }
 
+// we have to create an alias for 'any' so that we can embedd it in to J as an exported type
+type EmbeddedAlias any
+
+type J struct {
+	EmbeddedAlias `json:"embedded"`
+}
+
 var _ = Describe("JSONPatch", func() {
 	Context("CreateJsonPatch_pointer_values", func() {
 		It("pointer", func() {
@@ -341,6 +348,43 @@ var _ = Describe("JSONPatch", func() {
 			testPatchWithExpected(H{Ignored: "new", NotIgnored: "new"}, H{Ignored: "old", NotIgnored: "old"}, H{Ignored: "old", NotIgnored: "new"})
 		})
 	})
+	Context("CreateJsonPatch_embedded", func() {
+		It("primitive", func() {
+			// add
+			testPatch(J{"2"}, J{""})
+			// replace
+			testPatch(J{"2"}, J{"1"})
+			// remove // removing an embedded base will remove the whole JSON object
+			testPatchWithExpected(J{""}, J{"2"}, struct{}{})
+			// no change
+			testPatch(J{}, J{})
+			testPatch(J{""}, J{""})
+			testPatch(J{"1"}, J{"1"})
+		})
+		It("slice", func() {
+			// add
+			testPatch(J{[]string{"1"}}, J{[]string{}})
+			// replace
+			testPatch(J{[]string{"2"}}, J{[]string{"1"}})
+			// remove
+			testPatch(J{[]string{}}, J{[]string{"2"}})
+			// no change
+			testPatch(J{[]string{}}, J{[]string{}})
+			testPatch(J{[]string{""}}, J{[]string{""}})
+			testPatch(J{[]string{"1"}}, J{[]string{"1"}})
+		})
+		It("struct", func() {
+			// add
+			testPatch(J{C{Str: "1"}}, J{C{}})
+			// replace
+			testPatch(J{C{Str: "2"}}, J{C{Str: "1"}})
+			// remove
+			testPatch(J{C{}}, J{C{Str: "1"}})
+			// no change
+			testPatch(J{C{}}, J{C{}})
+			testPatch(J{C{Str: "2"}}, J{C{Str: "2"}})
+		})
+	})
 	Context("CreateJsonPatch_with_predicates", func() {
 		var predicate jsonpatch.Predicate
 		BeforeEach(func() {
diff --git a/walker.go b/walker.go
index 6da556a..94608b7 100644
--- a/walker.go
+++ b/walker.go
@@ -264,7 +264,8 @@ func (w *walker) processStruct(modified, current reflect.Value, pointer JSONPoin
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	if modified.Type().PkgPath() == "time" && modified.Type().Name() == "Time" {
+	var modifiedType = modified.Type()
+	if modifiedType.PkgPath() == "time" && modifiedType.Name() == "Time" {
 		m, err := toTimeStrValue(modified)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
@@ -279,13 +280,27 @@ func (w *walker) processStruct(modified, current reflect.Value, pointer JSONPoin
 
 	// process all struct fields, the order of the fields of the  modified and current JSON object is identical because their types match
 	for j := 0; j < modified.NumField(); j++ {
-		tag := strings.Split(modified.Type().Field(j).Tag.Get(jsonTag), ",")[0]
-		if tag == "" || tag == "_" || !modified.Field(j).CanInterface() {
+		var modifiedField = modified.Field(j)
+		var modifiedFieldType = modifiedType.Field(j)
+
+		tag := strings.Split(modifiedFieldType.Tag.Get(jsonTag), ",")[0]
+
+		// allow the tag to be missing if the field is anonymous
+		haveTagOrIsAnonymous := tag != "" || modifiedFieldType.Anonymous
+
+		if !haveTagOrIsAnonymous || tag == "_" || !modifiedFieldType.IsExported() {
 			// struct fields without a JSON tag set or unexported fields are ignored
 			continue
 		}
+
+		var p2 = pointer
+		// update the pointer unless the tag is empty
+		if tag != "" {
+			p2 = pointer.Add(tag)
+		}
+
 		// process the child's value of the modified and current JSON in a next step
-		if err := w.walk(modified.Field(j), current.Field(j), pointer.Add(tag)); err != nil {
+		if err := w.walk(modifiedField, current.Field(j), p2); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}