diff --git a/serde_macros/src/lib.rs b/serde_macros/src/lib.rs
index 23765672..84d6bf3d 100644
--- a/serde_macros/src/lib.rs
+++ b/serde_macros/src/lib.rs
@@ -1192,9 +1192,7 @@ fn declare_visit_map(
             quote_stmt!(cx,
                 let $field = match $field {
                     Some($field) => $field,
-                    None => {
-                        return Err(::serde::de::Error::missing_field_error($name_str));
-                    }
+                    None => try!(visitor.missing_field($name_str)),
                 };
             )
         })
diff --git a/src/de.rs b/src/de.rs
index 2bf7328d..bf99b582 100644
--- a/src/de.rs
+++ b/src/de.rs
@@ -291,6 +291,12 @@ pub trait MapVisitor {
     fn size_hint(&self) -> (usize, Option<usize>) {
         (0, None)
     }
+
+    fn missing_field<V>(&mut self, field: &'static str) -> Result<V, Self::Error>
+        where V: Deserialize,
+    {
+        Err(Error::missing_field_error(field))
+    }
 }
 
 impl<'a, V_> MapVisitor for &'a mut V_ where V_: MapVisitor {
diff --git a/src/json/de.rs b/src/json/de.rs
index f0f96edb..3e6471bb 100644
--- a/src/json/de.rs
+++ b/src/json/de.rs
@@ -543,6 +543,7 @@ impl<'a, Iter> de::MapVisitor for MapVisitor<'a, Iter>
         }
 
         if self.de.eof() {
+            println!("here3");
             return Err(self.de.error(ErrorCode::EOFWhileParsingValue));
         }
 
@@ -573,6 +574,31 @@ impl<'a, Iter> de::MapVisitor for MapVisitor<'a, Iter>
             Err(self.de.error(ErrorCode::TrailingCharacters))
         }
     }
+
+    fn missing_field<V>(&mut self, _field: &'static str) -> Result<V, Error>
+        where V: de::Deserialize,
+    {
+        // See if the type can deserialize from a unit.
+        struct UnitDeserializer;
+
+        impl de::Deserializer for UnitDeserializer {
+            type Error = Error;
+
+            fn visit<V>(&mut self, mut visitor: V) -> Result<V::Value, Error>
+                where V: de::Visitor,
+            {
+                visitor.visit_unit()
+            }
+
+            fn visit_option<V>(&mut self, mut visitor: V) -> Result<V::Value, Error>
+                where V: de::Visitor,
+            {
+                visitor.visit_none()
+            }
+        }
+
+        Ok(try!(de::Deserialize::deserialize(&mut UnitDeserializer)))
+    }
 }
 
 struct EnumVisitor<'a, Iter: 'a> {
diff --git a/src/json/value.rs b/src/json/value.rs
index f444c754..b7685c52 100644
--- a/src/json/value.rs
+++ b/src/json/value.rs
@@ -553,6 +553,31 @@ impl<'a> de::MapVisitor for MapDeserializer<'a> {
         }
     }
 
+    fn missing_field<V>(&mut self, _field: &'static str) -> Result<V, Error>
+        where V: de::Deserialize,
+    {
+        // See if the type can deserialize from a unit.
+        struct UnitDeserializer;
+
+        impl de::Deserializer for UnitDeserializer {
+            type Error = Error;
+
+            fn visit<V>(&mut self, mut visitor: V) -> Result<V::Value, Error>
+                where V: de::Visitor,
+            {
+                visitor.visit_unit()
+            }
+
+            fn visit_option<V>(&mut self, mut visitor: V) -> Result<V::Value, Error>
+                where V: de::Visitor,
+            {
+                visitor.visit_none()
+            }
+        }
+
+        Ok(try!(de::Deserialize::deserialize(&mut UnitDeserializer)))
+    }
+
     fn size_hint(&self) -> (usize, Option<usize>) {
         (self.len, Some(self.len))
     }
diff --git a/tests/test_json.rs b/tests/test_json.rs
index 1a7b2d62..fd0d10d2 100644
--- a/tests/test_json.rs
+++ b/tests/test_json.rs
@@ -643,7 +643,7 @@ fn test_parse_object() {
 fn test_parse_struct() {
     test_parse_err::<Outer>(&[
         ("[]", Error::SyntaxError(ErrorCode::ExpectedSomeValue, 0, 0)),
-        ("{}", Error::MissingFieldError("inner")),
+        ("{}", Error::SyntaxError(ErrorCode::ExpectedSomeValue, 0, 0)),
         ("{\"inner\": true}", Error::SyntaxError(ErrorCode::ExpectedSomeValue, 0, 0)),
     ]);
 
@@ -759,3 +759,26 @@ fn test_multiline_errors() {
         ("{\n  \"foo\":\n \"bar\"", Error::SyntaxError(ErrorCode::EOFWhileParsingObject, 3, 8)),
     ]);
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn test_missing_field() {
+    #[derive(Debug, PartialEq)]
+    #[derive_deserialize]
+    struct Foo {
+        x: Option<u32>,
+    }
+
+    let value: Foo = from_str("{}").unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(value, Foo { x: None });
+
+    let value: Foo = from_str("{\"x\": 5}").unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(value, Foo { x: Some(5) });
+
+    let value: Foo = from_value(Value::Object(treemap!())).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(value, Foo { x: None });
+
+    let value: Foo = from_value(Value::Object(treemap!(
+        "x".to_string() => Value::I64(5)
+    ))).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(value, Foo { x: Some(5) });
+}