diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 467eb07..68cabbe 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -17,6 +17,12 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ### Fixed
 
+- Untagged embedded fields now decode symmetrically with encode: an embedded
+  struct receives its keys inline (a nil embedded pointer struct is
+  allocated), an embedded map catches the keys no field claims, and a name
+  clash resolves in favour of the shallower field. A struct with an untagged
+  embedded field previously decoded with all inline keys dropped and did not
+  round-trip.
 - `Marshal` re-emits arrays that mix tables with scalars: the table elements
   render as inline tables inside the value array. A tree that `Parse` accepts
   from such a document previously failed with
diff --git a/decode.go b/decode.go
index baadcef..5660d8d 100644
--- a/decode.go
+++ b/decode.go
@@ -105,16 +105,31 @@ func (d *decoder) assignTable(tbl map[string]any, dst reflect.Value) error {
 }
 
 func (d *decoder) assignStruct(tbl map[string]any, dst reflect.Value) error {
-	fields := structFields(dst.Type())
+	schema := newStructSchema(dst.Type())
 	for key, val := range tbl {
-		field, ok := fields[strings.ToLower(key)]
+		field, ok := schema.byName[strings.ToLower(key)]
 		if !ok {
 			if d.disallowUnknown {
 				return fmt.Errorf("interpres: unknown field %q for %s", key, dst.Type())
 			}
+			if schema.embedMaps != nil {
+				// Leftover keys land in an untagged embedded map, the inverse
+				// of the encoder inlining that map's entries.
+				mv, err := fieldByIndex(dst, schema.embedMaps[0])
+				if err != nil {
+					return fmt.Errorf("%s: %w", key, err)
+				}
+				if err := d.assignMap(map[string]any{key: val}, mv); err != nil {
+					return fmt.Errorf("%s: %w", key, err)
+				}
+			}
 			continue
 		}
-		if err := d.assign(val, dst.Field(field)); err != nil {
+		fv, err := fieldByIndex(dst, field.index)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("%s: %w", key, err)
+		}
+		if err := d.assign(val, fv); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("%s: %w", key, err)
 		}
 	}
@@ -219,26 +234,85 @@ func setFloat(dst reflect.Value, v float64) error {
 	}
 }
 
-// structFields builds a lower-cased lookup of field name → field index for the
-// exported fields of t, honouring `toml:"name"` tags.
-func structFields(t reflect.Type) map[string]int {
-	fields := make(map[string]int, t.NumField())
-	for i := range t.NumField() {
-		f := t.Field(i)
-		if f.PkgPath != "" { // unexported
-			continue
-		}
-		name := f.Name
-		if tag, ok := f.Tag.Lookup("toml"); ok {
-			tag, _, _ = strings.Cut(tag, ",")
-			if tag == "-" {
+// structFieldLoc locates one destination field by its index path from the
+// struct root and by the depth the field sits at, which breaks name clashes
+// in favour of the shallower field.
+type structFieldLoc struct {
+	index []int
+	depth int
+}
+
+// structSchema flattens the exported fields of t for decode, mirroring the
+// encoder: an untagged embedded struct is inlined, so its own fields match
+// keys of the same table, and an untagged embedded map is recorded in
+// embedMaps (first declaration first) as the destination for leftover keys.
+// When two fields resolve to one name, the shallower wins, then the later
+// declaration.
+type structSchema struct {
+	byName    map[string]structFieldLoc
+	embedMaps [][]int
+}
+
+func newStructSchema(t reflect.Type) structSchema {
+	s := structSchema{byName: make(map[string]structFieldLoc, t.NumField())}
+	var walk func(t reflect.Type, prefix []int, depth int)
+	walk = func(t reflect.Type, prefix []int, depth int) {
+		for i := range t.NumField() {
+			f := t.Field(i)
+			if f.PkgPath != "" { // unexported
 				continue
 			}
-			if tag != "" {
-				name = tag
+			path := append(append([]int{}, prefix...), i)
+			name := ""
+			if tag, ok := f.Tag.Lookup("toml"); ok {
+				name, _, _ = strings.Cut(tag, ",")
+				if name == "-" {
+					continue
+				}
+			}
+			if f.Anonymous && name == "" {
+				ft := f.Type
+				for ft.Kind() == reflect.Pointer {
+					ft = ft.Elem()
+				}
+				switch {
+				case ft.Kind() == reflect.Struct && !isScalarStruct(ft):
+					walk(ft, path, depth+1)
+					continue
+				case ft.Kind() == reflect.Map && ft.Key().Kind() == reflect.String:
+					s.embedMaps = append(s.embedMaps, path)
+					continue
+				}
+				name = f.Name
+			}
+			if name == "" {
+				name = f.Name
+			}
+			key := strings.ToLower(name)
+			if existing, ok := s.byName[key]; !ok || depth < existing.depth {
+				s.byName[key] = structFieldLoc{index: path, depth: depth}
 			}
 		}
-		fields[strings.ToLower(name)] = i
 	}
-	return fields
+	walk(t, nil, 0)
+	return s
+}
+
+// fieldByIndex walks an index path from a struct value, allocating nil
+// pointers along the way so a key can reach through an embedded pointer
+// struct. Every field on the path is exported, so each step is settable.
+func fieldByIndex(v reflect.Value, path []int) (reflect.Value, error) {
+	for i, x := range path {
+		v = v.Field(x)
+		if i < len(path)-1 && v.Kind() == reflect.Pointer {
+			if v.IsNil() {
+				if !v.CanSet() {
+					return reflect.Value{}, fmt.Errorf("cannot allocate nil embedded pointer")
+				}
+				v.Set(reflect.New(v.Type().Elem()))
+			}
+			v = v.Elem()
+		}
+	}
+	return v, nil
 }
diff --git a/decode_test.go b/decode_test.go
index d5ca5b3..cbc5313 100644
--- a/decode_test.go
+++ b/decode_test.go
@@ -494,3 +494,115 @@ field = "y"
 		t.Errorf("Field = %q, want \"y\"", cfg.R.Field)
 	}
 }
+
+// --- embedded field symmetry -----------------------------------------------
+
+type RoundTripBase struct {
+	ID   int    `toml:"id"`
+	Name string `toml:"name"`
+}
+
+type RoundTripDerived struct {
+	RoundTripBase
+	X string `toml:"x"`
+}
+
+func TestUnmarshalEmbeddedStructRoundTrip(t *testing.T) {
+	orig := RoundTripDerived{ID: 1, Name: "b", X: "x"}
+	out, err := Marshal(orig)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("marshal: %v", err)
+	}
+	var back RoundTripDerived
+	if err := Unmarshal(out, &back); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unmarshal: %v", err)
+	}
+	if back != orig {
+		t.Fatalf("round-trip mismatch:\nwas: %+v\nnow: %+v", orig, back)
+	}
+}
+
+type RoundTripPtrCfg struct {
+	*RoundTripBase
+	X string `toml:"x"`
+}
+
+func TestUnmarshalEmbeddedPointerStruct(t *testing.T) {
+	var cfg RoundTripPtrCfg
+	if err := Unmarshal([]byte("id = 7\nname = \"n\"\nx = \"x\"\n"), &cfg); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unmarshal: %v", err)
+	}
+	if cfg.RoundTripBase == nil || cfg.ID != 7 || cfg.Name != "n" || cfg.X != "x" {
+		t.Fatalf("decoded: %+v", cfg)
+	}
+}
+
+type RoundTripExtra map[string]int
+
+type RoundTripMapCfg struct {
+	RoundTripExtra
+	X string `toml:"x"`
+}
+
+func TestUnmarshalEmbeddedMap(t *testing.T) {
+	var cfg RoundTripMapCfg
+	if err := Unmarshal([]byte("alpha = 1\nx = \"x\"\n"), &cfg); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unmarshal: %v", err)
+	}
+	if cfg.RoundTripExtra["alpha"] != 1 || cfg.X != "x" {
+		t.Fatalf("decoded: %+v", cfg)
+	}
+
+	orig := RoundTripMapCfg{RoundTripExtra: RoundTripExtra{"a": 1}, X: "x"}
+	out, err := Marshal(orig)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("marshal: %v", err)
+	}
+	var back RoundTripMapCfg
+	if err := Unmarshal(out, &back); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unmarshal: %v", err)
+	}
+	if back.X != "x" || back.RoundTripExtra["a"] != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("round-trip mismatch: %+v", back)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestUnmarshalEmbeddedNameClashShallowerWins(t *testing.T) {
+	type Inner struct {
+		Name string `toml:"name"`
+		Deep string `toml:"deep"`
+	}
+	type Outer struct {
+		Inner
+		Name string `toml:"name"`
+	}
+	var v Outer
+	if err := Unmarshal([]byte("name = \"outer\"\ndeep = \"d\"\n"), &v); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unmarshal: %v", err)
+	}
+	if v.Name != "outer" || v.Deep != "d" {
+		t.Fatalf("decoded: %+v", v)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestUnmarshalUnknownKeyWithoutEmbeddedMap(t *testing.T) {
+	var cfg RoundTripDerived
+	if err := Unmarshal([]byte("rogue = 1\n"), &cfg); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unmarshal: %v", err)
+	}
+	if cfg.ID != 0 || cfg.X != "" {
+		t.Fatalf("decoded: %+v", cfg)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestUnmarshalStrictEmbeddedMapStaysStrict(t *testing.T) {
+	type Cfg struct {
+		RoundTripExtra
+		Name string `toml:"name"`
+	}
+	dec := NewDecoder().DisallowUnknownFields()
+	err := dec.Decode([]byte("name = \"n\"\nrogue = 1\n"), &Cfg{})
+	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "unknown field") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected unknown field error, got: %v", err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/docs/API.md b/docs/API.md
index 559f6e7..3250801 100644
--- a/docs/API.md
+++ b/docs/API.md
@@ -100,16 +100,23 @@ For a struct destination, a TOML key matches a field as follows:
 1. The `toml:"name"` tag, using the part before any comma. The literal `-`
    excludes the field.
 2. Without a tag, the lower-cased field name.
-3. The key itself is lower-cased before lookup, so the match is
+3. An anonymous (embedded) field without a tag is inlined: the decoder walks
+   into the embedded struct and matches its own fields against the same keys,
+   mirroring how the encoder flattens it. A nil embedded pointer struct is
+   allocated on demand. An untagged embedded map receives the keys no field
+   claims.
+4. The key itself is lower-cased before lookup, so the match is
    case-insensitive on both sides: `DATABASEURL` matches a field named
    `DatabaseUrl`.
 
 The match is exact after lower-casing. No separator is inserted, so a TOML key
 `database_url` does not match a field named `DatabaseUrl`; tag such a field
-(`toml:"database_url"`) or use the lower-cased name as the key. When two fields
-resolve to the same name, the one declared later wins.
+(`toml:"database_url"`) or use the lower-cased name as the key. When two
+fields resolve to the same name, the shallower one wins; at equal depth, the
+one declared later wins.
 
-Unknown keys are ignored by default; see [Strict decoding](#strict-decoding).
+Unknown keys are ignored by default, landing in an untagged embedded map when
+the struct has one; [Strict decoding](#strict-decoding) rejects them instead.
 
 ### Numeric conversion
 
@@ -257,10 +264,9 @@ type Config struct {
 Options combine after the name: `toml:"name,omitempty,omitzero"` is valid, and
 an unknown option is ignored.
 
-Note the asymmetry: the encoder inlines untagged embedded structs, while the
-decoder expects them under their lower-cased type name. A struct with an
-untagged embedded struct therefore does not round-trip through `Unmarshal` into
-the same type.
+Untagged embedded fields round-trip: the decoder inlines embedded structs and
+routes unclaimed keys into an embedded map exactly where the encoder flattened
+them.
 
 ### Group-by-kind layout