diff --git a/internal/imported_tests/unmarshal_imported_test.go b/internal/imported_tests/unmarshal_imported_test.go
index 9c92491..d970dbb 100644
--- a/internal/imported_tests/unmarshal_imported_test.go
+++ b/internal/imported_tests/unmarshal_imported_test.go
@@ -328,13 +328,8 @@ shouldntBeHere = 2
 func TestUnexportedUnmarshal(t *testing.T) {
 	result := unexportedMarshalTestStruct{}
 	err := toml.Unmarshal(unexportedTestToml, &result)
-	expected := unexportedTestData
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	if !reflect.DeepEqual(result, expected) {
-		t.Errorf("Bad unexported unmarshal: expected %v, got %v", expected, result)
-	}
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, unexportedTestData, result)
 }
 
 type errStruct struct {
diff --git a/targets.go b/targets.go
index f7c0b02..216701d 100644
--- a/targets.go
+++ b/targets.go
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ func pushNew(t target) (target, error) {
 	}
 }
 
-func scopeTableTarget(append bool, t target, name string) (target, error) {
+func scopeTableTarget(append bool, t target, name string) (target, bool, error) {
 	x := t.get()
 
 	switch x.Kind() {
@@ -234,19 +234,19 @@ func scopeTableTarget(append bool, t target, name string) (target, error) {
 	case reflect.Interface:
 		t, err := scopeInterface(append, t)
 		if err != nil {
-			return t, err
+			return t, false, err
 		}
 		return scopeTableTarget(append, t, name)
 	case reflect.Ptr:
 		t, err := scopePtr(t)
 		if err != nil {
-			return t, err
+			return t, false, err
 		}
 		return scopeTableTarget(append, t, name)
 	case reflect.Slice:
 		t, err := scopeSlice(append, t)
 		if err != nil {
-			return t, err
+			return t, false, err
 		}
 		append = false
 		return scopeTableTarget(append, t, name)
@@ -260,7 +260,6 @@ func scopeTableTarget(append bool, t target, name string) (target, error) {
 	default:
 		panic(fmt.Errorf("can't scope on a %s", x.Kind()))
 	}
-	return t, nil
 }
 
 func scopeInterface(append bool, t target) (target, error) {
@@ -330,7 +329,7 @@ func scopeSlice(append bool, t target) (target, error) {
 	return valueTarget(v.Index(v.Len() - 1)), nil
 }
 
-func scopeMap(v reflect.Value, name string) (target, error) {
+func scopeMap(v reflect.Value, name string) (target, bool, error) {
 	if v.IsNil() {
 		v.Set(reflect.MakeMap(v.Type()))
 	}
@@ -344,10 +343,10 @@ func scopeMap(v reflect.Value, name string) (target, error) {
 	return mapTarget{
 		v: v,
 		k: k,
-	}, nil
+	}, true, nil
 }
 
-func scopeStruct(v reflect.Value, name string) (target, error) {
+func scopeStruct(v reflect.Value, name string) (target, bool, error) {
 	// TODO: cache this
 	t := v.Type()
 	for i := 0; i < t.NumField(); i++ {
@@ -361,9 +360,9 @@ func scopeStruct(v reflect.Value, name string) (target, error) {
 		} else {
 			// TODO: handle names variations
 			if f.Name == name {
-				return valueTarget(v.Field(i)), nil
+				return valueTarget(v.Field(i)), true, nil
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	return nil, fmt.Errorf("field '%s' not found on %s", name, v.Type())
+	return nil, false, nil
 }
diff --git a/targets_test.go b/targets_test.go
index 2fd5708..7316994 100644
--- a/targets_test.go
+++ b/targets_test.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func TestStructTarget_Ensure(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for _, e := range examples {
 		t.Run(e.desc, func(t *testing.T) {
-			target, err := scopeTableTarget(false, valueTarget(e.input), e.name)
+			target, _, err := scopeTableTarget(false, valueTarget(e.input), e.name)
 			require.NoError(t, err)
 			err = ensureSlice(target)
 			v := target.get()
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ func TestStructTarget_SetString(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for _, e := range examples {
 		t.Run(e.desc, func(t *testing.T) {
-			target, err := scopeTableTarget(false, valueTarget(e.input), e.name)
+			target, _, err := scopeTableTarget(false, valueTarget(e.input), e.name)
 			require.NoError(t, err)
 			err = setString(target, str)
 			v := target.get()
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ func TestPushNew(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 		d := Doc{}
 
-		x, err := scopeTableTarget(false, valueTarget(reflect.ValueOf(&d).Elem()), "A")
+		x, _, err := scopeTableTarget(false, valueTarget(reflect.ValueOf(&d).Elem()), "A")
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 
 		n, err := pushNew(x)
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ func TestPushNew(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 		d := Doc{}
 
-		x, err := scopeTableTarget(false, valueTarget(reflect.ValueOf(&d).Elem()), "A")
+		x, _, err := scopeTableTarget(false, valueTarget(reflect.ValueOf(&d).Elem()), "A")
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 
 		n, err := pushNew(x)
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ func TestScope_Struct(t *testing.T) {
 		input reflect.Value
 		name  string
 		err   bool
+		found bool
 		idx   []int
 	}{
 		{
@@ -150,21 +151,25 @@ func TestScope_Struct(t *testing.T) {
 			input: reflect.ValueOf(&struct{ A string }{}).Elem(),
 			name:  "A",
 			idx:   []int{0},
+			found: true,
 		},
 		{
 			desc:  "fails not-exported field",
 			input: reflect.ValueOf(&struct{ a string }{}).Elem(),
 			name:  "a",
-			err:   true,
+			err:   false,
+			found: false,
 		},
 	}
 
 	for _, e := range examples {
 		t.Run(e.desc, func(t *testing.T) {
-			x, err := scopeTableTarget(false, valueTarget(e.input), e.name)
+			x, found, err := scopeTableTarget(false, valueTarget(e.input), e.name)
+			assert.Equal(t, e.found, found)
 			if e.err {
-				require.Error(t, err)
-			} else {
+				assert.Error(t, err)
+			}
+			if found {
 				x2, ok := x.(valueTarget)
 				require.True(t, ok)
 				x2.get()
diff --git a/unmarshaler.go b/unmarshaler.go
index 7f1e45b..1fee384 100644
--- a/unmarshaler.go
+++ b/unmarshaler.go
@@ -26,33 +26,38 @@ func fromAst(tree ast.Root, v interface{}) error {
 	}
 
 	var err error
+	var skipUntilTable bool
 	var root target = valueTarget(r.Elem())
 	current := root
 	for _, node := range tree {
-		current, err = unmarshalTopLevelNode(root, current, &node)
+		var found bool
+		switch node.Kind {
+		case ast.KeyValue:
+			if skipUntilTable {
+				continue
+			}
+			err = unmarshalKeyValue(current, &node)
+			found = true
+		case ast.Table:
+			current, found, err = scopeWithKey(root, node.Key())
+		case ast.ArrayTable:
+			current, found, err = scopeWithArrayTable(root, node.Key())
+		default:
+			panic(fmt.Errorf("this should not be a top level node type: %s", node.Kind))
+		}
+
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
+
+		if !found {
+			skipUntilTable = true
+		}
 	}
 
 	return nil
 }
 
-// The target return value is the target for the next top-level node. Mostly
-// unchanged, except by table and array table.
-func unmarshalTopLevelNode(root target, x target, node *ast.Node) (target, error) {
-	switch node.Kind {
-	case ast.KeyValue:
-		return x, unmarshalKeyValue(x, node)
-	case ast.Table:
-		return scopeWithKey(root, node.Key())
-	case ast.ArrayTable:
-		return scopeWithArrayTable(root, node.Key())
-	default:
-		panic(fmt.Errorf("this should not be a top level node type: %s", node.Kind))
-	}
-}
-
 // scopeWithKey performs target scoping when unmarshaling an ast.KeyValue node.
 //
 // The goal is to hop from target to target recursively using the names in key.
@@ -61,15 +66,16 @@ func unmarshalTopLevelNode(root target, x target, node *ast.Node) (target, error
 //
 // When encountering slices, it should always use its last element, and error
 // if the slice does not have any.
-func scopeWithKey(x target, key []ast.Node) (target, error) {
+func scopeWithKey(x target, key []ast.Node) (target, bool, error) {
 	var err error
+	found := true
 	for _, n := range key {
-		x, err = scopeTableTarget(false, x, string(n.Data))
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
+		x, found, err = scopeTableTarget(false, x, string(n.Data))
+		if err != nil || !found {
+			return nil, found, err
 		}
 	}
-	return x, nil
+	return x, true, nil
 }
 
 // scopeWithArrayTable performs target scoping when unmarshaling an
@@ -77,19 +83,20 @@ func scopeWithKey(x target, key []ast.Node) (target, error) {
 //
 // It is the same as scopeWithKey, but when scoping the last part of the key
 // it creates a new element in the array instead of using the last one.
-func scopeWithArrayTable(x target, key []ast.Node) (target, error) {
+func scopeWithArrayTable(x target, key []ast.Node) (target, bool, error) {
 	var err error
+	found := true
 	if len(key) > 1 {
 		for _, n := range key[:len(key)-1] {
-			x, err = scopeTableTarget(false, x, string(n.Data))
-			if err != nil {
-				return nil, err
+			x, found, err = scopeTableTarget(false, x, string(n.Data))
+			if err != nil || !found {
+				return nil, found, err
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	x, err = scopeTableTarget(false, x, string(key[len(key)-1].Data))
-	if err != nil {
-		return x, err
+	x, found, err = scopeTableTarget(false, x, string(key[len(key)-1].Data))
+	if err != nil || !found {
+		return x, found, err
 	}
 
 	v := x.get()
@@ -97,26 +104,31 @@ func scopeWithArrayTable(x target, key []ast.Node) (target, error) {
 	if v.Kind() == reflect.Interface {
 		x, err = scopeInterface(true, x)
 		if err != nil {
-			return x, err
+			return x, found, err
 		}
 		v = x.get()
 	}
 
 	if v.Kind() == reflect.Slice {
-		return scopeSlice(true, x)
+		x, err = scopeSlice(true, x)
 	}
 
-	return x, err
+	return x, found, err
 }
 
 func unmarshalKeyValue(x target, node *ast.Node) error {
 	assertNode(ast.KeyValue, node)
 
-	x, err := scopeWithKey(x, node.Key())
+	x, found, err := scopeWithKey(x, node.Key())
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	// A struct in the path was not found. Skip this value.
+	if !found {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	return unmarshalValue(x, node.Value())
 }