diff --git a/validator.go b/validator.go
index 6f6d53ad..149491a0 100644
--- a/validator.go
+++ b/validator.go
@@ -99,6 +99,8 @@ func (v *validate) traverseField(ctx context.Context, parent reflect.Value, curr
 
 	current, kind, v.fldIsPointer = v.extractTypeInternal(current, false)
 
+	var isNestedStruct bool
+
 	switch kind {
 	case reflect.Ptr, reflect.Interface, reflect.Invalid:
 
@@ -161,58 +163,43 @@ func (v *validate) traverseField(ctx context.Context, parent reflect.Value, curr
 		}
 
 	case reflect.Struct:
+		isNestedStruct = !current.Type().ConvertibleTo(timeType)
+		// For backward compatibility before struct level validation tags were supported
+		// as there were a number of projects relying on `required` not failing on non-pointer
+		// structs. Since it's basically nonsensical to use `required` with a non-pointer struct
+		// are explicitly skipping the required validation for it. This WILL be removed in the
+		// next major version.
+		if ct != nil && ct.tag == requiredTag {
+			ct = ct.next
+		}
+	}
 
-		typ = current.Type()
-
-		if !typ.ConvertibleTo(timeType) {
-
-			if ct != nil {
-
-				if ct.typeof == typeStructOnly {
-					goto CONTINUE
-				} else if ct.typeof == typeIsDefault {
-					// set Field Level fields
-					v.slflParent = parent
-					v.flField = current
-					v.cf = cf
-					v.ct = ct
-
-					if !ct.fn(ctx, v) {
-						v.str1 = string(append(ns, cf.altName...))
-
-						if v.v.hasTagNameFunc {
-							v.str2 = string(append(structNs, cf.name...))
-						} else {
-							v.str2 = v.str1
-						}
+	typ = current.Type()
 
-						v.errs = append(v.errs,
-							&fieldError{
-								v:              v.v,
-								tag:            ct.aliasTag,
-								actualTag:      ct.tag,
-								ns:             v.str1,
-								structNs:       v.str2,
-								fieldLen:       uint8(len(cf.altName)),
-								structfieldLen: uint8(len(cf.name)),
-								value:          current.Interface(),
-								param:          ct.param,
-								kind:           kind,
-								typ:            typ,
-							},
-						)
-						return
-					}
+OUTER:
+	for {
+		if ct == nil || !ct.hasTag || (isNestedStruct && len(cf.name) == 0) {
+			// isNestedStruct check here
+			if isNestedStruct {
+				// if len == 0 then validating using 'Var' or 'VarWithValue'
+				// Var - doesn't make much sense to do it that way, should call 'Struct', but no harm...
+				// VarWithField - this allows for validating against each field within the struct against a specific value
+				//                pretty handy in certain situations
+				if len(cf.name) > 0 {
+					ns = append(append(ns, cf.altName...), '.')
+					structNs = append(append(structNs, cf.name...), '.')
 				}
 
-				ct = ct.next
+				v.validateStruct(ctx, parent, current, typ, ns, structNs, ct)
 			}
+			return
+		}
 
-			if ct != nil && ct.typeof == typeNoStructLevel {
-				return
-			}
+		switch ct.typeof {
+		case typeNoStructLevel:
+			return
 
-		CONTINUE:
+		case typeStructOnly:
 			// if len == 0 then validating using 'Var' or 'VarWithValue'
 			// Var - doesn't make much sense to do it that way, should call 'Struct', but no harm...
 			// VarWithField - this allows for validating against each field within the struct against a specific value
@@ -224,22 +211,6 @@ func (v *validate) traverseField(ctx context.Context, parent reflect.Value, curr
 
 			v.validateStruct(ctx, parent, current, typ, ns, structNs, ct)
 			return
-		}
-	}
-
-	if ct == nil || !ct.hasTag {
-		return
-	}
-
-	typ = current.Type()
-
-OUTER:
-	for {
-		if ct == nil {
-			return
-		}
-
-		switch ct.typeof {
 
 		case typeOmitEmpty:
 
@@ -366,7 +337,7 @@ OUTER:
 						ct = ct.next
 
 						if ct == nil {
-							return
+							continue OUTER
 						}
 
 						if ct.typeof != typeOr {
diff --git a/validator_test.go b/validator_test.go
index 4935c778..d254bf70 100644
--- a/validator_test.go
+++ b/validator_test.go
@@ -3150,7 +3150,7 @@ func TestInterfaceErrValidation(t *testing.T) {
 	AssertError(t, errs, "ExternalCMD.Data.Name", "ExternalCMD.Data.Name", "Name", "Name", "required")
 
 	type TestMapStructPtr struct {
-		Errs map[int]interface{} `validate:"gt=0,dive,len=2"`
+		Errs map[int]interface{} `validate:"gt=0,dive,required"`
 	}
 
 	mip := map[int]interface{}{0: &Inner{"ok"}, 3: nil, 4: &Inner{"ok"}}
@@ -3162,7 +3162,7 @@ func TestInterfaceErrValidation(t *testing.T) {
 	errs = validate.Struct(msp)
 	NotEqual(t, errs, nil)
 	Equal(t, len(errs.(ValidationErrors)), 1)
-	AssertError(t, errs, "TestMapStructPtr.Errs[3]", "TestMapStructPtr.Errs[3]", "Errs[3]", "Errs[3]", "len")
+	AssertError(t, errs, "TestMapStructPtr.Errs[3]", "TestMapStructPtr.Errs[3]", "Errs[3]", "Errs[3]", "required")
 
 	type TestMultiDimensionalStructs struct {
 		Errs [][]interface{} `validate:"gt=0,dive,dive"`