diff --git a/decode.go b/decode.go
index 3d4b128..8d2349b 100644
--- a/decode.go
+++ b/decode.go
@@ -213,9 +213,9 @@
 //
 // It's a slightly convoluted case to handle properly:
 //
-// - Nil pointers should be zeroed out, unless being set to nil
-// - We don't know at this point yet what's the value to SetYAML() with.
-// - We can't separate pointer deref/init and setter checking, because
+// - nil pointers should be initialized, unless being set to nil
+// - we don't know at this point yet what's the value to SetYAML() with.
+// - we can't separate pointer deref/init and setter checking, because
 //   a setter may be found while going down a pointer chain.
 //
 // Thus, here is how it takes care of it:
@@ -417,6 +417,10 @@
 	if out.Kind() != reflect.Map {
 		return false
 	}
+	if out.IsNil() {
+		out.Set(reflect.MakeMap(out.Type()))
+	}
+
 	outt := out.Type()
 	kt := outt.Key()
 	et := outt.Elem()
diff --git a/decode_test.go b/decode_test.go
index 36699d3..b25df8c 100644
--- a/decode_test.go
+++ b/decode_test.go
@@ -81,16 +81,9 @@
 
 	// Structs and type conversions.
 	{"hello: world", &struct{ Hello string }{"world"}},
-	{"a: {b: c}", &struct {
-		A struct {
-			B string
-		}
-	}{struct{ B string }{"c"}}},
-	{"a: {b: c}", &struct {
-		A *struct {
-			B string
-		}
-	}{&struct{ B string }{"c"}}},
+	{"a: {b: c}", &struct{ A struct{ B string } }{struct{ B string }{"c"}}},
+	{"a: {b: c}", &struct{ A *struct{ B string } }{&struct{ B string }{"c"}}},
+	{"a: {b: c}", &struct{ A map[string]string }{map[string]string{"b": "c"}}},
 	{"a: 1", &struct{ A int }{1}},
 	{"a: [1, 2]", &struct{ A []int }{[]int{1, 2}}},
 	{"a: 1", &struct{ B int }{0}},