diff --git a/decode.go b/decode.go
index 4126022..5105645 100644
--- a/decode.go
+++ b/decode.go
@@ -433,6 +433,10 @@ func (d *decoder) prepare(n *Node, out reflect.Value) (newout reflect.Value, unm
 			out = out.Elem()
 			again = true
 		}
+		if out.Kind() == reflect.Map && out.IsNil() {
+			out.Set(reflect.MakeMap(out.Type()))
+			again = true
+		}
 		if out.CanAddr() {
 			outi := out.Addr().Interface()
 			if u, ok := outi.(Unmarshaler); ok {
diff --git a/decode_test.go b/decode_test.go
index 2df6c7a..413ed12 100644
--- a/decode_test.go
+++ b/decode_test.go
@@ -1716,6 +1716,81 @@ func TestObsoleteUnmarshalerRetry(t *testing.T) {
 	a.Equal(obsoleteSliceUnmarshaler([]int{1}), su)
 }
 
+type inlineMapUnmarshaler map[string]string
+
+func (m inlineMapUnmarshaler) UnmarshalYAML(node *yaml.Node) error {
+	if node.Kind != yaml.MappingNode || len(node.Content)%2 != 0 {
+		return errors.New("not a map")
+	}
+	for i := 0; i < len(node.Content); i += 2 {
+		key := node.Content[i].Value
+		value := node.Content[i+1].Value
+		m[key] = value
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+type ptrInlineMapUnmarshaler map[string]string
+
+func (m *ptrInlineMapUnmarshaler) UnmarshalYAML(node *yaml.Node) error {
+	if node.Kind != yaml.MappingNode || len(node.Content)%2 != 0 {
+		return errors.New("not a map")
+	}
+	*m = make(map[string]string)
+	for i := 0; i < len(node.Content); i += 2 {
+		key := node.Content[i].Value
+		value := node.Content[i+1].Value
+		(*m)[key] = value
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Check UnmarshalYAML is called on inline maps.
+//
+// See https://github.com/go-yaml/yaml/issues/742.
+func TestUnmarshalerInlineMap(t *testing.T) {
+	a := require.New(t)
+
+	var (
+		direct struct {
+			A         int                  `yaml:"a"`
+			InlineMap inlineMapUnmarshaler `yaml:",inline"`
+		}
+		directByPtr struct {
+			A         int                   `yaml:"a"`
+			InlineMap *inlineMapUnmarshaler `yaml:",inline"`
+		}
+		ptr struct {
+			A         int                     `yaml:"a"`
+			InlineMap ptrInlineMapUnmarshaler `yaml:",inline"`
+		}
+		ptrByPtr struct {
+			A         int                      `yaml:"a"`
+			InlineMap *ptrInlineMapUnmarshaler `yaml:",inline"`
+		}
+	)
+	input := "a: 1\nb: 2\nc: 3"
+
+	a.NoError(yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(input), &direct))
+	a.NoError(yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(input), &directByPtr))
+	a.NoError(yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(input), &ptr))
+	a.NoError(yaml.Unmarshal([]byte(input), &ptrByPtr))
+
+	a.Equal(direct.A, 1)
+	a.Equal(directByPtr.A, 1)
+	a.Equal(ptr.A, 1)
+	a.Equal(ptrByPtr.A, 1)
+
+	// Inline map semantic does not apply here, since the field implements Unmarshaler.
+	//
+	// So, the decoder does not exclude the "a" field from the node.
+	expect := map[string]string{"a": "1", "b": "2", "c": "3"}
+	a.Equal(inlineMapUnmarshaler(expect), direct.InlineMap)
+	a.Equal(inlineMapUnmarshaler(expect), *directByPtr.InlineMap)
+	a.Equal(ptrInlineMapUnmarshaler(expect), ptr.InlineMap)
+	a.Equal(ptrInlineMapUnmarshaler(expect), *ptrByPtr.InlineMap)
+}
+
 // From http://yaml.org/type/merge.html
 var mergeTests = `
 anchors:
diff --git a/yaml.go b/yaml.go
index c2f4ada..0cbf65c 100644
--- a/yaml.go
+++ b/yaml.go
@@ -120,23 +120,24 @@ func getStructInfo(st reflect.Type) (*structInfo, error) {
 		}
 
 		if inline {
-			switch field.Type.Kind() {
+			ftype := field.Type
+			for ftype.Kind() == reflect.Ptr {
+				ftype = ftype.Elem()
+			}
+			switch ftype.Kind() {
 			case reflect.Map:
+				if reflect.PtrTo(ftype).Implements(unmarshalerType) {
+					inlineUnmarshalers = append(inlineUnmarshalers, []int{i})
+					break
+				}
 				if inlineMap >= 0 {
 					return nil, errors.New("multiple ,inline maps in struct " + st.String())
 				}
-				if field.Type.Key() != reflect.TypeOf("") {
+				if ftype.Key() != reflect.TypeOf("") {
 					return nil, errors.New("option ,inline needs a map with string keys in struct " + st.String())
 				}
 				inlineMap = info.Num
-			case reflect.Struct, reflect.Ptr:
-				ftype := field.Type
-				for ftype.Kind() == reflect.Ptr {
-					ftype = ftype.Elem()
-				}
-				if ftype.Kind() != reflect.Struct {
-					return nil, errors.New("option ,inline may only be used on a struct or map field")
-				}
+			case reflect.Struct:
 				if reflect.PtrTo(ftype).Implements(unmarshalerType) {
 					inlineUnmarshalers = append(inlineUnmarshalers, []int{i})
 				} else {