diff --git a/mongoengine/queryset/base.py b/mongoengine/queryset/base.py
index f41fed39..0a4b161e 100644
--- a/mongoengine/queryset/base.py
+++ b/mongoengine/queryset/base.py
@@ -761,13 +761,29 @@ class BaseQuerySet(object):
             distinct = self._dereference(queryset._cursor.distinct(field), 1,
                                          name=field, instance=self._document)
 
-            # We may need to cast to the correct type eg.
-            # ListField(EmbeddedDocumentField)
-            doc_field = getattr(self._document._fields.get(field), "field", self._document._fields.get(field))
-            instance = getattr(doc_field, "document_type", False)
+            doc_field = self._document._fields.get(field.split('.', 1)[0])
+            instance = False
+            # We may need to cast to the correct type eg. ListField(EmbeddedDocumentField)
             EmbeddedDocumentField = _import_class('EmbeddedDocumentField')
-            GenericEmbeddedDocumentField = _import_class(
-                'GenericEmbeddedDocumentField')
+            ListField = _import_class('ListField')
+            GenericEmbeddedDocumentField = _import_class('GenericEmbeddedDocumentField')
+            if isinstance(doc_field, ListField):
+                doc_field = getattr(doc_field, "field", doc_field)
+            if isinstance(doc_field, (EmbeddedDocumentField, GenericEmbeddedDocumentField)):
+                instance = getattr(doc_field, "document_type", False)
+            # handle distinct on subdocuments
+            if '.' in field:
+                for field_part in field.split('.')[1:]:
+                    # if looping on embedded document, get the document type instance
+                    if instance and isinstance(doc_field, (EmbeddedDocumentField, GenericEmbeddedDocumentField)):
+                        doc_field = instance
+                    # now get the subdocument
+                    doc_field = getattr(doc_field, field_part, doc_field)
+                    # We may need to cast to the correct type eg. ListField(EmbeddedDocumentField)
+                    if isinstance(doc_field, ListField):
+                        doc_field = getattr(doc_field, "field", doc_field)
+                    if isinstance(doc_field, (EmbeddedDocumentField, GenericEmbeddedDocumentField)):
+                        instance = getattr(doc_field, "document_type", False)
             if instance and isinstance(doc_field, (EmbeddedDocumentField,
                                                    GenericEmbeddedDocumentField)):
                 distinct = [instance(**doc) for doc in distinct]