diff --git a/AUTHORS b/AUTHORS
index 4d5e69a3..411e274d 100644
--- a/AUTHORS
+++ b/AUTHORS
@@ -229,3 +229,4 @@ that much better:
  * Emile Caron (https://github.com/emilecaron)
  * Amit Lichtenberg (https://github.com/amitlicht)
  * Lars Butler (https://github.com/larsbutler)
+ * George Macon (https://github.com/gmacon)
diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index cd349793..6275d6d9 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 Changelog
 =========
 
+Changes in 0.10.2
+=================
+- Allow shard key to point to a field in an embedded document. #551
+
 Changes in 0.10.1
 =======================
 - Fix infinite recursion with CASCADE delete rules under specific conditions. #1046
diff --git a/mongoengine/document.py b/mongoengine/document.py
index 9d2d9c5f..bd2e7c5b 100644
--- a/mongoengine/document.py
+++ b/mongoengine/document.py
@@ -341,8 +341,12 @@ class Document(BaseDocument):
                 select_dict['_id'] = object_id
                 shard_key = self.__class__._meta.get('shard_key', tuple())
                 for k in shard_key:
-                    actual_key = self._db_field_map.get(k, k)
-                    select_dict[actual_key] = doc[actual_key]
+                    path = self._lookup_field(k.split('.'))
+                    actual_key = [p.db_field for p in path]
+                    val = doc
+                    for ak in actual_key:
+                        val = val[ak]
+                    select_dict['.'.join(actual_key)] = val
 
                 def is_new_object(last_error):
                     if last_error is not None:
@@ -444,7 +448,12 @@ class Document(BaseDocument):
         select_dict = {'pk': self.pk}
         shard_key = self.__class__._meta.get('shard_key', tuple())
         for k in shard_key:
-            select_dict[k] = getattr(self, k)
+            path = self._lookup_field(k.split('.'))
+            actual_key = [p.db_field for p in path]
+            val = self
+            for ak in actual_key:
+                val = getattr(val, ak)
+            select_dict['__'.join(actual_key)] = val
         return select_dict
 
     def update(self, **kwargs):
diff --git a/tests/document/instance.py b/tests/document/instance.py
index 56e6765a..5494ac6b 100644
--- a/tests/document/instance.py
+++ b/tests/document/instance.py
@@ -484,6 +484,20 @@ class InstanceTest(unittest.TestCase):
         doc.reload()
         Animal.drop_collection()
 
+    def test_reload_sharded_nested(self):
+        class SuperPhylum(EmbeddedDocument):
+            name = StringField()
+
+        class Animal(Document):
+            superphylum = EmbeddedDocumentField(SuperPhylum)
+            meta = {'shard_key': ('superphylum.name',)}
+
+        Animal.drop_collection()
+        doc = Animal(superphylum=SuperPhylum(name='Deuterostomia'))
+        doc.save()
+        doc.reload()
+        Animal.drop_collection()
+
     def test_reload_referencing(self):
         """Ensures reloading updates weakrefs correctly
         """
@@ -2715,6 +2729,32 @@ class InstanceTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
         self.assertRaises(OperationError, change_shard_key)
 
+    def test_shard_key_in_embedded_document(self):
+        class Foo(EmbeddedDocument):
+            foo = StringField()
+
+        class Bar(Document):
+            meta = {
+                'shard_key': ('foo.foo',)
+            }
+            foo = EmbeddedDocumentField(Foo)
+            bar = StringField()
+
+        foo_doc = Foo(foo='hello')
+        bar_doc = Bar(foo=foo_doc, bar='world')
+        bar_doc.save()
+
+        self.assertTrue(bar_doc.id is not None)
+
+        bar_doc.bar = 'baz'
+        bar_doc.save()
+
+        def change_shard_key():
+            bar_doc.foo.foo = 'something'
+            bar_doc.save()
+
+        self.assertRaises(OperationError, change_shard_key)
+
     def test_shard_key_primary(self):
         class LogEntry(Document):
             machine = StringField(primary_key=True)