diff --git a/spring-restdocs-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/restdocs/payload/JsonContentHandler.java b/spring-restdocs-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/restdocs/payload/JsonContentHandler.java
index c034a0e0..2978dd56 100644
--- a/spring-restdocs-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/restdocs/payload/JsonContentHandler.java
+++ b/spring-restdocs-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/restdocs/payload/JsonContentHandler.java
@@ -81,6 +81,9 @@ class JsonContentHandler implements ContentHandler {
 	}
 
 	private boolean isMissing(FieldDescriptor candidate, Object payload) {
+		if (!this.fieldProcessor.hasField(candidate.getPath(), payload)) {
+			return true;
+		}
 		try {
 			ExtractedField extracted = this.fieldProcessor.extract(candidate.getPath(),
 					payload);
diff --git a/spring-restdocs-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/restdocs/payload/JsonContentHandlerTests.java b/spring-restdocs-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/restdocs/payload/JsonContentHandlerTests.java
index 41bc05bb..91c1ff73 100644
--- a/spring-restdocs-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/restdocs/payload/JsonContentHandlerTests.java
+++ b/spring-restdocs-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/restdocs/payload/JsonContentHandlerTests.java
@@ -157,4 +157,14 @@ public class JsonContentHandlerTests {
 		assertThat(missingFields.size(), is(equalTo(0)));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void describedFieldThatIsSometimesPresentChildOfOptionalArrayIsNotConsideredMissing() {
+		List<FieldDescriptor> missingFields = new JsonContentHandler(
+				"{\"a\":[ {\"b\": \"bravo\"}, {\"b\": \"bravo\", \"c\": { \"d\": \"delta\"}}]}"
+						.getBytes()).findMissingFields(
+								Arrays.asList(new FieldDescriptor("a.[].c").optional(),
+										new FieldDescriptor("a.[].c.d]")));
+		assertThat(missingFields.size(), is(equalTo(0)));
+	}
+
 }