diff --git a/test/issues/990/issue_test.go b/test/issues/990/issue_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7c87ab5b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/issues/990/issue_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+package issue990
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/expr-lang/expr"
+	"github.com/expr-lang/expr/internal/testify/require"
+)
+
+type Outer struct {
+	Inner map[string]struct{} `expr:"bar"`
+}
+
+type Env struct {
+	Outer Outer `expr:"foo"`
+}
+
+// TestIssue990 tests that the `in` operator on a struct respects the `expr`
+// struct tag the same way plain field access does: once a field is renamed
+// via `expr:"..."`, only the tagged name identifies it, and the original Go
+// field name is invisible.
+func TestIssue990(t *testing.T) {
+	env := Env{Outer: Outer{Inner: map[string]struct{}{}}}
+
+	out, err := expr.Eval(`"bar" in foo`, env)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, true, out)
+
+	out, err = expr.Eval(`"Inner" in foo`, env)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, false, out)
+}
diff --git a/vm/runtime/runtime.go b/vm/runtime/runtime.go
index b5aaa5ed8..532727ebf 100644
--- a/vm/runtime/runtime.go
+++ b/vm/runtime/runtime.go
@@ -160,6 +160,25 @@ func findStructField(v reflect.Value, fieldName string) (reflect.Value, reflect.
 	return reflect.Value{}, reflect.StructField{}, false
 }
 
+// structFieldByExprName looks up a field the same way the checker resolves
+// `foo.name` at compile time: once a field carries an `expr` tag, only that
+// tag's value (or "-" to hide the field) names it, and its original Go name
+// no longer applies. This keeps the `in` operator's dynamic string-based
+// struct field lookup consistent with static field access.
+func structFieldByExprName(t reflect.Type, name string) (reflect.StructField, bool) {
+	field, ok := t.FieldByNameFunc(func(candidate string) bool {
+		sf, _ := t.FieldByName(candidate)
+		if tag := sf.Tag.Get("expr"); tag != "" {
+			return tag == name
+		}
+		return candidate == name
+	})
+	if ok && field.IsExported() {
+		return field, true
+	}
+	return reflect.StructField{}, false
+}
+
 func fetchFromEmbeddedInterfaces(v reflect.Value, fieldName string) (any, bool) {
 	t := v.Type()
 	for i := 0; i < t.NumField(); i++ {
@@ -286,15 +305,8 @@ func In(needle any, array any) bool {
 		if !n.IsValid() || n.Kind() != reflect.String {
 			panic(fmt.Sprintf("cannot use %T as field name of %T", needle, array))
 		}
-		field, ok := v.Type().FieldByName(n.String())
-		if !ok || !field.IsExported() || field.Tag.Get("expr") == "-" {
-			return false
-		}
-		value := v.FieldByIndex(field.Index)
-		if value.IsValid() {
-			return true
-		}
-		return false
+		_, ok := structFieldByExprName(v.Type(), n.String())
+		return ok
 
 	case reflect.Ptr:
 		value := v.Elem()
diff --git a/vm/runtime/runtime_test.go b/vm/runtime/runtime_test.go
index 14fbff5d9..64c2955fd 100644
--- a/vm/runtime/runtime_test.go
+++ b/vm/runtime/runtime_test.go
@@ -61,6 +61,10 @@ type PlainStruct struct {
 	Title string
 }
 
+type TaggedOuter struct {
+	Inner map[string]struct{} `expr:"bar"`
+}
+
 func TestFetchFromEmbeddedInterfaces(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
 		name      string
@@ -171,3 +175,43 @@ func TestFetchFromEmbeddedInterfaces(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestIn_StructRespectsFieldTag(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name   string
+		input  any
+		needle string
+		want   bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name:   "tagged name is found",
+			input:  TaggedOuter{},
+			needle: "bar",
+			want:   true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "original Go field name is shadowed by the tag",
+			input:  TaggedOuter{},
+			needle: "Inner",
+			want:   false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "field skipped via expr:\"-\" tag is not found",
+			input:  ConcreteWithSkippedField{Title: "hidden"},
+			needle: "Title",
+			want:   false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "plain untagged field is found by its Go name",
+			input:  PlainStruct{Title: "hello"},
+			needle: "Title",
+			want:   true,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			require.Equal(t, tt.want, In(tt.needle, tt.input))
+		})
+	}
+}