diff --git a/zapcore/json_encoder.go b/zapcore/json_encoder.go
index 7af00ddee..7c3faf6c5 100644
--- a/zapcore/json_encoder.go
+++ b/zapcore/json_encoder.go
@@ -211,10 +211,16 @@ func (enc *jsonEncoder) AppendArray(arr ArrayMarshaler) error {
 }
 
 func (enc *jsonEncoder) AppendObject(obj ObjectMarshaler) error {
+	// Close ONLY new openNamespaces that are created during
+	// AppendObject().
+	old := enc.openNamespaces
+	enc.openNamespaces = 0
 	enc.addElementSeparator()
 	enc.buf.AppendByte('{')
 	err := obj.MarshalLogObject(enc)
 	enc.buf.AppendByte('}')
+	enc.closeOpenNamespaces()
+	enc.openNamespaces = old
 	return err
 }
 
@@ -431,6 +437,7 @@ func (enc *jsonEncoder) closeOpenNamespaces() {
 	for i := 0; i < enc.openNamespaces; i++ {
 		enc.buf.AppendByte('}')
 	}
+	enc.openNamespaces = 0
 }
 
 func (enc *jsonEncoder) addKey(key string) {
diff --git a/zapcore/json_encoder_impl_test.go b/zapcore/json_encoder_impl_test.go
index 8db12b673..c1c4c629d 100644
--- a/zapcore/json_encoder_impl_test.go
+++ b/zapcore/json_encoder_impl_test.go
@@ -245,6 +245,36 @@ func TestJSONEncoderObjectFields(t *testing.T) {
 				e.OpenNamespace("innermost")
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			desc:     "object (no nested namespace)",
+			expected: `"obj":{"obj-out":"obj-outside-namespace"},"not-obj":"should-be-outside-obj"`,
+			f: func(e Encoder) {
+				e.AddObject("obj", maybeNamespace{false})
+				e.AddString("not-obj", "should-be-outside-obj")
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			desc:     "object (with nested namespace)",
+			expected: `"obj":{"obj-out":"obj-outside-namespace","obj-namespace":{"obj-in":"obj-inside-namespace"}},"not-obj":"should-be-outside-obj"`,
+			f: func(e Encoder) {
+				e.AddObject("obj", maybeNamespace{true})
+				e.AddString("not-obj", "should-be-outside-obj")
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			desc:     "multiple open namespaces",
+			expected: `"k":{"foo":1,"middle":{"foo":2,"inner":{"foo":3}}}`,
+			f: func(e Encoder) {
+				e.AddObject("k", ObjectMarshalerFunc(func(enc ObjectEncoder) error {
+					e.AddInt("foo", 1)
+					e.OpenNamespace("middle")
+					e.AddInt("foo", 2)
+					e.OpenNamespace("inner")
+					e.AddInt("foo", 3)
+					return nil
+				}))
+			},
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
@@ -386,6 +416,22 @@ func TestJSONEncoderArrays(t *testing.T) {
 				)
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			desc:     "object (no nested namespace) then string",
+			expected: `[{"obj-out":"obj-outside-namespace"},"should-be-outside-obj",{"obj-out":"obj-outside-namespace"},"should-be-outside-obj"]`,
+			f: func(arr ArrayEncoder) {
+				arr.AppendObject(maybeNamespace{false})
+				arr.AppendString("should-be-outside-obj")
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			desc:     "object (with nested namespace) then string",
+			expected: `[{"obj-out":"obj-outside-namespace","obj-namespace":{"obj-in":"obj-inside-namespace"}},"should-be-outside-obj",{"obj-out":"obj-outside-namespace","obj-namespace":{"obj-in":"obj-inside-namespace"}},"should-be-outside-obj"]`,
+			f: func(arr ArrayEncoder) {
+				arr.AppendObject(maybeNamespace{true})
+				arr.AppendString("should-be-outside-obj")
+			},
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
@@ -522,6 +568,18 @@ func (l loggable) MarshalLogArray(enc ArrayEncoder) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// maybeNamespace is an ObjectMarshaler that sometimes opens a namespace
+type maybeNamespace struct{ bool }
+
+func (m maybeNamespace) MarshalLogObject(enc ObjectEncoder) error {
+	enc.AddString("obj-out", "obj-outside-namespace")
+	if m.bool {
+		enc.OpenNamespace("obj-namespace")
+		enc.AddString("obj-in", "obj-inside-namespace")
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 type noJSON struct{}
 
 func (nj noJSON) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
diff --git a/zapcore/memory_encoder_test.go b/zapcore/memory_encoder_test.go
index 7a3f51acc..052bdb0c6 100644
--- a/zapcore/memory_encoder_test.go
+++ b/zapcore/memory_encoder_test.go
@@ -214,6 +214,37 @@ func TestMapObjectEncoderAdd(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			desc: "object (no nested namespace) then string",
+			f: func(e ObjectEncoder) {
+				e.OpenNamespace("k")
+				e.AddObject("obj", maybeNamespace{false})
+				e.AddString("not-obj", "should-be-outside-obj")
+			},
+			expected: map[string]interface{}{
+				"obj": map[string]interface{}{
+					"obj-out": "obj-outside-namespace",
+				},
+				"not-obj": "should-be-outside-obj",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			desc: "object (with nested namespace) then string",
+			f: func(e ObjectEncoder) {
+				e.OpenNamespace("k")
+				e.AddObject("obj", maybeNamespace{true})
+				e.AddString("not-obj", "should-be-outside-obj")
+			},
+			expected: map[string]interface{}{
+				"obj": map[string]interface{}{
+					"obj-out": "obj-outside-namespace",
+					"obj-namespace": map[string]interface{}{
+						"obj-in": "obj-inside-namespace",
+					},
+				},
+				"not-obj": "should-be-outside-obj",
+			},
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
@@ -268,6 +299,41 @@ func TestSliceArrayEncoderAppend(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			expected: []interface{}{true, false},
 		},
+		{
+			desc: "object (no nested namespace) then string",
+			f: func(e ArrayEncoder) {
+				e.AppendArray(ArrayMarshalerFunc(func(inner ArrayEncoder) error {
+					inner.AppendObject(maybeNamespace{false})
+					inner.AppendString("should-be-outside-obj")
+					return nil
+				}))
+			},
+			expected: []interface{}{
+				map[string]interface{}{
+					"obj-out": "obj-outside-namespace",
+				},
+				"should-be-outside-obj",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			desc: "object (with nested namespace) then string",
+			f: func(e ArrayEncoder) {
+				e.AppendArray(ArrayMarshalerFunc(func(inner ArrayEncoder) error {
+					inner.AppendObject(maybeNamespace{true})
+					inner.AppendString("should-be-outside-obj")
+					return nil
+				}))
+			},
+			expected: []interface{}{
+				map[string]interface{}{
+					"obj-out": "obj-outside-namespace",
+					"obj-namespace": map[string]interface{}{
+						"obj-in": "obj-inside-namespace",
+					},
+				},
+				"should-be-outside-obj",
+			},
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {