diff --git a/core/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/java/core/schema/DeferredMemberSchema.java b/core/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/java/core/schema/DeferredMemberSchema.java
index 1af06f294..637f90000 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/java/core/schema/DeferredMemberSchema.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/java/core/schema/DeferredMemberSchema.java
@@ -15,11 +15,13 @@ final class DeferredMemberSchema extends Schema {
 
     private final SchemaBuilder target;
     private final TraitMap directTraits;
+    private final long requiredByValidationBitmask;
 
     DeferredMemberSchema(MemberSchemaBuilder builder) {
         super(builder);
         this.target = builder.targetBuilder;
         this.directTraits = builder.directTraits;
+        this.requiredByValidationBitmask = builder.requiredByValidationBitmask;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -44,7 +46,9 @@ public int requiredMemberCount() {
 
     @Override
     long requiredByValidationBitmask() {
-        return memberTarget().requiredByValidationBitmask();
+        // The bitmask applies to the member itself, not its target schema, so this should not be forwarded
+        // to memberTarget as the previous accessors do.
+        return requiredByValidationBitmask;
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/java/core/schema/MemberSchema.java b/core/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/java/core/schema/MemberSchema.java
index f91eb2d4b..ace6ab09c 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/java/core/schema/MemberSchema.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/software/amazon/smithy/java/core/schema/MemberSchema.java
@@ -16,18 +16,12 @@ final class MemberSchema extends Schema {
 
     private final Schema target;
     private final TraitMap directTraits;
-    private final long requiredStructureMemberBitfield;
     private final long requiredByValidationBitmask;
 
     MemberSchema(MemberSchemaBuilder builder) {
         super(builder);
         this.target = builder.target;
         this.directTraits = builder.directTraits;
-        this.requiredStructureMemberBitfield = SchemaBuilder.computeRequiredBitField(
-                type(),
-                target.requiredMemberCount(),
-                builder.target.members(),
-                Schema::requiredByValidationBitmask);
         this.requiredByValidationBitmask = builder.requiredByValidationBitmask;
     }
 
@@ -68,7 +62,7 @@ long requiredByValidationBitmask() {
 
     @Override
     long requiredStructureMemberBitfield() {
-        return requiredStructureMemberBitfield;
+        return target.requiredStructureMemberBitfield();
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/software/amazon/smithy/java/core/schema/ValidatorTest.java b/core/src/test/java/software/amazon/smithy/java/core/schema/ValidatorTest.java
index 1b005de64..6bddc4a2f 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/software/amazon/smithy/java/core/schema/ValidatorTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/software/amazon/smithy/java/core/schema/ValidatorTest.java
@@ -131,6 +131,39 @@ public void detectsTooDeepRecursion() {
         assertThat(errors.get(0).path(), equalTo("/"));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void detectsPresenceForNestedRecursiveFields() {
+        var innerBuilder = Schema.structureBuilder(ShapeId.from("smithy.example#Inner"))
+                .putMember("foo", PreludeSchemas.STRING, new RequiredTrait());
+        var innerSchema = innerBuilder.build();
+
+        var innerInstance = TestHelper.create(innerSchema, (schema, serializer) -> {
+            serializer.writeString(schema.member("foo"), "bar");
+        });
+
+        var rootSchemaWithMember = Schema.structureBuilder(ShapeId.from("smithy.example#Root"))
+                .putMember("inner", innerSchema, new RequiredTrait())
+                .build();
+        var rootInstanceWithMember = TestHelper.create(rootSchemaWithMember, (schema, serializer) -> {
+            serializer.writeStruct(schema.member("inner"), innerInstance);
+        });
+
+        var rootSchemaWithDeferredMember = Schema.structureBuilder(ShapeId.from("smithy.example#Root"))
+                .putMember("inner", innerBuilder, new RequiredTrait())
+                .build();
+        var rootInstanceWithDeferredMember = TestHelper.create(rootSchemaWithDeferredMember, (schema, serializer) -> {
+            serializer.writeStruct(schema.member("inner"), innerInstance);
+        });
+
+        var validator = Validator.builder().build();
+
+        var memberErrors = validator.validate(rootInstanceWithMember);
+        assertThat(memberErrors, empty());
+
+        var deferredMemberErrors = validator.validate(rootInstanceWithDeferredMember);
+        assertThat(deferredMemberErrors, empty());
+    }
+
     private List<Schema> createListSchemas(int depth) {
         List<Schema> schemas = new ArrayList<>(depth);
         for (int i = depth; i > 0; i--) {