diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/dcl.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/dcl.go
index 2820b72a42d..22e2fd8ea51 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/dcl.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/dcl.go
@@ -570,7 +570,7 @@ func structfield(n *Node) *types.Field {
 		if n.Left != nil {
 			n.Left.Type = n.Type
 		}
-		if n.Embedded != 0 {
+		if n.Embedded() {
 			checkembeddedtype(n.Type)
 		}
 	}
@@ -593,7 +593,11 @@ func structfield(n *Node) *types.Field {
 
 	if n.Left != nil && n.Left.Op == ONAME {
 		f.Nname = asTypesNode(n.Left)
-		f.Embedded = n.Embedded
+		if n.Embedded() {
+			f.Embedded = 1
+		} else {
+			f.Embedded = 0
+		}
 		f.Sym = asNode(f.Nname).Sym
 	}
 
@@ -779,7 +783,7 @@ func embedded(s *types.Sym, pkg *types.Pkg) *Node {
 		n = newname(s.Pkg.Lookup(name))
 	}
 	n = nod(ODCLFIELD, n, oldname(s))
-	n.Embedded = 1
+	n.SetEmbedded(true)
 	return n
 }
 
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/fmt.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/fmt.go
index f712c706eba..7305a8fdff7 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/fmt.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/fmt.go
@@ -501,8 +501,8 @@ func (n *Node) jconv(s fmt.State, flag FmtFlag) {
 		fmt.Fprintf(s, " implicit(%v)", n.Implicit())
 	}
 
-	if n.Embedded != 0 {
-		fmt.Fprintf(s, " embedded(%d)", n.Embedded)
+	if n.Embedded() {
+		fmt.Fprintf(s, " embedded")
 	}
 
 	if n.Addrtaken() {
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/syntax.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/syntax.go
index 3db656e85ef..bc1f8bfcb14 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/syntax.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/syntax.go
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@ type Node struct {
 	Op        Op
 	Etype     types.EType // op for OASOP, etype for OTYPE, exclam for export, 6g saved reg, ChanDir for OTCHAN, for OINDEXMAP 1=LHS,0=RHS
 	Class     Class       // PPARAM, PAUTO, PEXTERN, etc
-	Embedded  uint8       // ODCLFIELD embedded type
 	Typecheck uint8       // tracks state during typechecking; 2 == loop detected
 	Initorder uint8
 }
@@ -95,6 +94,7 @@ const (
 	_, nodeLikely   // if statement condition likely
 	_, nodeHasVal   // node.E contains a Val
 	_, nodeHasOpt   // node.E contains an Opt
+	_, nodeEmbedded // ODCLFIELD embedded type
 )
 
 func (n *Node) Walkdef() uint8 { return n.flags.get2(nodeWalkdef) }
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ func (n *Node) HasCall() bool               { return n.flags&nodeHasCall != 0 }
 func (n *Node) Likely() bool                { return n.flags&nodeLikely != 0 }
 func (n *Node) HasVal() bool                { return n.flags&nodeHasVal != 0 }
 func (n *Node) HasOpt() bool                { return n.flags&nodeHasOpt != 0 }
+func (n *Node) Embedded() bool              { return n.flags&nodeEmbedded != 0 }
 
 func (n *Node) SetWalkdef(b uint8) { n.flags.set2(nodeWalkdef, b) }
 
@@ -142,6 +143,7 @@ func (n *Node) SetHasCall(b bool)               { n.flags.set(nodeHasCall, b) }
 func (n *Node) SetLikely(b bool)                { n.flags.set(nodeLikely, b) }
 func (n *Node) SetHasVal(b bool)                { n.flags.set(nodeHasVal, b) }
 func (n *Node) SetHasOpt(b bool)                { n.flags.set(nodeHasOpt, b) }
+func (n *Node) SetEmbedded(b bool)              { n.flags.set(nodeEmbedded, b) }
 
 // Val returns the Val for the node.
 func (n *Node) Val() Val {