diff --git a/borsh/__init__.py b/borsh/__init__.py
index 09f082b..6c432c9 100644
--- a/borsh/__init__.py
+++ b/borsh/__init__.py
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ def _deserialize_single(key: object, _schema: schema, _type: object, data: bytes
     # check for a schema
     elif isinstance(_type, types.struct):
         # get the corresponding struct definition as a schema
-        struct_schema = schema(_schema[key].struct_dict)
+        struct_schema = schema(_type.struct_dict)
 
         # loop through all of the keys in the struct
         struct_data = {}
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ def _serialize_single(key, _type, _schema, data: object) -> bytes:
     elif isinstance(_type, types.struct):
         # get a reference to the struct and its schema
         struct_obj = data[key]
-        struct_schema = schema(_schema[key].struct_dict)
+        struct_schema = schema(_type.struct_dict)
 
         # loop over all of the keys in the struct
         for key in struct_obj.struct_dict.keys():
@@ -517,4 +517,4 @@ def _serialize_single(key, _type, _schema, data: object) -> bytes:
     else:
         raise NotImplementedError('serializing \'' + str(_type) + '\' not implemented yet')
 
-    return results
\ No newline at end of file
+    return results