diff --git a/core/mapping/utils.go b/core/mapping/utils.go
index a793ecbe..a6fff1a1 100644
--- a/core/mapping/utils.go
+++ b/core/mapping/utils.go
@@ -60,20 +60,6 @@ func Deref(t reflect.Type) reflect.Type {
 	return t
 }
 
-// DerefVal dereferences a value, if pointer value nil set new a value, returns is not a ptr element value.
-func DerefVal(v reflect.Value) reflect.Value {
-	for {
-		if v.Kind() != reflect.Ptr {
-			break
-		}
-		if v.IsNil() {
-			v.Set(reflect.New(v.Type().Elem()))
-		}
-		v = v.Elem()
-	}
-	return v
-}
-
 // Repr returns the string representation of v.
 func Repr(v interface{}) string {
 	if v == nil {
@@ -157,6 +143,23 @@ func doParseKeyAndOptions(field reflect.StructField, value string) (string, *fie
 	return key, &fieldOpts, nil
 }
 
+// ensureValue ensures nested members not to be nil.
+// If pointer value is nil, set to a new value.
+func ensureValue(v reflect.Value) reflect.Value {
+	for {
+		if v.Kind() != reflect.Ptr {
+			break
+		}
+
+		if v.IsNil() {
+			v.Set(reflect.New(v.Type().Elem()))
+		}
+		v = v.Elem()
+	}
+
+	return v
+}
+
 func implicitValueRequiredStruct(tag string, tp reflect.Type) (bool, error) {
 	numFields := tp.NumField()
 	for i := 0; i < numFields; i++ {
@@ -491,8 +494,8 @@ func setValue(kind reflect.Kind, value reflect.Value, str string) error {
 	if !value.CanSet() {
 		return errValueNotSettable
 	}
-	value = DerefVal(value)
 
+	value = ensureValue(value)
 	v, err := convertType(kind, str)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/core/mapping/utils_test.go b/core/mapping/utils_test.go
index eac00beb..dec08584 100644
--- a/core/mapping/utils_test.go
+++ b/core/mapping/utils_test.go
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ func TestDerefValInt(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for _, each := range cases {
 		t.Run(each.t.String(), func(t *testing.T) {
-			assert.Equal(t, each.expect, DerefVal(each.t).Kind())
+			assert.Equal(t, each.expect, ensureValue(each.t).Kind())
 		})
 	}
 }