diff --git a/src/main/java/com/samskivert/mustache/DefaultCollector.java b/src/main/java/com/samskivert/mustache/DefaultCollector.java
index 234b7a3..1753bad 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/samskivert/mustache/DefaultCollector.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/samskivert/mustache/DefaultCollector.java
@@ -17,6 +17,16 @@ import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
  */
 public class DefaultCollector extends BasicCollector
 {
+    private final boolean _allowAccessCoercion;
+
+    public DefaultCollector () {
+        this(true);
+    }
+
+    public DefaultCollector (boolean allowAccessCoercion) {
+        _allowAccessCoercion = allowAccessCoercion;
+    }
+
     @Override
     public Mustache.VariableFetcher createFetcher (Object ctx, String name) {
         Mustache.VariableFetcher fetcher = super.createFetcher(ctx, name);
@@ -63,10 +73,20 @@ public class DefaultCollector extends BasicCollector
     }
 
     protected Method getMethod (Class<?> clazz, String name) {
-        // first check up the superclass chain
-        for (Class<?> cc = clazz; cc != null && cc != Object.class; cc = cc.getSuperclass()) {
-            Method m = getMethodOn(cc, name);
-            if (m != null) return m;
+        if (_allowAccessCoercion) {
+            // first check up the superclass chain
+            for (Class<?> cc = clazz; cc != null && cc != Object.class; cc = cc.getSuperclass()) {
+                Method m = getMethodOn(cc, name);
+                if (m != null) return m;
+            }
+        } else {
+            // if we only allow access to accessible methods, then we can just let the JVM handle
+            // searching superclasses for the method
+            try {
+                return clazz.getMethod(name);
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                // fall through
+            }
         }
         return null;
     }
@@ -119,11 +139,21 @@ public class DefaultCollector extends BasicCollector
     }
 
     private Method makeAccessible (Method m) {
-        if (!m.isAccessible()) m.setAccessible(true);
+        if (m.isAccessible()) return m;
+        else if (!_allowAccessCoercion) return null;
+        m.setAccessible(true);
         return m;
     }
 
     protected Field getField (Class<?> clazz, String name) {
+        if (!_allowAccessCoercion) {
+            try {
+                return clazz.getField(name);
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                return null;
+            }
+        }
+
         Field f;
         try {
             f = clazz.getDeclaredField(name);
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/samskivert/mustache/MustacheTest.java b/src/test/java/com/samskivert/mustache/MustacheTest.java
index 80e776d..cb1b208 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/samskivert/mustache/MustacheTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/samskivert/mustache/MustacheTest.java
@@ -275,4 +275,22 @@ public class MustacheTest extends SharedTests
         test("k1v1k2v2", "{{#map.entrySet}}{{key}}{{value}}{{/map.entrySet}}",
              context("map", data));
     }
+
+    @Test public void testNoAccesCoercion () {
+        Object ctx = new Object() {
+            public Object foo () {
+                return new Object() {
+                    public Object bar = new Object() {
+                        public String baz = "hello";
+                        private String quux = "hello";
+                    };
+                };
+            }
+        };
+        test("hello:hello", "{{foo.bar.baz}}:{{foo.bar.quux}}", ctx);
+        Mustache.Compiler comp = Mustache.compiler().
+            withCollector(new DefaultCollector(false)).
+            defaultValue("missing");
+        test(comp, "hello:missing", "{{foo.bar.baz}}:{{foo.bar.quux}}", ctx);
+    }
 }