diff --git a/internal/core/export/export.go b/internal/core/export/export.go
index fa72159..6c88b5b 100644
--- a/internal/core/export/export.go
+++ b/internal/core/export/export.go
@@ -106,10 +106,10 @@
 
 	if isDef {
 		e.inDefinition--
-		if s, ok := expr.(*ast.StructLit); ok {
+		if v.Kind() == adt.StructKind {
 			expr = ast.NewStruct(
 				ast.Embed(ast.NewIdent("_#def")),
-				ast.NewIdent("_#def"), s,
+				ast.NewIdent("_#def"), expr,
 			)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/internal/core/export/export_test.go b/internal/core/export/export_test.go
index 0c4be35..c23afde 100644
--- a/internal/core/export/export_test.go
+++ b/internal/core/export/export_test.go
@@ -189,6 +189,20 @@
 		},
 		out: `_#def, _#def: {c: string}`,
 		p:   export.All,
+	}, {
+		// Don't wrap in def if the if the value is an embedded scalar.
+		// Issue #977
+		in: func(r *adt.OpContext) (adt.Expr, error) {
+			v := ctx.CompileString(`
+					#A: { "foo", #enum: 2 }
+				`)
+			v = v.LookupPath(cue.ParsePath("#A"))
+
+			_, n := value.ToInternal(v)
+			return n, nil
+		},
+		out: `"foo", #enum: 2`,
+		p:   export.All,
 	}}
 	for _, tc := range testCases {
 		t.Run("", func(t *testing.T) {