diff --git a/private/model/api/example.go b/private/model/api/example.go
index 94083aabfbc..ed1eeb4b3f5 100644
--- a/private/model/api/example.go
+++ b/private/model/api/example.go
@@ -222,11 +222,16 @@ func (p *ExamplesDefinition) setup() error {
 		builder = NewExamplesBuilder()
 	}
 
-	keys := p.Examples.Names()
-	for _, n := range keys {
+	filteredExamples := make(Examples)
+
+	for _, n := range p.Examples.Names() {
 		examples := p.Examples[n]
+		n = p.ExportableName(n)
+		if _, ok := p.API.Operations[n]; !ok {
+			continue
+		}
+		filteredExamples[n] = make([]Example, 0, len(examples))
 		for i, e := range examples {
-			n = p.ExportableName(n)
 			e.OperationName = n
 			e.API = p.API
 			e.Index = fmt.Sprintf("shared%02d", i)
@@ -235,12 +240,13 @@ func (p *ExamplesDefinition) setup() error {
 
 			e.VisitedErrors = map[string]struct{}{}
 			op := p.API.Operations[e.OperationName]
-			e.OperationName = p.ExportableName(e.OperationName)
 			e.Operation = op
-			p.Examples[n][i] = e
+
+			filteredExamples[n] = append(filteredExamples[n], e)
 		}
 	}
 
+	p.Examples = filteredExamples
 	p.API.Examples = p.Examples
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/private/model/api/example_test.go b/private/model/api/example_test.go
index 1497fc9d297..0403323cc8c 100644
--- a/private/model/api/example_test.go
+++ b/private/model/api/example_test.go
@@ -170,34 +170,34 @@ func buildAPI() *API {
 }
 
 func TestExampleGeneration(t *testing.T) {
-	example := `
-{
+	example := `{
   "version": "1.0",
   "examples": {
     "Foo": [
       {
         "input": {
           "BarShape": "Hello world",
-					"ComplexField": {
-						"Field": "bar",
-						"List": [
-							{
-								"NestedField": "qux"
-							}
-						]
-					},
-					"ListField": [
-						{
-							"Field": "baz"
-						}
-					],
-					"ListsField": [
-						[
-							{
-								"Field": "baz"
-							}
-						]
-					]
+          "ComplexField": {
+            "Field": "bar",
+            "List": [
+              {
+                "NestedField": "qux"
+              }
+            ]
+          },
+          "ListField": [
+            {
+              "Field": "baz"
+            }
+          ],
+          "ListsField": [
+            [
+              {
+                "Field": "baz"
+              }
+            ]
+          ],
+          "FieldDoesNotExistInModel": true
         },
         "output": {
           "BazShape": 1
@@ -211,6 +211,20 @@ func TestExampleGeneration(t *testing.T) {
         "description": "Foo bar baz qux",
         "title": "I pity the foo"
       }
+    ],
+    "NotInTheModel": [
+      {
+        "input": {},
+        "output": {},
+        "comments": {
+          "input": {
+          },
+          "output": {
+          }
+        },
+        "description": "Look the other way",
+        "title": "I am not modeled"
+      }
     ]
   }
 }
diff --git a/private/model/api/shape_value_builder.go b/private/model/api/shape_value_builder.go
index 80cf8fd9dbd..08fb5e5cc71 100644
--- a/private/model/api/shape_value_builder.go
+++ b/private/model/api/shape_value_builder.go
@@ -203,6 +203,10 @@ func (b ShapeValueBuilder) BuildComplex(name, memName string, ref *ShapeRef, par
 			},
 			`, memName, b.GoType(ref, true), b.BuildShape(ref, v, true))
 		} else {
+			// Don't try to generate for members not actually modeled in the API
+			if _, ok := parent.MemberRefs[memName]; !ok {
+				return ""
+			}
 			return fmt.Sprintf(`%s: &%s{
 				%s
 			},