diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## [0.2.0.5] - 2023-08-27
+
+### Added
+
+* JSON Object-specific versions of encoding and decoding functions
+* Documentation about how 'parseAlternative' and 'optionalField' together can be a pitfall.
+
 ## [0.2.0.4] - 2023-07-31
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/autodocodec.cabal b/autodocodec.cabal
--- a/autodocodec.cabal
+++ b/autodocodec.cabal
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 -- see: https://github.com/sol/hpack
 
 name:           autodocodec
-version:        0.2.0.4
+version:        0.2.0.5
 synopsis:       Self-documenting encoder and decoder
 homepage:       https://github.com/NorfairKing/autodocodec#readme
 bug-reports:    https://github.com/NorfairKing/autodocodec/issues
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@
       base >=4.7 && <5
     , doctest
   default-language: Haskell2010
-  if impl(GHC < 9.0)
+  if impl(GHC > 9.2)
     buildable: True
   else
     buildable: False
diff --git a/src/Autodocodec.hs b/src/Autodocodec.hs
--- a/src/Autodocodec.hs
+++ b/src/Autodocodec.hs
@@ -11,9 +11,19 @@
     toEncodingViaCodec,
     toEncodingVia,
 
+    -- ** JSON Objects
+    toJSONObjectViaCodec,
+    toJSONObjectVia,
+    toSeriesViaCodec,
+    toSeriesVia,
+
     -- * Instantiating 'Aeson.FromJSON'
     parseJSONViaCodec,
     parseJSONVia,
+
+    -- ** JSON Objects
+    parseJSONObjectViaCodec,
+    parseJSONObjectVia,
 
     -- * Codec
     JSONCodec,
diff --git a/src/Autodocodec/Aeson.hs b/src/Autodocodec/Aeson.hs
--- a/src/Autodocodec/Aeson.hs
+++ b/src/Autodocodec/Aeson.hs
@@ -11,9 +11,19 @@
     toEncodingViaCodec,
     toEncodingVia,
 
+    -- ** JSON Objects
+    toJSONObjectViaCodec,
+    toJSONObjectVia,
+    toSeriesViaCodec,
+    toSeriesVia,
+
     -- * Instantiating @FromJSON@
     parseJSONViaCodec,
     parseJSONVia,
+
+    -- ** JSON Objects
+    parseJSONObjectViaCodec,
+    parseJSONObjectVia,
 
     -- * To makes sure we definitely export everything.
     module Autodocodec.Aeson.Decode,
diff --git a/src/Autodocodec/Aeson/Decode.hs b/src/Autodocodec/Aeson/Decode.hs
--- a/src/Autodocodec/Aeson/Decode.hs
+++ b/src/Autodocodec/Aeson/Decode.hs
@@ -4,8 +4,20 @@
 {-# LANGUAGE PartialTypeSignatures #-}
 {-# OPTIONS_GHC -fno-warn-partial-type-signatures -fno-warn-orphans #-}
 
-module Autodocodec.Aeson.Decode where
+module Autodocodec.Aeson.Decode
+  ( -- * Decoding JSON Values
+    parseJSONViaCodec,
+    parseJSONVia,
 
+    -- ** Decoding JSON Objects
+    parseJSONObjectViaCodec,
+    parseJSONObjectVia,
+
+    -- ** Internal
+    parseJSONContextVia,
+  )
+where
+
 import qualified Autodocodec.Aeson.Compat as Compat
 import Autodocodec.Class
 import Autodocodec.Codec
@@ -27,6 +39,12 @@
 -- | Implement 'JSON.parseJSON' via a given codec.
 parseJSONVia :: ValueCodec void a -> JSON.Value -> JSON.Parser a
 parseJSONVia = parseJSONContextVia
+
+parseJSONObjectViaCodec :: HasObjectCodec a => JSON.Object -> JSON.Parser a
+parseJSONObjectViaCodec = parseJSONObjectVia objectCodec
+
+parseJSONObjectVia :: ObjectCodec void a -> JSON.Object -> JSON.Parser a
+parseJSONObjectVia = parseJSONContextVia
 
 -- | Parse via a general codec.
 --
diff --git a/src/Autodocodec/Aeson/Encode.hs b/src/Autodocodec/Aeson/Encode.hs
--- a/src/Autodocodec/Aeson/Encode.hs
+++ b/src/Autodocodec/Aeson/Encode.hs
@@ -3,8 +3,21 @@
 {-# LANGUAGE PartialTypeSignatures #-}
 {-# OPTIONS_GHC -fno-warn-partial-type-signatures -fno-warn-orphans #-}
 
-module Autodocodec.Aeson.Encode where
+module Autodocodec.Aeson.Encode
+  ( -- * Encoding JSON Values
+    toJSONViaCodec,
+    toJSONVia,
+    toEncodingViaCodec,
+    toEncodingVia,
 
+    -- * Encoding JSON Objects
+    toJSONObjectViaCodec,
+    toJSONObjectVia,
+    toSeriesViaCodec,
+    toSeriesVia,
+  )
+where
+
 import qualified Autodocodec.Aeson.Compat as Compat
 import Autodocodec.Class
 import Autodocodec.Codec
@@ -23,6 +36,34 @@
 toJSONViaCodec :: HasCodec a => a -> JSON.Value
 toJSONViaCodec = toJSONVia codec
 
+toJSONObjectViaCodec :: HasObjectCodec a => a -> JSON.Object
+toJSONObjectViaCodec = toJSONObjectVia objectCodec
+
+toJSONObjectVia :: ObjectCodec a void -> a -> JSON.Object
+toJSONObjectVia = flip go
+  where
+    go :: a -> ObjectCodec a void -> JSON.Object
+    go a = \case
+      RequiredKeyCodec k c _ -> Compat.toKey k JSON..= toJSONVia c a
+      OptionalKeyCodec k c _ -> case (a :: Maybe _) of
+        Nothing -> mempty
+        Just b -> Compat.toKey k JSON..= toJSONVia c b
+      OptionalKeyWithDefaultCodec k c _ mdoc -> go (Just a) (OptionalKeyCodec k c mdoc)
+      OptionalKeyWithOmittedDefaultCodec k c defaultValue mdoc ->
+        if a == defaultValue
+          then mempty
+          else go a (OptionalKeyWithDefaultCodec k c defaultValue mdoc)
+      BimapCodec _ g c -> go (g a) c
+      PureCodec _ -> mempty
+      EitherCodec _ c1 c2 -> case (a :: Either _ _) of
+        Left a1 -> go a1 c1
+        Right a2 -> go a2 c2
+      DiscriminatedUnionCodec propertyName mapping _ ->
+        case mapping a of
+          (discriminatorValue, c) ->
+            Compat.insert (Compat.toKey propertyName) (JSON.String discriminatorValue) $ go a c
+      ApCodec oc1 oc2 -> go a oc1 <> go a oc2
+
 -- | Implement 'JSON.toJSON' via a given codec.
 toJSONVia :: ValueCodec a void -> a -> JSON.Value
 toJSONVia = flip go
@@ -36,7 +77,7 @@
       StringCodec _ -> toJSON (a :: Text)
       NumberCodec _ _ -> toJSON (a :: Scientific)
       ArrayOfCodec _ c -> toJSON (fmap (`go` c) (a :: Vector _))
-      ObjectOfCodec _ oc -> JSON.Object (goObject a oc)
+      ObjectOfCodec _ oc -> JSON.Object (toJSONObjectVia oc a)
       HashMapCodec c -> JSON.liftToJSON (`go` c) (`go` listCodec c) (a :: HashMap _ _)
       MapCodec c -> JSON.liftToJSON (`go` c) (`go` listCodec c) (a :: Map _ _)
       ValueCodec -> (a :: JSON.Value)
@@ -48,32 +89,38 @@
       CommentCodec _ c -> go a c
       ReferenceCodec _ c -> go a c
 
-    goObject :: a -> ObjectCodec a void -> JSON.Object
+-- | Implement 'JSON.toEncoding' via a type's codec.
+toEncodingViaCodec :: HasCodec a => a -> JSON.Encoding
+toEncodingViaCodec = toEncodingVia codec
+
+toSeriesViaCodec :: HasObjectCodec a => a -> JSON.Series
+toSeriesViaCodec = toSeriesVia objectCodec
+
+toSeriesVia :: ObjectCodec a void -> a -> JSON.Series
+toSeriesVia = flip goObject
+  where
+    goObject :: a -> ObjectCodec a void -> JSON.Series
     goObject a = \case
-      RequiredKeyCodec k c _ -> Compat.toKey k JSON..= go a c
+      RequiredKeyCodec k c _ -> JSON.pair (Compat.toKey k) (toEncodingVia c a)
       OptionalKeyCodec k c _ -> case (a :: Maybe _) of
-        Nothing -> mempty
-        Just b -> Compat.toKey k JSON..= go b c
+        Nothing -> mempty :: JSON.Series
+        Just b -> JSON.pair (Compat.toKey k) (toEncodingVia c b)
       OptionalKeyWithDefaultCodec k c _ mdoc -> goObject (Just a) (OptionalKeyCodec k c mdoc)
       OptionalKeyWithOmittedDefaultCodec k c defaultValue mdoc ->
         if a == defaultValue
           then mempty
           else goObject a (OptionalKeyWithDefaultCodec k c defaultValue mdoc)
+      PureCodec _ -> mempty :: JSON.Series
       BimapCodec _ g c -> goObject (g a) c
-      PureCodec _ -> mempty
       EitherCodec _ c1 c2 -> case (a :: Either _ _) of
         Left a1 -> goObject a1 c1
         Right a2 -> goObject a2 c2
       DiscriminatedUnionCodec propertyName mapping _ ->
         case mapping a of
           (discriminatorValue, c) ->
-            Compat.insert (Compat.toKey propertyName) (JSON.String discriminatorValue) $ goObject a c
+            JSON.pair (Compat.toKey propertyName) (JSON.toEncoding discriminatorValue) <> goObject a c
       ApCodec oc1 oc2 -> goObject a oc1 <> goObject a oc2
 
--- | Implement 'JSON.toEncoding' via a type's codec.
-toEncodingViaCodec :: HasCodec a => a -> JSON.Encoding
-toEncodingViaCodec = toEncodingVia codec
-
 -- | Implement 'JSON.toEncoding' via the given codec.
 toEncodingVia :: ValueCodec a void -> a -> JSON.Encoding
 toEncodingVia = flip go
@@ -85,7 +132,7 @@
       StringCodec _ -> JSON.text (a :: Text)
       NumberCodec _ _ -> JSON.scientific (a :: Scientific)
       ArrayOfCodec _ c -> JSON.list (`go` c) (V.toList (a :: Vector _))
-      ObjectOfCodec _ oc -> JSON.pairs (goObject a oc)
+      ObjectOfCodec _ oc -> JSON.pairs (toSeriesVia oc a)
       HashMapCodec c -> JSON.liftToEncoding (`go` c) (`go` listCodec c) (a :: HashMap _ _)
       MapCodec c -> JSON.liftToEncoding (`go` c) (`go` listCodec c) (a :: Map _ _)
       ValueCodec -> JSON.value (a :: JSON.Value)
@@ -96,27 +143,6 @@
         Right a2 -> go a2 c2
       CommentCodec _ c -> go a c
       ReferenceCodec _ c -> go a c
-    goObject :: a -> ObjectCodec a void -> JSON.Series
-    goObject a = \case
-      RequiredKeyCodec k c _ -> JSON.pair (Compat.toKey k) (go a c)
-      OptionalKeyCodec k c _ -> case (a :: Maybe _) of
-        Nothing -> mempty :: JSON.Series
-        Just b -> JSON.pair (Compat.toKey k) (go b c)
-      OptionalKeyWithDefaultCodec k c _ mdoc -> goObject (Just a) (OptionalKeyCodec k c mdoc)
-      OptionalKeyWithOmittedDefaultCodec k c defaultValue mdoc ->
-        if a == defaultValue
-          then mempty
-          else goObject a (OptionalKeyWithDefaultCodec k c defaultValue mdoc)
-      PureCodec _ -> mempty :: JSON.Series
-      BimapCodec _ g c -> goObject (g a) c
-      EitherCodec _ c1 c2 -> case (a :: Either _ _) of
-        Left a1 -> goObject a1 c1
-        Right a2 -> goObject a2 c2
-      DiscriminatedUnionCodec propertyName mapping _ ->
-        case mapping a of
-          (discriminatorValue, c) ->
-            JSON.pair (Compat.toKey propertyName) (JSON.toEncoding discriminatorValue) <> goObject a c
-      ApCodec oc1 oc2 -> goObject a oc1 <> goObject a oc2
 
 instance HasCodec a => JSON.ToJSON (Autodocodec a) where
   toJSON = toJSONViaCodec . unAutodocodec
diff --git a/src/Autodocodec/Codec.hs b/src/Autodocodec/Codec.hs
--- a/src/Autodocodec/Codec.hs
+++ b/src/Autodocodec/Codec.hs
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
 import GHC.Generics (Generic)
 
 -- $setup
--- >>> import Autodocodec.Aeson (toJSONVia, toJSONViaCodec, parseJSONVia, parseJSONViaCodec)
+-- >>> import Autodocodec.Aeson (toJSONVia, toJSONViaCodec, toJSONObjectVia, toJSONObjectViaCodec, parseJSONVia, parseJSONViaCodec, parseJSONObjectVia, parseJSONObjectViaCodec)
 -- >>> import qualified Autodocodec.Aeson.Compat as Compat
 -- >>> import Autodocodec.Class (HasCodec(codec), requiredField)
 -- >>> import qualified Data.Aeson as JSON
@@ -1555,6 +1555,8 @@
 -- Just Apple
 -- >>> JSON.parseMaybe (parseJSONVia c) (String "Apple") :: Maybe Fruit
 -- Just Apple
+-- >>> JSON.parseMaybe (parseJSONVia c) (String "Tomato") :: Maybe Fruit
+-- Nothing
 parseAlternatives ::
   -- | Main codec, for parsing and rendering
   Codec context input output ->
@@ -1573,6 +1575,7 @@
 --
 --
 -- === Example usage
+-- ==== Values
 --
 -- >>> data Fruit = Apple | Orange deriving (Show, Eq, Bounded, Enum)
 -- >>> let c = parseAlternative shownBoundedEnumCodec (stringConstCodec [(Apple, "foo"), (Orange, "bar")])
@@ -1582,6 +1585,46 @@
 -- Just Apple
 -- >>> JSON.parseMaybe (parseJSONVia c) (String "Apple") :: Maybe Fruit
 -- Just Apple
+--
+-- ==== Required object fields
+--
+-- >>> data Fruit = Apple | Orange deriving (Show, Eq, Bounded, Enum)
+-- >>> let c = shownBoundedEnumCodec
+-- >>> let o = parseAlternative (requiredFieldWith "current" c "current key for this field") (requiredFieldWith "legacy" c "legacy key for this field")
+-- >>> toJSONObjectVia o Apple
+-- fromList [("current",String "Apple")]
+-- >>> JSON.parseMaybe (parseJSONObjectVia o) (KM.fromList [("current",String "Apple")]) :: Maybe Fruit
+-- Just Apple
+-- >>> JSON.parseMaybe (parseJSONObjectVia o) (KM.fromList [("legacy",String "Apple")]) :: Maybe Fruit
+-- Just Apple
+-- >>> JSON.parseMaybe (parseJSONObjectVia o) (KM.fromList [("current",String "Tomato")]) :: Maybe Fruit
+-- Nothing
+--
+-- ==== Required object fields
+--
+-- While 'parseAlternative' works exactly like you would expect it would with 'requiredField', using 'parseAlterternative' with optional fields has some pitfalls.
+--
+-- >>> data Fruit = Apple | Orange deriving (Show, Eq, Bounded, Enum)
+-- >>> let c = shownBoundedEnumCodec
+-- >>> let o = parseAlternative (optionalFieldWith "current" c "current key for this field") (optionalFieldWith "legacy" c "legacy key for this field")
+-- >>> toJSONObjectVia o (Just Apple)
+-- fromList [("current",String "Apple")]
+-- >>> toJSONObjectVia o Nothing
+-- fromList []
+-- >>> JSON.parseMaybe (parseJSONObjectVia o) (KM.fromList [("current",String "Apple")]) :: Maybe (Maybe Fruit)
+-- Just (Just Apple)
+--
+--
+-- ! This is the important result !
+-- The second 'optionalFieldWith' is not tried because the first one _succeeds_ in parsing 'Nothing'
+--
+-- >>> JSON.parseMaybe (parseJSONObjectVia o) (KM.fromList [("legacy",String "Apple")]) :: Maybe (Maybe Fruit)
+-- Just Nothing
+--
+-- Here the parser succeeds as well, because it fails to parse the @current@ field, so it tries to parse the @legacy@ field, which is missing.
+--
+-- >>> JSON.parseMaybe (parseJSONObjectVia o) (KM.fromList [("current",String "Tomato")]) :: Maybe (Maybe Fruit)
+-- Just Nothing
 parseAlternative ::
   -- | Main codec, for parsing and rendering
   Codec context input output ->