diff --git a/news/584.bugfix b/news/584.bugfix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..efe509887
--- /dev/null
+++ b/news/584.bugfix
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fix creation of structured config from a dict subclass: data from the dict is no longer thrown away.
diff --git a/omegaconf/_utils.py b/omegaconf/_utils.py
index acd79af91..4752b29cf 100644
--- a/omegaconf/_utils.py
+++ b/omegaconf/_utils.py
@@ -201,6 +201,37 @@ def _resolve_forward(type_: Type[Any], module: str) -> Type[Any]:
         return type_
 
 
+def extract_dict_subclass_data(obj: Any, parent: Any) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
+    """Check if obj is an instance of a subclass of Dict. If so, extract the Dict keys/values."""
+    from omegaconf.omegaconf import _maybe_wrap
+
+    if isinstance(obj, type):
+        return None
+
+    obj_type = type(obj)
+    if is_dict_subclass(obj_type):
+        dict_subclass_data = {}
+        key_type, element_type = get_dict_key_value_types(obj_type)
+        for name, value in obj.items():
+            is_optional, type_ = _resolve_optional(element_type)
+            type_ = _resolve_forward(type_, obj.__module__)
+            try:
+                dict_subclass_data[name] = _maybe_wrap(
+                    ref_type=type_,
+                    is_optional=is_optional,
+                    key=name,
+                    value=value,
+                    parent=parent,
+                )
+            except ValidationError as ex:
+                format_and_raise(
+                    node=None, key=name, value=value, cause=ex, msg=str(ex)
+                )
+        return dict_subclass_data
+
+    return None
+
+
 def get_attr_class_field_names(obj: Any) -> List[str]:
     is_type = isinstance(obj, type)
     obj_type = obj if is_type else type(obj)
@@ -243,6 +274,9 @@ def get_attr_data(obj: Any, allow_objects: Optional[bool] = None) -> Dict[str, A
         except ValidationError as ex:
             format_and_raise(node=None, key=name, value=value, cause=ex, msg=str(ex))
         d[name]._set_parent(None)
+    dict_subclass_data = extract_dict_subclass_data(obj=obj, parent=dummy_parent)
+    if dict_subclass_data is not None:
+        d.update(dict_subclass_data)
     return d
 
 
@@ -258,7 +292,8 @@ def get_dataclass_data(
     flags = {"allow_objects": allow_objects} if allow_objects is not None else {}
     dummy_parent = OmegaConf.create({}, flags=flags)
     d = {}
-    resolved_hints = get_type_hints(get_type_of(obj))
+    obj_type = get_type_of(obj)
+    resolved_hints = get_type_hints(obj_type)
     for field in dataclasses.fields(obj):
         name = field.name
         is_optional, type_ = _resolve_optional(resolved_hints[field.name])
@@ -290,6 +325,9 @@ def get_dataclass_data(
         except ValidationError as ex:
             format_and_raise(node=None, key=name, value=value, cause=ex, msg=str(ex))
         d[name]._set_parent(None)
+    dict_subclass_data = extract_dict_subclass_data(obj=obj, parent=dummy_parent)
+    if dict_subclass_data is not None:
+        d.update(dict_subclass_data)
     return d
 
 
diff --git a/tests/__init__.py b/tests/__init__.py
index b6904dd9f..8a98583f6 100644
--- a/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/tests/__init__.py
@@ -211,3 +211,8 @@ class InterpolationList:
 @dataclass
 class InterpolationDict:
     dict: Dict[str, int] = II("optimization.lr")
+
+
+@dataclass
+class Str2Int(Dict[str, int]):
+    pass
diff --git a/tests/structured_conf/data/attr_classes.py b/tests/structured_conf/data/attr_classes.py
index fc7cf3d5c..dbd3ab933 100644
--- a/tests/structured_conf/data/attr_classes.py
+++ b/tests/structured_conf/data/attr_classes.py
@@ -416,6 +416,10 @@ class DictSubclass:
     class Str2Str(Dict[str, str]):
         pass
 
+    @attr.s(auto_attribs=True)
+    class Str2Int(Dict[str, int]):
+        pass
+
     @attr.s(auto_attribs=True)
     class Int2Str(Dict[int, str]):
         pass
diff --git a/tests/structured_conf/data/dataclasses.py b/tests/structured_conf/data/dataclasses.py
index ef5ccf69d..a5121fa34 100644
--- a/tests/structured_conf/data/dataclasses.py
+++ b/tests/structured_conf/data/dataclasses.py
@@ -437,6 +437,10 @@ class DictSubclass:
     class Str2Str(Dict[str, str]):
         pass
 
+    @dataclass
+    class Str2Int(Dict[str, int]):
+        pass
+
     @dataclass
     class Int2Str(Dict[int, str]):
         pass
diff --git a/tests/structured_conf/test_structured_config.py b/tests/structured_conf/test_structured_config.py
index 4e08921b9..c5f639357 100644
--- a/tests/structured_conf/test_structured_config.py
+++ b/tests/structured_conf/test_structured_config.py
@@ -904,6 +904,19 @@ def test_str2str(self, module: Any) -> None:
         with raises(KeyValidationError):
             cfg[Color.RED]
 
+    def test_dict_subclass_data_preserved_upon_node_creation(self, module: Any) -> None:
+        src = module.DictSubclass.Str2StrWithField()
+        src["baz"] = "qux"
+        cfg = OmegaConf.structured(src)
+        assert cfg.foo == "bar"
+        assert cfg.baz == "qux"
+
+    def test_create_dict_subclass_with_bad_value_type(self, module: Any) -> None:
+        src = module.DictSubclass.Str2Int()
+        src["baz"] = "qux"
+        with raises(ValidationError):
+            OmegaConf.structured(src)
+
     def test_str2str_as_sub_node(self, module: Any) -> None:
         cfg = OmegaConf.create({"foo": module.DictSubclass.Str2Str})
         assert OmegaConf.get_type(cfg.foo) == module.DictSubclass.Str2Str
diff --git a/tests/test_errors.py b/tests/test_errors.py
index 541c85eec..a09cf2b10 100644
--- a/tests/test_errors.py
+++ b/tests/test_errors.py
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
     Module,
     Package,
     Plugin,
+    Str2Int,
     StructuredWithMissing,
     SubscriptedDict,
     UnionError,
@@ -772,6 +773,20 @@ def finalize(self, cfg: Any) -> None:
         ),
         id="dict,structured:del",
     ),
+    # creating structured config
+    param(
+        Expected(
+            create=lambda: Str2Int(),
+            op=lambda src: (src.__setitem__("bar", "qux"), OmegaConf.structured(src)),
+            exception_type=ValidationError,
+            msg="Value 'qux' could not be converted to Integer",
+            object_type=None,
+            key="bar",
+            full_key="",
+            parent_node=lambda cfg: None,
+        ),
+        id="structured,Dict_subclass:bad_value_type",
+    ),
     ##############
     # ListConfig #
     ##############