diff --git a/include/fluent-bit/flb_record_accessor.h b/include/fluent-bit/flb_record_accessor.h
index e35923e52c7..8dbcce3ea88 100644
--- a/include/fluent-bit/flb_record_accessor.h
+++ b/include/fluent-bit/flb_record_accessor.h
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ struct flb_record_accessor {
     struct mk_list _head;        /* Head to custom list (only used by flb_mp.h) */
 };
 
+int flb_ra_subkey_count(struct flb_record_accessor *ra);
 struct flb_record_accessor *flb_ra_create(char *str, int translate_env);
 void flb_ra_destroy(struct flb_record_accessor *ra);
 void flb_ra_dump(struct flb_record_accessor *ra);
diff --git a/include/fluent-bit/record_accessor/flb_ra_parser.h b/include/fluent-bit/record_accessor/flb_ra_parser.h
index d54c4ef4501..e646c33a1e7 100644
--- a/include/fluent-bit/record_accessor/flb_ra_parser.h
+++ b/include/fluent-bit/record_accessor/flb_ra_parser.h
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ struct flb_ra_key *flb_ra_parser_key_add(struct flb_ra_parser *ra, char *key);
 int flb_ra_parser_subentry_add_string(struct flb_ra_parser *rp, char *key);
 int flb_ra_parser_subentry_add_array_id(struct flb_ra_parser *rp, int id);
 
+int flb_ra_parser_subkey_count(struct flb_ra_parser *rp);
 void flb_ra_parser_dump(struct flb_ra_parser *rp);
 struct flb_ra_parser *flb_ra_parser_string_create(char *str, int len);
 struct flb_ra_parser *flb_ra_parser_regex_id_create(int id);
diff --git a/src/flb_mp.c b/src/flb_mp.c
index e7e0ec6fa47..c1425e7e348 100644
--- a/src/flb_mp.c
+++ b/src/flb_mp.c
@@ -350,6 +350,37 @@ void flb_mp_array_header_end(struct flb_mp_map_header *mh)
     flb_mp_set_array_header_size(ptr, mh->entries);
 }
 
+static int insert_by_subkey_count(struct flb_record_accessor *ra, struct flb_mp_accessor *mpa)
+{
+    int subkey_count;
+    int count;
+    struct mk_list *h;
+    struct flb_record_accessor *val_ra;
+
+    /*
+     * sort flb_record_accessor by number of subkey
+     *
+     *  e.g.
+     *    $kubernetes
+     *    $kubernetes[2]['a']
+     *    $kubernetes[2]['annotations']['fluentbit.io/tag']
+     */
+    subkey_count = flb_ra_subkey_count(ra);
+    mk_list_foreach(h, &mpa->ra_list) {
+        val_ra = mk_list_entry(h, struct flb_record_accessor, _head);
+        count = flb_ra_subkey_count(val_ra);
+        if (count >=  subkey_count) {
+            mk_list_add_before(&ra->_head, &val_ra->_head, &mpa->ra_list);
+            return 0;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /* add to tail of list */
+    mk_list_add(&ra->_head, &mpa->ra_list);
+    return 0;
+}
+
+
 /*
  * Create an 'mp accessor' context: this context allows to create a list of
  * record accessor patterns based on a 'slist' context, where every slist string
@@ -382,7 +413,7 @@ struct flb_mp_accessor *flb_mp_accessor_create(struct mk_list *slist_patterns)
             flb_mp_accessor_destroy(mpa);
             return NULL;
         }
-        mk_list_add(&ra->_head, &mpa->ra_list);
+        insert_by_subkey_count(ra, mpa);
     }
 
     if (mk_list_size(&mpa->ra_list) == 0) {
diff --git a/src/flb_record_accessor.c b/src/flb_record_accessor.c
index dcf9e2c6906..bd245c5b36c 100644
--- a/src/flb_record_accessor.c
+++ b/src/flb_record_accessor.c
@@ -247,6 +247,27 @@ void flb_ra_destroy(struct flb_record_accessor *ra)
     flb_free(ra);
 }
 
+int flb_ra_subkey_count(struct flb_record_accessor *ra)
+{
+    struct mk_list *head;
+    struct flb_ra_parser *rp;
+    int ret = -1;
+    int tmp;
+
+    if (ra == NULL) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+    mk_list_foreach(head, &ra->list) {
+        rp = mk_list_entry(head, struct flb_ra_parser, _head);
+        tmp = flb_ra_parser_subkey_count(rp);
+        if (tmp > ret) {
+            ret = tmp;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return ret;
+}
+
 struct flb_record_accessor *flb_ra_create(char *str, int translate_env)
 {
     int ret;
diff --git a/src/record_accessor/flb_ra_parser.c b/src/record_accessor/flb_ra_parser.c
index 947b89e705b..9f714295005 100644
--- a/src/record_accessor/flb_ra_parser.c
+++ b/src/record_accessor/flb_ra_parser.c
@@ -27,6 +27,21 @@
 #include "ra_parser.h"
 #include "ra_lex.h"
 
+int flb_ra_parser_subkey_count(struct flb_ra_parser *rp)
+{
+    if (rp == NULL || rp->key == NULL) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+    else if (rp->type != FLB_RA_PARSER_KEYMAP) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+    else if(rp->key->subkeys == NULL) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    return mk_list_size(rp->key->subkeys);
+}
+
 void flb_ra_parser_dump(struct flb_ra_parser *rp)
 {
     struct mk_list *head;
diff --git a/tests/internal/mp.c b/tests/internal/mp.c
index e41a7a92a75..3d04d0fa663 100644
--- a/tests/internal/mp.c
+++ b/tests/internal/mp.c
@@ -145,9 +145,209 @@ void test_accessor_keys_remove()
     msgpack_unpacked_destroy(&result);
 }
 
+/* https://github.com/fluent/fluent-bit/issues/5546 */
+void test_keys_remove_subkey_key()
+{
+    int len;
+    int ret;
+    int type;
+    size_t off = 0;
+    char *buf;
+    size_t size;
+    char *out_buf;
+    size_t out_size;
+    char *json;
+    char final_json[2048] = {0};
+    msgpack_unpacked result;
+    msgpack_unpacked result_final;
+    msgpack_object map;
+    struct flb_mp_accessor *mpa;
+    struct mk_list patterns;
+
+    /* Sample JSON message */
+    json =
+        "{\"key1\": \"something\", "
+        "\"kubernetes\": "
+        "   [true, "
+        "    false, "
+        "    {\"a\": false, "
+        "     \"annotations\": { "
+        "                       \"fluentbit.io/tag\": \"thetag\","
+        "                       \"extra\": false\""
+        "}}]}";
+
+    /* Convert to msgpack */
+    len = strlen(json);
+    ret = flb_pack_json(json, len, &buf, &size, &type);
+    TEST_CHECK(ret == 0);
+    if (ret == -1) {
+        exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+    }
+
+    /* Unpack the content */
+    msgpack_unpacked_init(&result);
+    msgpack_unpack_next(&result, buf, size, &off);
+    map = result.data;
+
+    /* Create list of patterns */
+    flb_slist_create(&patterns);
+
+    /* sub key -> key */
+    flb_slist_add(&patterns, "$kubernetes[2]['annotations']['fluentbit.io/tag']");
+    flb_slist_add(&patterns, "$kubernetes");
+
+
+    /* Create mp accessor */
+    mpa = flb_mp_accessor_create(&patterns);
+    TEST_CHECK(mpa != NULL);
+
+    /* Remove the entry that matches the pattern(s) */
+    ret = flb_mp_accessor_keys_remove(mpa, &map, (void *) &out_buf, &out_size);
+    TEST_CHECK(ret == FLB_TRUE);
+
+    printf("\n=== ORIGINAL  ===\n");
+    flb_pack_print(buf, size);
+    flb_free(buf);
+
+    printf("=== FINAL MAP ===\n");
+    if (ret == FLB_TRUE) {
+        flb_pack_print(out_buf, out_size);
+    }
+    msgpack_unpacked_destroy(&result);
+
+    off = 0;
+    msgpack_unpacked_init(&result_final);
+    msgpack_unpack_next(&result_final, out_buf, out_size, &off);
+    flb_msgpack_to_json(&final_json[0], sizeof(final_json), &result_final.data);
+
+    if (!TEST_CHECK(strstr(&final_json[0] ,"kubernetes") == NULL)) {
+        TEST_MSG("kubernetes field should be removed");
+    }
+
+    msgpack_unpacked_destroy(&result_final);
+
+    flb_free(out_buf);
+    flb_mp_accessor_destroy(mpa);
+    flb_slist_destroy(&patterns);
+
+}
+
+void remove_subkey_keys(char *list[], int list_size, int index_start)
+{
+    int len;
+    int ret;
+    int type;
+    size_t off = 0;
+    char *buf;
+    size_t size;
+    char *out_buf;
+    size_t out_size;
+    char *json;
+    char final_json[2048] = {0};
+    msgpack_unpacked result;
+    msgpack_unpacked result_final;
+    msgpack_object map;
+    struct flb_mp_accessor *mpa;
+    struct mk_list patterns;
+    int i;
+    int count = 0;
+
+    /* Sample JSON message */
+    json =
+        "{\"key1\": \"something\", "
+        "\"kubernetes\": "
+        "   [true, "
+        "    false, "
+        "    {\"a\": false, "
+        "     \"annotations\": { "
+        "                       \"fluentbit.io/tag\": \"thetag\","
+        "                       \"extra\": false\""
+        "}}]}";
+
+    /* Convert to msgpack */
+    len = strlen(json);
+    ret = flb_pack_json(json, len, &buf, &size, &type);
+    TEST_CHECK(ret == 0);
+    if (ret == -1) {
+        exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+    }
+
+    /* Unpack the content */
+    msgpack_unpacked_init(&result);
+    msgpack_unpack_next(&result, buf, size, &off);
+    map = result.data;
+
+    /* Create list of patterns */
+    flb_slist_create(&patterns);
+
+    /* sub keys */
+    for (i=index_start; count<list_size; i++) {
+        if (i>=list_size) {
+            i = 0;
+        }
+        flb_slist_add(&patterns, list[i]);
+        count++;
+    }
+
+    /* Create mp accessor */
+    mpa = flb_mp_accessor_create(&patterns);
+    TEST_CHECK(mpa != NULL);
+
+    /* Remove the entry that matches the pattern(s) */
+    ret = flb_mp_accessor_keys_remove(mpa, &map, (void *) &out_buf, &out_size);
+    TEST_CHECK(ret == FLB_TRUE);
+
+    printf("\n=== ORIGINAL  ===\n");
+    flb_pack_print(buf, size);
+    flb_free(buf);
+
+    printf("=== FINAL MAP ===\n");
+    if (ret == FLB_TRUE) {
+        flb_pack_print(out_buf, out_size);
+    }
+    msgpack_unpacked_destroy(&result);
+
+    off = 0;
+    msgpack_unpacked_init(&result_final);
+    msgpack_unpack_next(&result_final, out_buf, out_size, &off);
+    flb_msgpack_to_json(&final_json[0], sizeof(final_json), &result_final.data);
+
+    if (!TEST_CHECK(strstr(&final_json[0] ,"kubernetes") == NULL)) {
+        TEST_MSG("kubernetes field should be removed");
+    }
+
+    msgpack_unpacked_destroy(&result_final);
+
+    flb_free(out_buf);
+    flb_mp_accessor_destroy(mpa);
+    flb_slist_destroy(&patterns);
+}
+
+void test_keys_remove_subkey_keys()
+{
+    char *list[] = {"$kubernetes[2]['annotations']['fluentbit.io/tag']",
+                    "$kubernetes[2]['a']", 
+                    "$kubernetes"};
+    char *list2[] = {"$kubernetes[2]['annotations']['fluentbit.io/tag']",
+                     "$kubernetes",
+                     "$kubernetes[2]['a']"};
+
+    int size = sizeof(list)/sizeof(char*);
+    int i;
+    
+    for (i=0; i<size; i++) {
+        remove_subkey_keys(list, size, i);
+    }
+    for (i=0; i<size; i++) {
+        remove_subkey_keys(list2, size, i);
+    }
+}
+
 TEST_LIST = {
     {"count"                , test_count},
     {"map_header"           , test_map_header},
     {"accessor_keys_remove" , test_accessor_keys_remove},
+    {"accessor_keys_remove_subkey_key" , test_keys_remove_subkey_key},
+    {"accessor_keys_remove_subkey_keys" , test_keys_remove_subkey_keys},
     { 0 }
 };