diff --git a/capn-test.cpp b/capn-test.cpp
index a6e2419..d35b877 100644
--- a/capn-test.cpp
+++ b/capn-test.cpp
@@ -222,13 +222,14 @@ static void checkStruct(struct capn *ctx) {
   capn_ptr recurse = capn_getp(ptr, 4);
   EXPECT_EQ(CAPN_STRUCT, recurse.type);
   EXPECT_EQ(0, recurse.datasz);
-  EXPECT_EQ(8, recurse.ptrsz);
+  EXPECT_EQ(16, recurse.ptrsz);
   capn_ptr recurse_mbr = capn_getp(recurse, 0);
   EXPECT_EQ(CAPN_STRUCT, recurse_mbr.type);
   EXPECT_EQ(0, recurse_mbr.datasz);
-  EXPECT_EQ(8, recurse_mbr.ptrsz);
+  EXPECT_EQ(16, recurse_mbr.ptrsz);
   EXPECT_EQ(recurse.seg, recurse_mbr.seg);
   EXPECT_EQ(recurse.data, recurse_mbr.data);
+  EXPECT_EQ(CAPN_NULL, capn_getp(recurse, 1).type);
 }
 
 TEST(WireFormat, StructRoundTrip_OneSegment) {
@@ -249,11 +250,11 @@ TEST(WireFormat, StructRoundTrip_OneSegment) {
   //   11  list list
   //         5 references to sub-lists
   //         6 sub-lists (4x 1 word, 1x 2 words)
-  //    1  recurse
+  //    2  recurse
   // -----
-  //   36
+  //   37
   ASSERT_EQ(1, ctx.capn.segnum);
-  EXPECT_EQ(36*8, ctx.capn.seglist->len);
+  EXPECT_EQ(37*8, ctx.capn.seglist->len);
 
   checkStruct(&ctx.capn);
 
@@ -309,7 +310,7 @@ TEST(WireFormat, StructRoundTrip_OneSegmentPerAllocation) {
   EXPECT_EQ(16, segments[12]->len);  // list list sublist 3
   EXPECT_EQ(16, segments[13]->len);  // list list sublist 4
   EXPECT_EQ(24, segments[14]->len);  // list list sublist 5
-  EXPECT_EQ(16, segments[15]->len);  // recurse struct
+  EXPECT_EQ(24, segments[15]->len);  // recurse struct
 
   checkStruct(&ctx.capn);
 
@@ -364,7 +365,7 @@ TEST(WireFormat, StructRoundTrip_OneSegmentPerAllocation_NoTag) {
   EXPECT_EQ(16, segments[26]->len);  // list list sublist 4 ptr
   EXPECT_EQ(16, segments[27]->len);  // list list sublist 5
   EXPECT_EQ(16, segments[28]->len);  // list list sublist 5 ptr
-  EXPECT_EQ( 8, segments[29]->len);  // recurse struct
+  EXPECT_EQ(16, segments[29]->len);  // recurse struct
   EXPECT_EQ(16, segments[30]->len);  // recurse struct ptr
 
   checkStruct(&ctx.capn);
@@ -415,7 +416,7 @@ TEST(WireFormat, StructRoundTrip_MultipleSegmentsWithMultipleAllocations) {
   EXPECT_EQ(80, segments[2]->len);  // struct list (72+tag)
   EXPECT_EQ(64, segments[3]->len);  // struct list substructs 2+3+4 3*(8+tag) + list list sublist 3 (8+tag)
   EXPECT_EQ(64, segments[4]->len);  // list list (40+tag) + sublist 1,2 2*(8)
-  EXPECT_EQ(56, segments[5]->len);  // list list sublist 4 (8+tag), 5 (16+tag) + recurse struct (8+tag)
+  EXPECT_EQ(64, segments[5]->len);  // list list sublist 4 (8+tag), 5 (16+tag) + recurse struct (16+tag)
 
   checkStruct(&ctx.capn);
 
diff --git a/capn.c b/capn.c
index e302c18..fb74442 100644
--- a/capn.c
+++ b/capn.c
@@ -327,10 +327,10 @@ static capn_ptr read_ptr(struct capn_segment *s, char *d) {
 	}
 
 	if ((val&3) == STRUCT_PTR) {
-		ret.type = CAPN_STRUCT;
 		ret.datasz = U32(U16(val >> 32)) * 8;
 		ret.ptrsz = U32(U16(val >> 48)) * 8;
-		e = d + ret.len * (ret.datasz + ret.ptrsz);
+		ret.type = (ret.datasz || ret.ptrsz) ? CAPN_STRUCT : CAPN_NULL;
+		e = d + ret.datasz + ret.ptrsz;
 	} else {
 		ret.type = CAPN_LIST;
 		ret.len = val >> 35;
@@ -821,7 +821,7 @@ int capn_setp(capn_ptr p, int off, capn_ptr tgt) {
 		default:
 			*fn = read_ptr(fc->seg, fc->data);
 
-			if (copy_ptr(tc->seg, tc->data, tn, fn, &dep))
+			if (fn->type && copy_ptr(tc->seg, tc->data, tn, fn, &dep))
 				return -1;
 
 			fc->data += 8;
@@ -1056,7 +1056,7 @@ int capn_set_text(capn_ptr p, int off, capn_text tgt) {
 		m.data = (char*)tgt.str;
 		m.len = tgt.len + 1;
 		m.datasz = 1;
-	} else if (tgt.str) {
+	} else if (p.seg && tgt.str) {
 		m = capn_new_string(p.seg, tgt.str, tgt.len);
 	}
 	return capn_setp(p, off, m);
diff --git a/capn.h b/capn.h
index 4b73df5..e2487fa 100644
--- a/capn.h
+++ b/capn.h
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ enum CAPN_TYPE {
 };
 
 struct capn_ptr {
-	enum CAPN_TYPE type : 3;
+	unsigned int type : 3;
 	unsigned int is_list_member : 1;
 	unsigned int has_ptr_tag : 1;
 	unsigned int has_composite_tag : 1;
@@ -357,19 +357,23 @@ CAPN_INLINE uint64_t capn_from_f64(double v) {
 }
 
 CAPN_INLINE capn_list8 capn_new_list8(struct capn_segment *seg, int sz) {
-	capn_list8 p = {capn_new_list(seg, sz, 1, 0)};
+	capn_list8 p;
+	p.p = capn_new_list(seg, sz, 1, 0);
 	return p;
 }
 CAPN_INLINE capn_list16 capn_new_list16(struct capn_segment *seg, int sz) {
-	capn_list16 p = {capn_new_list(seg, sz, 2, 0)};
+	capn_list16 p;
+	p.p = capn_new_list(seg, sz, 2, 0);
 	return p;
 }
 CAPN_INLINE capn_list32 capn_new_list32(struct capn_segment *seg, int sz) {
-	capn_list32 p = {capn_new_list(seg, sz, 4, 0)};
+	capn_list32 p;
+	p.p = capn_new_list(seg, sz, 4, 0);
 	return p;
 }
 CAPN_INLINE capn_list64 capn_new_list64(struct capn_segment *seg, int sz) {
-	capn_list64 p = {capn_new_list(seg, sz, 8, 0)};
+	capn_list64 p;
+	p.p = capn_new_list(seg, sz, 8, 0);
 	return p;
 }
 CAPN_INLINE int capn_set_data(capn_ptr p, int off, capn_data d) {