diff --git a/capn-test.cpp b/capn-test.cpp
index d35b877..aee722f 100644
--- a/capn-test.cpp
+++ b/capn-test.cpp
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ TEST(WireFormat, SimpleRawDataStruct) {
   EXPECT_EQ(1, ctx.segnum);
   EXPECT_EQ(0, seg.id);
 
-  struct capn_ptr ptr = capn_get_root(&ctx);
+  struct capn_ptr ptr = capn_getp(capn_root(&ctx), 0);
   EXPECT_EQ(CAPN_STRUCT, ptr.type);
   EXPECT_EQ(8, ptr.datasz);
   EXPECT_EQ(0, ptr.ptrsz);
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ static const AlignedData<2> STRUCTLIST_ELEMENT_SUBSTRUCT_DEFAULT =
     {{0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,  0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0}};
 
 static void setupStruct(struct capn *ctx) {
-  struct capn_ptr root = capn_new_root(ctx);
+  struct capn_ptr root = capn_root(ctx);
   ASSERT_EQ(CAPN_PTR_LIST, root.type);
   ASSERT_EQ(1, root.len);
 
@@ -143,16 +143,16 @@ static void setupStruct(struct capn *ctx) {
     }
   }
 
-  capn_ptr recurse = capn_new_struct(ptr.seg, 0, 1);
+  capn_ptr recurse = capn_new_struct(ptr.seg, 0, 2);
   EXPECT_EQ(CAPN_STRUCT, recurse.type);
   EXPECT_EQ(0, recurse.datasz);
-  EXPECT_EQ(8, recurse.ptrsz);
+  EXPECT_EQ(16, recurse.ptrsz);
   EXPECT_EQ(0, capn_setp(recurse, 0, recurse));
   EXPECT_EQ(0, capn_setp(ptr, 4, recurse));
 }
 
 static void checkStruct(struct capn *ctx) {
-  capn_ptr ptr = capn_get_root(ctx);
+  capn_ptr ptr = capn_getp(capn_root(ctx), 0);
   EXPECT_EQ(CAPN_STRUCT, ptr.type);
   EXPECT_EQ(16, ptr.datasz);
   EXPECT_EQ(40, ptr.ptrsz);
@@ -434,8 +434,8 @@ TEST(WireFormat, CopyStruct) {
   setupStruct(&ctx1.capn);
   checkStruct(&ctx1.capn);
 
-  capn_ptr root = capn_new_root(&ctx2.capn);
-  EXPECT_EQ(0, capn_setp(root, 0, capn_get_root(&ctx1.capn)));
+  capn_ptr root = capn_root(&ctx2.capn);
+  EXPECT_EQ(0, capn_setp(root, 0, capn_getp(capn_root(&ctx1.capn), 0)));
 
   checkStruct(&ctx2.capn);
 }
diff --git a/capn.c b/capn.c
index fb74442..11e4f67 100644
--- a/capn.c
+++ b/capn.c
@@ -938,29 +938,19 @@ static void new_object(capn_ptr *p, int bytes) {
 	}
 }
 
-capn_ptr capn_get_root(struct capn* c) {
-	struct capn_segment* s = lookup_segment(c, NULL, 0);
-	if (s->len < 8) {
-		capn_ptr ret = {CAPN_NULL};
-		return ret;
-	} else {
-		return read_ptr(s, s->data);
-	}
-}
+capn_ptr capn_root(struct capn *c) {
+	capn_ptr r = {CAPN_PTR_LIST};
+	r.seg = lookup_segment(c, NULL, 0);
+	r.data = r.seg ? r.seg->data : new_data(c, 8, &r.seg);
+	r.len = 1;
 
-capn_ptr capn_new_root(struct capn *c) {
-	capn_ptr p = {CAPN_NULL};
-	struct capn_segment *s = lookup_segment(c, NULL, 0);
-
-	/* don't use new_object as we don't want the tag */
-	if ((s || new_data(c, 8, &s) != NULL) && s->len >= 8) {
-		p.seg = s;
-		p.data = p.seg->data;
-		p.len = 1;
-		p.type = CAPN_PTR_LIST;
+	if (!r.seg || r.seg->cap < 8) {
+		memset(&r, 0, sizeof(r));
+	} else if (r.seg->len < 8) {
+		r.seg->len = 8;
 	}
 
-	return p;
+	return r;
 }
 
 capn_ptr capn_new_struct(struct capn_segment *seg, int datasz, int ptrs) {
diff --git a/capn.h b/capn.h
index e2487fa..77c33cf 100644
--- a/capn.h
+++ b/capn.h
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ typedef struct {capn_ptr p;} capn_list64;
 /* capn_append_segment appends a segment to a session */
 void capn_append_segment(struct capn*, struct capn_segment*);
 
-capn_ptr capn_get_root(struct capn*);
+capn_ptr capn_root(struct capn *c);
 
 /* capn_getp|setp functions get/set ptrs in list/structs
  * off is the list index or pointer index in a struct
@@ -175,7 +175,6 @@ int capn_setv64(capn_list64 p, int off, const uint64_t *data, int sz);
  * datasz is in bytes, ptrs is # of pointers, sz is # of elements in the list
  * On an error a CAPN_NULL pointer is returned
  */
-capn_ptr capn_new_root(struct capn*);
 capn_ptr capn_new_struct(struct capn_segment *seg, int datasz, int ptrs);
 capn_ptr capn_new_list(struct capn_segment *seg, int sz, int datasz, int ptrs);
 capn_list1 capn_new_list1(struct capn_segment *seg, int sz);
diff --git a/compiler/capnpc-c.c b/compiler/capnpc-c.c
index 6d5b2d3..547d980 100644
--- a/compiler/capnpc-c.c
+++ b/compiler/capnpc-c.c
@@ -617,7 +617,7 @@ int main() {
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	root.p = capn_get_root(&capn);
+	root.p = capn_getp(capn_root(&capn), 0);
 	read_CodeGeneratorRequest(&req, root);
 
 	for (i = 0; i < req.nodes.p.len; i++) {
diff --git a/compiler/schema-test.cpp b/compiler/schema-test.cpp
index a36642f..5fbabad 100644
--- a/compiler/schema-test.cpp
+++ b/compiler/schema-test.cpp
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ TEST(Schema, ReadSimple) {
   struct capn ctx;
   ASSERT_EQ(0, capn_init_mem(&ctx, simple_schema, sizeof(simple_schema), 0));
 
-  CodeGeneratorRequest_ptr root = {capn_get_root(&ctx)};
+  CodeGeneratorRequest_ptr root = {capn_getp(capn_root(&ctx), 0)};
   EXPECT_EQ(CAPN_STRUCT, root.p.type);
 
   struct CodeGeneratorRequest req;