diff --git a/modules/codegen-plugin/src/sbt-test/codegen-plugin/defaults/build.sbt b/modules/codegen-plugin/src/sbt-test/codegen-plugin/defaults/build.sbt
index a83619528..73c267cea 100644
--- a/modules/codegen-plugin/src/sbt-test/codegen-plugin/defaults/build.sbt
+++ b/modules/codegen-plugin/src/sbt-test/codegen-plugin/defaults/build.sbt
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 lazy val root = (project in file("."))
   .enablePlugins(Smithy4sCodegenPlugin)
   .settings(
-    scalaVersion := "2.13.6",
+    scalaVersion := "2.13.8",
     libraryDependencies += "com.disneystreaming.smithy4s" %% "smithy4s-core" % smithy4sVersion.value
   )
diff --git a/modules/codegen-plugin/src/sbt-test/codegen-plugin/defaults/src/main/scala/Main.scala b/modules/codegen-plugin/src/sbt-test/codegen-plugin/defaults/src/main/scala/Main.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e227037f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/codegen-plugin/src/sbt-test/codegen-plugin/defaults/src/main/scala/Main.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+/*
+ *  Copyright 2021-2022 Disney Streaming
+ *
+ *  Licensed under the Tomorrow Open Source Technology License, Version 1.0 (the "License");
+ *  you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ *  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     https://disneystreaming.github.io/TOST-1.0.txt
+ *
+ *  Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ *  distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ *  WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ *  See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ *  limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package demo
+
+object Main extends App {
+  try {
+    println(smithy.api.NonEmptyString("nope").value)
+  } catch {
+    case _: java.lang.ExceptionInInitializerError =>
+      println("failed")
+      sys.exit(1)
+  }
+}
diff --git a/modules/codegen-plugin/src/sbt-test/codegen-plugin/defaults/test b/modules/codegen-plugin/src/sbt-test/codegen-plugin/defaults/test
index 77df0c0a4..815ca2fe4 100644
--- a/modules/codegen-plugin/src/sbt-test/codegen-plugin/defaults/test
+++ b/modules/codegen-plugin/src/sbt-test/codegen-plugin/defaults/test
@@ -2,3 +2,7 @@
 > compile
 $ exists target/scala-2.13/src_managed/main/smithy4s/example/ObjectService.scala
 $ exists target/scala-2.13/resource_managed/main/smithy4s.example.ObjectService.json
+
+# check if code can run, this can reveal runtime issues
+# such as initialization errors
+> run
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/modules/codegen/src/smithy4s/codegen/CollisionAvoidance.scala b/modules/codegen/src/smithy4s/codegen/CollisionAvoidance.scala
index 771f9ed76..7adc15d48 100644
--- a/modules/codegen/src/smithy4s/codegen/CollisionAvoidance.scala
+++ b/modules/codegen/src/smithy4s/codegen/CollisionAvoidance.scala
@@ -70,12 +70,13 @@ object CollisionAvoidance {
           recursive,
           hints.map(modHint)
         )
-      case TypeAlias(name, originalName, tpe, isUnwrapped, hints) =>
+      case TypeAlias(name, originalName, tpe, isUnwrapped, rec, hints) =>
         TypeAlias(
           protect(name.capitalize),
           originalName,
           modType(tpe),
           isUnwrapped,
+          rec,
           hints.map(modHint)
         )
       case Enumeration(name, originalName, values, hints) =>
diff --git a/modules/codegen/src/smithy4s/codegen/IR.scala b/modules/codegen/src/smithy4s/codegen/IR.scala
index f7ae3d69c..8d5b93e80 100644
--- a/modules/codegen/src/smithy4s/codegen/IR.scala
+++ b/modules/codegen/src/smithy4s/codegen/IR.scala
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ case class TypeAlias(
     originalName: String,
     tpe: Type,
     isUnwrapped: Boolean,
+    recursive: Boolean = false,
     hints: List[Hint] = Nil
 ) extends Decl
 
diff --git a/modules/codegen/src/smithy4s/codegen/Renderer.scala b/modules/codegen/src/smithy4s/codegen/Renderer.scala
index 1ae65f403..3c79022b9 100644
--- a/modules/codegen/src/smithy4s/codegen/Renderer.scala
+++ b/modules/codegen/src/smithy4s/codegen/Renderer.scala
@@ -115,8 +115,8 @@ private[codegen] class Renderer(compilationUnit: CompilationUnit) { self =>
     case p: Product => renderProduct(p)
     case union @ Union(_, originalName, alts, recursive, hints) =>
       renderUnion(union.nameRef, originalName, alts, recursive, hints)
-    case ta @ TypeAlias(_, originalName, tpe, _, hints) =>
-      renderTypeAlias(ta.nameRef, originalName, tpe, hints)
+    case ta @ TypeAlias(_, originalName, tpe, _, recursive, hints) =>
+      renderTypeAlias(ta.nameRef, originalName, tpe, recursive, hints)
     case enumeration @ Enumeration(_, originalName, values, hints) =>
       renderEnum(enumeration.nameRef, originalName, values, hints)
     case _ => Lines.empty
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ private[codegen] class Renderer(compilationUnit: CompilationUnit) { self =>
 
   def renderPackageContents: Lines = {
     val typeAliases = compilationUnit.declarations.collect {
-      case TypeAlias(name, _, _, _, _) =>
+      case TypeAlias(name, _, _, _, _, _) =>
         line"type $name = ${compilationUnit.namespace}.${name}.Type"
     }
 
@@ -691,17 +691,22 @@ private[codegen] class Renderer(compilationUnit: CompilationUnit) { self =>
       name: NameRef,
       originalName: String,
       tpe: Type,
+      recursive: Boolean,
       hints: List[Hint]
   ): Lines = {
+    val definition =
+      if (recursive) line"$recursive_("
+      else Line.empty
     val trailingCalls =
       line".withId(id).addHints(hints)${renderConstraintValidation(hints)}"
+    val closing = if (recursive) ")" else ""
     lines(
       obj(name, line"$Newtype_[$tpe]")(
         renderId(originalName),
         renderHintsVal(hints),
         line"val underlyingSchema : $Schema_[$tpe] = ${tpe.schemaRef}$trailingCalls",
         lines(
-          line"implicit val schema : $Schema_[$name] = $bijection_(underlyingSchema, asBijection)"
+          line"implicit val schema : $Schema_[$name] = $definition$bijection_(underlyingSchema, asBijection)$closing"
         )
       )
     )
diff --git a/modules/codegen/src/smithy4s/codegen/SmithyToIR.scala b/modules/codegen/src/smithy4s/codegen/SmithyToIR.scala
index 819f775d3..06b6383f8 100644
--- a/modules/codegen/src/smithy4s/codegen/SmithyToIR.scala
+++ b/modules/codegen/src/smithy4s/codegen/SmithyToIR.scala
@@ -81,12 +81,17 @@ private[codegen] class SmithyToIR(model: Model, namespace: String) {
       private def getDefault(shape: Shape): Option[Decl] = {
         val hints = traitsToHints(shape.getAllTraits().asScala.values.toList)
 
+        val recursive = hints.exists {
+          case Hint.Trait => true
+          case _          => false
+        }
+
         shape.tpe.flatMap {
           case Type.Alias(_, name, tpe: Type.ExternalType, isUnwrapped) =>
             val newHints = hints.filterNot(_ == tpe.refinementHint)
-            TypeAlias(name, name, tpe, isUnwrapped, newHints).some
+            TypeAlias(name, name, tpe, isUnwrapped, recursive, newHints).some
           case Type.Alias(_, name, tpe, isUnwrapped) =>
-            TypeAlias(name, name, tpe, isUnwrapped, hints).some
+            TypeAlias(name, name, tpe, isUnwrapped, recursive, hints).some
           case Type.PrimitiveType(_) => None
           case other =>
             TypeAlias(
@@ -94,6 +99,7 @@ private[codegen] class SmithyToIR(model: Model, namespace: String) {
               shape.name,
               other,
               isUnwrapped = false,
+              recursive,
               hints
             ).some
         }
@@ -143,9 +149,13 @@ private[codegen] class SmithyToIR(model: Model, namespace: String) {
       )
 
       override def structureShape(shape: StructureShape): Option[Decl] = {
-        val rec = isRecursive(shape.getId())
-
         val hints = traitsToHints(shape.getAllTraits().asScala.values.toList)
+        val isTrait = hints.exists {
+          case Hint.Trait => true
+          case _          => false
+        }
+        val rec = isRecursive(shape.getId()) || isTrait
+
         val mixins = shape.getMixins.asScala.flatMap(_.tpe).toList
         val isMixin = shape.hasTrait(classOf[MixinTrait])
         val p =
@@ -167,8 +177,12 @@ private[codegen] class SmithyToIR(model: Model, namespace: String) {
         val rec = isRecursive(shape.getId())
 
         val hints = traitsToHints(shape.getAllTraits().asScala.values.toList)
+        val isTrait = hints.exists {
+          case Hint.Trait => true
+          case _          => false
+        }
         NonEmptyList.fromList(shape.alts).map { case alts =>
-          Union(shape.name, shape.name, alts, rec, hints)
+          Union(shape.name, shape.name, alts, rec || isTrait, hints)
         }
       }
 
diff --git a/modules/example/src/smithy4s/example/ArbitraryData.scala b/modules/example/src/smithy4s/example/ArbitraryData.scala
index 032b053e3..8e7da65dd 100644
--- a/modules/example/src/smithy4s/example/ArbitraryData.scala
+++ b/modules/example/src/smithy4s/example/ArbitraryData.scala
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package smithy4s.example
 import smithy4s.Schema
 import smithy4s.Hints
 import smithy4s.ShapeId
+import smithy4s.schema.Schema.recursive
 import smithy4s.schema.Schema.bijection
 import smithy4s.Document
 import smithy4s.Newtype
@@ -14,5 +15,5 @@ object ArbitraryData extends Newtype[Document] {
     smithy.api.Trait(None, None, None, None),
   )
   val underlyingSchema : Schema[Document] = document.withId(id).addHints(hints)
-  implicit val schema : Schema[ArbitraryData] = bijection(underlyingSchema, asBijection)
+  implicit val schema : Schema[ArbitraryData] = recursive(bijection(underlyingSchema, asBijection))
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/modules/example/src/smithy4s/example/TestTrait.scala b/modules/example/src/smithy4s/example/TestTrait.scala
index becb247cf..864eea169 100644
--- a/modules/example/src/smithy4s/example/TestTrait.scala
+++ b/modules/example/src/smithy4s/example/TestTrait.scala
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import smithy4s.Schema
 import smithy4s.Hints
 import smithy4s.ShapeId
 import smithy4s.schema.Schema.struct
+import smithy4s.schema.Schema.recursive
 import smithy4s.ShapeTag
 
 case class TestTrait(orderType: Option[OrderType] = None)
@@ -14,9 +15,9 @@ object TestTrait extends ShapeTag.Companion[TestTrait] {
     smithy.api.Trait(None, None, None, None),
   )
 
-  implicit val schema: Schema[TestTrait] = struct(
+  implicit val schema: Schema[TestTrait] = recursive(struct(
     OrderType.schema.optional[TestTrait]("orderType", _.orderType),
   ){
     TestTrait.apply
-  }.withId(id).addHints(hints)
+  }.withId(id).addHints(hints))
 }
\ No newline at end of file