diff --git a/_generated/pointer.go b/_generated/pointer.go
index 71cb15d6..9860004d 100644
--- a/_generated/pointer.go
+++ b/_generated/pointer.go
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/tinylib/msgp/msgp"
 )
 
-//go:generate msgp
+//go:generate msgp $GOFILE$
 
 // Generate only pointer receivers:
 
diff --git a/gen/encode.go b/gen/encode.go
index 02dd08b0..af83e456 100644
--- a/gen/encode.go
+++ b/gen/encode.go
@@ -62,9 +62,16 @@ func (e *encodeGen) Execute(p Elem) error {
 	e.ctx = &Context{}
 
 	e.p.comment("EncodeMsg implements msgp.Encodable")
-
-	e.p.printf("\nfunc (%s %s) EncodeMsg(en *msgp.Writer) (err error) {", p.Varname(), imutMethodReceiver(p))
+	rcv := imutMethodReceiver(p)
+	ogVar := p.Varname()
+	if p.AlwaysPtr(nil) {
+		rcv = methodReceiver(p)
+	}
+	e.p.printf("\nfunc (%s %s) EncodeMsg(en *msgp.Writer) (err error) {", ogVar, rcv)
 	next(e, p)
+	if p.AlwaysPtr(nil) {
+		p.SetVarname(ogVar)
+	}
 	e.p.nakedReturn()
 	return e.p.err
 }
@@ -279,11 +286,11 @@ func (e *encodeGen) gBase(b *BaseElem) {
 	vname := b.Varname()
 	if b.Convert {
 		if b.ShimMode == Cast {
-			vname = tobaseConvert(b, len(e.ctx.path) == 0 && b.AlwaysPtr(nil))
+			vname = tobaseConvert(b)
 		} else {
 			vname = randIdent()
 			e.p.printf("\nvar %s %s", vname, b.BaseType())
-			e.p.printf("\n%s, err = %s", vname, tobaseConvert(b, false))
+			e.p.printf("\n%s, err = %s", vname, tobaseConvert(b))
 			e.p.wrapErrCheck(e.ctx.ArgsStr())
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/gen/marshal.go b/gen/marshal.go
index efdccb91..5b94ff39 100644
--- a/gen/marshal.go
+++ b/gen/marshal.go
@@ -47,10 +47,18 @@ func (m *marshalGen) Execute(p Elem) error {
 	// calling methodReceiver so
 	// that z.Msgsize() is printed correctly
 	c := p.Varname()
-
-	m.p.printf("\nfunc (%s %s) MarshalMsg(b []byte) (o []byte, err error) {", p.Varname(), imutMethodReceiver(p))
+	rcv := imutMethodReceiver(p)
+	ogVar := p.Varname()
+	if p.AlwaysPtr(nil) {
+		rcv = methodReceiver(p)
+	}
+	m.p.printf("\nfunc (%s %s) MarshalMsg(b []byte) (o []byte, err error) {", ogVar, rcv)
 	m.p.printf("\no = msgp.Require(b, %s.Msgsize())", c)
 	next(m, p)
+	if p.AlwaysPtr(nil) {
+		p.SetVarname(ogVar)
+	}
+
 	m.p.nakedReturn()
 	return m.p.err
 }
@@ -282,11 +290,11 @@ func (m *marshalGen) gBase(b *BaseElem) {
 	vname := b.Varname()
 	if b.Convert {
 		if b.ShimMode == Cast {
-			vname = tobaseConvert(b, len(m.ctx.path) == 0 && b.AlwaysPtr(nil))
+			vname = tobaseConvert(b)
 		} else {
 			vname = randIdent()
 			m.p.printf("\nvar %s %s", vname, b.BaseType())
-			m.p.printf("\n%s, err = %s", vname, tobaseConvert(b, false))
+			m.p.printf("\n%s, err = %s", vname, tobaseConvert(b))
 			m.p.wrapErrCheck(m.ctx.ArgsStr())
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/gen/size.go b/gen/size.go
index 9e2649c1..67e68dc6 100644
--- a/gen/size.go
+++ b/gen/size.go
@@ -86,9 +86,17 @@ func (s *sizeGen) Execute(p Elem) error {
 
 	s.p.comment("Msgsize returns an upper bound estimate of the number of bytes occupied by the serialized message")
 
-	s.p.printf("\nfunc (%s %s) Msgsize() (s int) {", p.Varname(), imutMethodReceiver(p))
+	rcv := imutMethodReceiver(p)
+	ogVar := p.Varname()
+	if p.AlwaysPtr(nil) {
+		rcv = methodReceiver(p)
+	}
+	s.p.printf("\nfunc (%s %s) Msgsize() (s int) {", ogVar, rcv)
 	s.state = assign
 	next(s, p)
+	if p.AlwaysPtr(nil) {
+		rcv = methodReceiver(p)
+	}
 	s.p.nakedReturn()
 	return s.p.err
 }
@@ -204,7 +212,7 @@ func (s *sizeGen) gBase(b *BaseElem) {
 	} else {
 		vname := b.Varname()
 		if b.Convert {
-			vname = tobaseConvert(b, len(s.ctx.path) <= 1 && b.AlwaysPtr(nil))
+			vname = tobaseConvert(b)
 		}
 		s.addConstant(basesizeExpr(b.Value, vname, b.BaseName()))
 	}
diff --git a/gen/spec.go b/gen/spec.go
index 42ca3dd0..bd57743c 100644
--- a/gen/spec.go
+++ b/gen/spec.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
-	"strings"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -254,9 +253,6 @@ func next(t traversal, e Elem) {
 
 // possibly-immutable method receiver
 func imutMethodReceiver(p Elem) string {
-	if p.AlwaysPtr(nil) {
-		return "*" + p.TypeName()
-	}
 	switch e := p.(type) {
 	case *Struct:
 		// TODO(HACK): actually do real math here.
@@ -421,12 +417,8 @@ func (p *printer) initPtr(pt *Ptr) {
 
 func (p *printer) ok() bool { return p.err == nil }
 
-func tobaseConvert(b *BaseElem, ptr bool) string {
-	vname := b.Varname()
-	if ptr && !strings.HasPrefix(vname, "*") {
-		vname = "*" + vname
-	}
-	return b.ToBase() + "(" + vname + ")"
+func tobaseConvert(b *BaseElem) string {
+	return b.ToBase() + "(" + b.Varname() + ")"
 }
 
 func (p *printer) varWriteMapHeader(receiver string, sizeVarname string, maxSize int) {
diff --git a/printer/print.go b/printer/print.go
index e9f0334d..0f31e15c 100644
--- a/printer/print.go
+++ b/printer/print.go
@@ -42,6 +42,11 @@ func PrintFile(file string, f *parse.FileSet, mode gen.Method) error {
 	}
 	err = <-res
 	if err != nil {
+		os.WriteFile(file+".broken", out.Bytes(), os.ModePerm)
+		if Logf != nil {
+			Logf("Error: %s. Wrote broken output to %s\n", err, file+".broken")
+		}
+
 		return err
 	}
 	return nil