diff --git a/wasi-common-cbindgen/Cargo.toml b/wasi-common-cbindgen/Cargo.toml
index ddb546170b..75bb538d46 100644
--- a/wasi-common-cbindgen/Cargo.toml
+++ b/wasi-common-cbindgen/Cargo.toml
@@ -10,4 +10,3 @@ proc-macro = true
 [dependencies]
 syn = { version = "0.15.34", features = ["full"] }
 quote = "0.6.12"
-proc-macro2 = "0.4.30"
diff --git a/wasi-common-cbindgen/src/lib.rs b/wasi-common-cbindgen/src/lib.rs
index 310c2cf441..65977ad2b9 100644
--- a/wasi-common-cbindgen/src/lib.rs
+++ b/wasi-common-cbindgen/src/lib.rs
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@ extern crate proc_macro;
 
 use proc_macro::TokenStream;
 use quote::quote;
-use std::collections::HashMap;
-use syn::{ArgCaptured, FnArg, Pat, PatIdent, Token, Type, TypeReference};
+use syn::{ArgCaptured, FnArg, Pat, PatIdent, Type, TypeReference};
 
 #[proc_macro_attribute]
 pub fn wasi_common_cbindgen(attr: TokenStream, function: TokenStream) -> TokenStream {
@@ -12,13 +11,14 @@ pub fn wasi_common_cbindgen(attr: TokenStream, function: TokenStream) -> TokenSt
     let function = syn::parse_macro_input!(function as syn::ItemFn);
 
     // generate C fn name prefixed with __wasi_
-    let ident = &function.ident;
-    let concatenated = format!("__wasi_{}", ident);
-    let c_fn_ident = syn::Ident::new(&concatenated, ident.span());
+    let fn_ident = &function.ident;
+    let concatenated = format!("__wasi_{}", fn_ident);
+    let c_fn_ident = syn::Ident::new(&concatenated, fn_ident.span());
 
     // capture input args
     let mut arg_ident = Vec::new();
     let mut arg_type = Vec::new();
+    let mut call_arg_ident = Vec::new();
     for input in &function.decl.inputs {
         match input {
             FnArg::Captured(ArgCaptured {
@@ -35,8 +35,13 @@ pub fn wasi_common_cbindgen(attr: TokenStream, function: TokenStream) -> TokenSt
                     // so substitute it for *mut since we're exporting to C
                     let elem = &ty.elem;
                     arg_type.push(quote!(*mut #elem));
+                    // we need to properly dereference the substituted raw
+                    // pointer if we are to properly call the hostcall fn
+                    call_arg_ident.push(quote!(&mut *#ident));
                 } else {
                     arg_type.push(quote!(#ty));
+                    // non-&-ref type, so preserve whatever the arg was
+                    call_arg_ident.push(quote!(#ident));
                 }
             }
             _ => {}
@@ -54,8 +59,9 @@ pub fn wasi_common_cbindgen(attr: TokenStream, function: TokenStream) -> TokenSt
                 #arg_ident: #arg_type,
             )*
         ) #output {
-
-            
+            #fn_ident(#(
+                #call_arg_ident,
+            )*)
         }
     };