diff --git a/crates/generate/src/types.rs b/crates/generate/src/types.rs
index 9fb8cea87a..ebdb7d3567 100644
--- a/crates/generate/src/types.rs
+++ b/crates/generate/src/types.rs
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ fn define_int(names: &Names, name: &witx::Id, i: &witx::IntDatatype) -> TokenStr
             }
         }
 
-        impl wiggle_runtime::GuestTypeCopy for #ident {}
+        impl<'a> wiggle_runtime::GuestTypeCopy<'a> for #ident {}
         impl<'a> wiggle_runtime::GuestTypeClone<'a> for #ident {
             fn read_from_guest(location: &wiggle_runtime::GuestPtr<#ident>) -> Result<#ident, wiggle_runtime::GuestError> {
                 Ok(*location.as_ref()?)
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ fn define_flags(names: &Names, name: &witx::Id, f: &witx::FlagsDatatype) -> Toke
             }
         }
 
-        impl wiggle_runtime::GuestTypeCopy for #ident {}
+        impl<'a> wiggle_runtime::GuestTypeCopy<'a> for #ident {}
         impl<'a> wiggle_runtime::GuestTypeClone<'a> for #ident {
             fn read_from_guest(location: &wiggle_runtime::GuestPtr<#ident>) -> Result<#ident, wiggle_runtime::GuestError> {
                 Ok(*location.as_ref()?)
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ fn define_enum(names: &Names, name: &witx::Id, e: &witx::EnumDatatype) -> TokenS
             }
         }
 
-        impl wiggle_runtime::GuestTypeCopy for #ident {}
+        impl<'a> wiggle_runtime::GuestTypeCopy<'a> for #ident {}
         impl<'a> wiggle_runtime::GuestTypeClone<'a> for #ident {
             fn read_from_guest(location: &wiggle_runtime::GuestPtr<#ident>) -> Result<#ident, wiggle_runtime::GuestError> {
                 use ::std::convert::TryFrom;
@@ -496,7 +496,15 @@ fn define_copy_struct(names: &Names, name: &witx::Id, s: &witx::StructDatatype)
                 Ok(())
             }
         }
-        impl wiggle_runtime::GuestTypeCopy for #ident {}
+        impl<'a> wiggle_runtime::GuestTypeClone<'a> for #ident {
+            fn read_from_guest(location: &wiggle_runtime::GuestPtr<'a, #ident>) -> Result<#ident, wiggle_runtime::GuestError> {
+                Ok(*location.as_ref()?)
+            }
+            fn write_to_guest(&self, location: &wiggle_runtime::GuestPtrMut<'a, Self>) {
+                unsafe { (location.as_raw() as *mut #ident).write(*self) };
+            }
+        }
+        impl<'a> wiggle_runtime::GuestTypeCopy<'a> for #ident {}
     }
 }
 
@@ -567,14 +575,14 @@ fn define_ptr_struct(names: &Names, name: &witx::Id, s: &witx::StructDatatype) -
             witx::TypeRef::Name(nt) => {
                 let type_ = names.type_(&nt.name);
                 quote! {
-                    let #name: #type_ = *location.cast(#offset)?.as_ref()?;
+                    let #name = #type_::read_from_guest(&location.cast(#offset)?)?;
                 }
             }
             witx::TypeRef::Value(ty) => match &**ty {
                 witx::Type::Builtin(builtin) => {
                     let type_ = names.builtin_type(*builtin, anon_lifetime());
                     quote! {
-                        let #name: #type_ = *location.cast(#offset)?.as_ref()?;
+                    let #name = #type_::read_from_guest(&location.cast(#offset)?)?;
                     }
                 }
                 witx::Type::Pointer(pointee) => {
@@ -597,30 +605,8 @@ fn define_ptr_struct(names: &Names, name: &witx::Id, s: &witx::StructDatatype) -
     let member_writes = s.member_layout().into_iter().map(|ml| {
         let name = names.struct_member(&ml.member.name);
         let offset = ml.offset as u32;
-        match &ml.member.tref {
-            witx::TypeRef::Name(_) => {
-                quote! {
-                    *location.cast(#offset).expect("cast to inner member").as_ref_mut().expect("inner member as ref mut") = self.#name;
-                }
-            }
-            witx::TypeRef::Value(ty) => match &**ty {
-                witx::Type::Builtin(_) => {
-                    quote! {
-                        *location.cast(#offset).expect("cast to inner member").as_ref_mut().expect("inner member as ref mut") = self.#name;
-                    }
-                }
-                witx::Type::Pointer(_) => {
-                    quote! {
-                        self.#name.write_to_guest(&location.cast(#offset).expect("cast to inner member"));
-                    }
-                }
-                witx::Type::ConstPointer(_) => {
-                    quote! {
-                        self.#name.write_to_guest(&location.cast(#offset).expect("cast to inner member"));
-                    }
-                }
-                _ => unimplemented!("other anonymous struct members"),
-            },
+        quote! {
+            self.#name.write_to_guest(&location.cast(#offset).expect("cast to inner member"));
         }
     });
 
diff --git a/crates/runtime/src/guest_type.rs b/crates/runtime/src/guest_type.rs
index 83eacaa0ce..6cf0972f2b 100644
--- a/crates/runtime/src/guest_type.rs
+++ b/crates/runtime/src/guest_type.rs
@@ -10,11 +10,12 @@ pub trait GuestType: Sized {
     fn validate<'a>(location: &GuestPtr<'a, Self>) -> Result<(), GuestError>;
 }
 
-pub trait GuestTypeCopy: GuestType + Copy {}
 pub trait GuestTypeClone<'a>: GuestType + Clone {
     fn read_from_guest(location: &GuestPtr<'a, Self>) -> Result<Self, GuestError>;
     fn write_to_guest(&self, location: &GuestPtrMut<'a, Self>);
 }
+// Following trait system in Rust, Copy implies Clone
+pub trait GuestTypeCopy<'a>: GuestTypeClone<'a> + Copy {}
 
 macro_rules! builtin_type {
     ( $( $t:ident ), * ) => {
@@ -33,7 +34,15 @@ macro_rules! builtin_type {
                 Ok(())
             }
         }
-        impl GuestTypeCopy for $t {}
+        impl<'a> GuestTypeClone<'a> for $t {
+            fn read_from_guest(location: &GuestPtr<'a, Self>) -> Result<Self, GuestError> {
+                Ok(*location.as_ref()?)
+            }
+            fn write_to_guest(&self, location: &GuestPtrMut<'a, Self>) {
+                unsafe { (location.as_raw() as *mut $t).write(*self) };
+            }
+        }
+        impl<'a> GuestTypeCopy<'a> for $t {}
         )*
     };
 }
diff --git a/crates/runtime/src/memory/array.rs b/crates/runtime/src/memory/array.rs
index c9615b1e2f..d55da51e2f 100644
--- a/crates/runtime/src/memory/array.rs
+++ b/crates/runtime/src/memory/array.rs
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ where
 
 impl<'a, T> GuestArray<'a, T>
 where
-    T: GuestTypeCopy,
+    T: GuestTypeCopy<'a>,
 {
     pub fn as_ref(&self) -> Result<GuestArrayRef<'a, T>, GuestError> {
         let mut next = self.ptr.elem(0)?;
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ where
 
 pub struct GuestArrayRef<'a, T>
 where
-    T: GuestTypeCopy,
+    T: GuestTypeCopy<'a>,
 {
     ref_: GuestRef<'a, T>,
     num_elems: u32,
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ where
 
 impl<'a, T> fmt::Debug for GuestArrayRef<'a, T>
 where
-    T: GuestTypeCopy + fmt::Debug,
+    T: GuestTypeCopy<'a> + fmt::Debug,
 {
     fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
         write!(
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ where
 
 impl<'a, T> Deref for GuestArrayRef<'a, T>
 where
-    T: GuestTypeCopy,
+    T: GuestTypeCopy<'a>,
 {
     type Target = [T];
 
diff --git a/crates/runtime/src/memory/ptr.rs b/crates/runtime/src/memory/ptr.rs
index afebb6c332..f6a164fbd1 100644
--- a/crates/runtime/src/memory/ptr.rs
+++ b/crates/runtime/src/memory/ptr.rs
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ impl<'a, T: GuestType> GuestPtr<'a, T> {
 
 impl<'a, T> GuestPtr<'a, T>
 where
-    T: GuestTypeCopy,
+    T: GuestTypeCopy<'a>,
 {
     pub fn as_ref(&self) -> Result<GuestRef<'a, T>, GuestError> {
         T::validate(&self)?;
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ where
 
 impl<'a, T> GuestPtrMut<'a, T>
 where
-    T: GuestTypeCopy,
+    T: GuestTypeCopy<'a>,
 {
     pub fn as_ref(&self) -> Result<GuestRef<'a, T>, GuestError> {
         self.as_immut().as_ref()
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ impl<'a, T> GuestRef<'a, T> {
 
 impl<'a, T> Deref for GuestRef<'a, T>
 where
-    T: GuestTypeCopy,
+    T: GuestTypeCopy<'a>,
 {
     type Target = T;
 
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ impl<'a, T> GuestRefMut<'a, T> {
 
 impl<'a, T> ::std::ops::Deref for GuestRefMut<'a, T>
 where
-    T: GuestTypeCopy,
+    T: GuestTypeCopy<'a>,
 {
     type Target = T;
 
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ where
 
 impl<'a, T> DerefMut for GuestRefMut<'a, T>
 where
-    T: GuestTypeCopy,
+    T: GuestTypeCopy<'a>,
 {
     fn deref_mut(&mut self) -> &mut Self::Target {
         unsafe {