diff --git a/wmo/reflection.go b/wmo/reflection.go
index 2997eb3..6646332 100644
--- a/wmo/reflection.go
+++ b/wmo/reflection.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ func (c *Coll[TData]) EnsureInitializedReflection(v TData) {
 
 	m := make(map[string]fullTypeRef)
 
-	c.initFields("", rval, m, make([]int, 0))
+	c.initFields("", rval.Type(), m, make([]int, 0))
 
 	c.implDataTypeMap[rval.Type()] = m
 }
@@ -50,20 +50,17 @@ func (c *Coll[TData]) init() {
 		c.implDataTypeMap = make(map[reflect.Type]map[string]fullTypeRef)
 
 		v := reflect.ValueOf(example)
-		c.initFields("", v, c.dataTypeMap, make([]int, 0))
+		c.initFields("", v.Type(), c.dataTypeMap, make([]int, 0))
 
 	}
 
 }
 
-func (c *Coll[TData]) initFields(prefix string, rval reflect.Value, m map[string]fullTypeRef, idxarr []int) {
-
-	rtyp := rval.Type()
+func (c *Coll[TData]) initFields(prefix string, rtyp reflect.Type, m map[string]fullTypeRef, idxarr []int) {
 
 	for i := 0; i < rtyp.NumField(); i++ {
 
 		rsfield := rtyp.Field(i)
-		rvfield := rval.Field(i)
 
 		if !rsfield.IsExported() {
 			continue
@@ -91,21 +88,21 @@ func (c *Coll[TData]) initFields(prefix string, rval reflect.Value, m map[string
 		newIdxArr := langext.ArrCopy(idxarr)
 		newIdxArr = append(newIdxArr, i)
 
-		if langext.InArray("inline", bsontags) && rvfield.Kind() == reflect.Struct {
+		if langext.InArray("inline", bsontags) && rsfield.Type.Kind() == reflect.Struct {
 
 			// pass-through field
-			c.initFields(prefix, rvfield, m, newIdxArr)
+			c.initFields(prefix, rsfield.Type, m, newIdxArr)
 
 		} else {
 
-			if rvfield.Type().Kind() == reflect.Pointer {
+			if rsfield.Type.Kind() == reflect.Pointer {
 
 				m[fullKey] = fullTypeRef{
 					IsPointer:      true,
-					RealType:       rvfield.Type(),
-					Kind:           rvfield.Type().Elem().Kind(),
-					Type:           rvfield.Type().Elem(),
-					UnderlyingType: reflectext.Underlying(rvfield.Type().Elem()),
+					RealType:       rsfield.Type,
+					Kind:           rsfield.Type.Elem().Kind(),
+					Type:           rsfield.Type.Elem(),
+					UnderlyingType: reflectext.Underlying(rsfield.Type.Elem()),
 					Name:           rsfield.Name,
 					Index:          newIdxArr,
 				}
@@ -114,20 +111,23 @@ func (c *Coll[TData]) initFields(prefix string, rval reflect.Value, m map[string
 
 				m[fullKey] = fullTypeRef{
 					IsPointer:      false,
-					RealType:       rvfield.Type(),
-					Kind:           rvfield.Type().Kind(),
-					Type:           rvfield.Type(),
-					UnderlyingType: reflectext.Underlying(rvfield.Type()),
+					RealType:       rsfield.Type,
+					Kind:           rsfield.Type.Kind(),
+					Type:           rsfield.Type,
+					UnderlyingType: reflectext.Underlying(rsfield.Type),
 					Name:           rsfield.Name,
 					Index:          newIdxArr,
 				}
 
 			}
 
-			if rvfield.Kind() == reflect.Struct {
-				c.initFields(fullKey+".", rvfield, m, newIdxArr)
+			if rsfield.Type.Kind() == reflect.Struct {
+				c.initFields(fullKey+".", rsfield.Type, m, newIdxArr)
 			}
 
+			if rsfield.Type.Kind() == reflect.Pointer && rsfield.Type.Elem().Kind() == reflect.Struct {
+				c.initFields(fullKey+".", rsfield.Type.Elem(), m, newIdxArr)
+			}
 		}
 
 	}
diff --git a/wmo/reflection_test.go b/wmo/reflection_test.go
index 7347664..0a1de71 100644
--- a/wmo/reflection_test.go
+++ b/wmo/reflection_test.go
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ func TestReflectionGetFieldType(t *testing.T) {
 		Sub   struct {
 			A string `bson:"a"`
 		} `bson:"sub"`
+		SubPtr *struct {
+			A string `bson:"a"`
+		} `bson:"subPtr"`
 		Str   string                  `bson:"str"`
 		Ptr   *int                    `bson:"ptr"`
 		MDate rfctime.RFC3339NanoTime `bson:"mdate"`
@@ -43,6 +46,11 @@ func TestReflectionGetFieldType(t *testing.T) {
 		}{
 			A: "2",
 		},
+		SubPtr: &struct {
+			A string `bson:"a"`
+		}{
+			A: "4",
+		},
 		Str:   "3",
 		Ptr:   langext.Ptr(4),
 		MDate: t1,
@@ -82,6 +90,12 @@ func TestReflectionGetFieldType(t *testing.T) {
 	tst.AssertEqual(t, gft("sub.a").IsPointer, false)
 	tst.AssertEqual(t, gfv("sub.a").(string), "2")
 
+	tst.AssertEqual(t, gft("subPtr.a").Kind.String(), "string")
+	tst.AssertEqual(t, gft("subPtr.a").Type.String(), "string")
+	tst.AssertEqual(t, gft("subPtr.a").Name, "A")
+	tst.AssertEqual(t, gft("subPtr.a").IsPointer, false)
+	tst.AssertEqual(t, gfv("subPtr.a").(string), "4")
+
 	tst.AssertEqual(t, gft("str").Kind.String(), "string")
 	tst.AssertEqual(t, gft("str").Type.String(), "string")
 	tst.AssertEqual(t, gft("str").Name, "Str")
@@ -105,6 +119,9 @@ func TestReflectionGetTokenValueAsMongoType(t *testing.T) {
 		Sub   struct {
 			A string `bson:"a"`
 		} `bson:"sub"`
+		SubPtr struct {
+			A string `bson:"a"`
+		} `bson:"subPtr"`
 		Str   string                  `bson:"str"`
 		Ptr   *int                    `bson:"ptr"`
 		Num   int                     `bson:"num"`
@@ -130,6 +147,8 @@ func TestReflectionGetTokenValueAsMongoType(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	tst.AssertEqual(t, gtvasmt("hello", "str").(string), "hello")
+	tst.AssertEqual(t, gtvasmt("hello", "sub.a").(string), "hello")
+	tst.AssertEqual(t, gtvasmt("hello", "subPtr.a").(string), "hello")
 	tst.AssertEqual(t, gtvasmt("4", "num").(int), 4)
 	tst.AssertEqual(t, gtvasmt("asdf", "_id").(IDType), "asdf")
 	tst.AssertEqual(t, gtvasmt("", "ptr").(*int), nil)