diff --git a/allocator.go b/allocator.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..213dce7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/allocator.go
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+package ssob
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"reflect"
+)
+
+func allocType(out reflect.Value) (err error) {
+	if out.Type().Kind() != reflect.Ptr || out.IsNil() {
+		return errors.New("ssob: Error allocating type (Got nil pointer)")
+	}
+
+	t := out.Elem().Type()
+	ret := reflect.New(t)
+	retp := ret
+	for {
+		if reflect.Ptr != t.Kind() {
+			break
+		}
+		retp = retp.Elem()
+		t = retp.Type().Elem()
+		retp.Set(reflect.New(t))
+	}
+	out.Elem().Set(reflect.Indirect(ret))
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/unmarshal.go b/unmarshal.go
index c55b024..d4eb90a 100644
--- a/unmarshal.go
+++ b/unmarshal.go
@@ -573,8 +573,15 @@ func unmarshal(e interface{}, in []byte) (n int, err error) {
 			return unmarshal(e, in)
 		}
 	}
+	if !p.Elem().IsValid() {
+		err = allocType(v)
+		if err != nil {
+			return 0, err
+		}
+		p = reflect.Indirect(v)
+	}
 
-	return unmarshal(p, in)
+	return unmarshal(p.Interface(), in)
 }
 
 func RegisterDecoder(name string, f func(e interface{}, in []byte) (n int, err error)) {
diff --git a/unsafe_unmarshal.go b/unsafe_unmarshal.go
index 51a7be6..dcd5c0d 100644
--- a/unsafe_unmarshal.go
+++ b/unsafe_unmarshal.go
@@ -700,8 +700,15 @@ func unsafeUnmarshal(e interface{}, in []byte) (n int, err error) {
 			return unsafeUnmarshal(e, in)
 		}
 	}
+	if !p.Elem().IsValid() {
+		err = allocType(v)
+		if err != nil {
+			return 0, err
+		}
+		p = reflect.Indirect(v)
+	}
 
-	return unsafeUnmarshal(p, in)
+	return unsafeUnmarshal(p.Interface(), in)
 }
 
 func RegisterUnsafeDecoder(name string, f func(e interface{}, in []byte) (n int, err error)) {