diff --git a/tools/widl/client.c b/tools/widl/client.c
index 8e259b9eb0..84f480b030 100644
--- a/tools/widl/client.c
+++ b/tools/widl/client.c
@@ -59,17 +59,8 @@ static void check_pointers(const var_t *func)
         return;
 
     LIST_FOR_EACH_ENTRY( var, type_get_function_args(func->type), const var_t, entry )
-    {
-        if (is_var_ptr(var) && cant_be_null(var))
-        {
-            print_client("if (!%s)\n", var->name);
-            print_client("{\n");
-            indent++;
-            print_client("RpcRaiseException(RPC_X_NULL_REF_POINTER);\n");
-            indent--;
-            print_client("}\n\n");
-        }
-    }
+        if (cant_be_null(var))
+            print_client("if (!%s) RpcRaiseException(RPC_X_NULL_REF_POINTER);\n", var->name);
 }
 
 static void write_client_func_decl( const type_t *iface, const var_t *func )
diff --git a/tools/widl/proxy.c b/tools/widl/proxy.c
index f4bd8d88fe..2ff8ea1448 100644
--- a/tools/widl/proxy.c
+++ b/tools/widl/proxy.c
@@ -120,16 +120,13 @@ static void clear_output_vars( const var_list_t *args )
   }
 }
 
-int is_var_ptr(const var_t *v)
-{
-  return is_ptr(v->type);
-}
-
 int cant_be_null(const var_t *v)
 {
     switch (typegen_detect_type(v->type, v->attrs, TDT_IGNORE_STRINGS))
     {
     case TGT_ARRAY:
+        if (!type_array_is_decl_as_ptr( v->type )) return 0;
+        /* fall through */
     case TGT_POINTER:
         return (get_pointer_fc(v->type, v->attrs, TRUE) == RPC_FC_RP);
     case TGT_CTXT_HANDLE_POINTER:
@@ -170,14 +167,8 @@ static void proxy_check_pointers( const var_list_t *args )
 
   if (!args) return;
   LIST_FOR_EACH_ENTRY( arg, args, const var_t, entry )
-  {
-    if (is_var_ptr(arg) && cant_be_null(arg)) {
-        print_proxy( "if(!%s)\n", arg->name );
-        indent++;
-        print_proxy( "RpcRaiseException(RPC_X_NULL_REF_POINTER);\n");
-        indent--;
-    }
-  }
+      if (cant_be_null(arg))
+          print_proxy( "if (!%s) RpcRaiseException(RPC_X_NULL_REF_POINTER);\n", arg->name );
 }
 
 static void free_variable( const var_t *arg, const char *local_var_prefix )
diff --git a/tools/widl/widltypes.h b/tools/widl/widltypes.h
index ccb9d1ab0e..9e9bec6363 100644
--- a/tools/widl/widltypes.h
+++ b/tools/widl/widltypes.h
@@ -544,7 +544,6 @@ void clear_all_offsets(void);
 
 int is_ptr(const type_t *t);
 int is_array(const type_t *t);
-int is_var_ptr(const var_t *v);
 int cant_be_null(const var_t *v);
 
 #define tsENUM   1