diff --git a/gen/src/write.rs b/gen/src/write.rs
index 5d47c631..3cd94d10 100644
--- a/gen/src/write.rs
+++ b/gen/src/write.rs
@@ -1245,7 +1245,12 @@ fn write_unique_ptr_common(out: &mut OutFile, ty: &Type, types: &Types) {
     let instance = to_mangled(&out.namespace, ty);
 
     let can_construct_from_value = match ty {
-        Type::Ident(ident) => types.structs.contains_key(ident),
+        // Some aliases are to opaque types; some are to trivial types.
+        // We can't know at code generation time, so we generate both C++
+        // and Rust side bindings for a "new" method anyway. But that
+        // Rust code will explode at runtime if anyone tries to call it on
+        // an opaque type.
+        Type::Ident(ident) => types.structs.contains_key(ident) || types.aliases.contains_key(ident),
         _ => false,
     };
 
diff --git a/macro/src/expand.rs b/macro/src/expand.rs
index 6fa7ea7a..4213b4d7 100644
--- a/macro/src/expand.rs
+++ b/macro/src/expand.rs
@@ -814,13 +814,22 @@ fn expand_unique_ptr(
     let link_release = format!("{}release", prefix);
     let link_drop = format!("{}drop", prefix);
 
-    let new_method = if types.structs.contains_key(ident) {
+    let new_method = if types.structs.contains_key(ident) || types.aliases.contains_key(ident) {
+        let trivial_assertion: Option<syn::Stmt> = if types.aliases.contains_key(ident) {
+            Some(parse_quote! {
+               < < #ident as :: cxx :: ExternType > :: Kind as :: cxx :: kind :: Kind > :: assert_trivial();
+            })
+        } else {
+            None
+        };
+
         Some(quote! {
             fn __new(mut value: Self) -> *mut ::std::ffi::c_void {
                 extern "C" {
                     #[link_name = #link_new]
                     fn __new(this: *mut *mut ::std::ffi::c_void, value: *mut #ident);
                 }
+                #trivial_assertion
                 let mut repr = ::std::ptr::null_mut::<::std::ffi::c_void>();
                 unsafe { __new(&mut repr, &mut value) }
                 repr
diff --git a/src/extern_type.rs b/src/extern_type.rs
index b9c53860..45414c80 100644
--- a/src/extern_type.rs
+++ b/src/extern_type.rs
@@ -165,9 +165,17 @@ pub mod kind {
     /// indirection.
     pub enum Trivial {}
 
-    pub trait Kind: private::Sealed {}
-    impl Kind for Opaque {}
-    impl Kind for Trivial {}
+    pub trait Kind: private::Sealed {
+        fn assert_trivial();
+    }
+    impl Kind for Opaque {
+        fn assert_trivial() {
+            panic!("Type not trivial");
+        }
+    }
+    impl Kind for Trivial {
+        fn assert_trivial() {}
+    }
 }
 
 mod private {
diff --git a/tests/ffi/extra.rs b/tests/ffi/extra.rs
index a809ea4e..6209702e 100644
--- a/tests/ffi/extra.rs
+++ b/tests/ffi/extra.rs
@@ -12,12 +12,14 @@
 pub mod ffi2 {
     impl UniquePtr<D> {}
     impl UniquePtr<E> {}
+    impl UniquePtr<F> {}
 
     extern "C" {
         include!("tests/ffi/tests.h");
 
         type D = crate::other::D;
         type E = crate::other::E;
+        type F = crate::other::F;
 
         fn c_take_trivial_ptr(d: UniquePtr<D>);
         fn c_take_trivial_ref(d: &D);
diff --git a/tests/ffi/lib.rs b/tests/ffi/lib.rs
index 7cffdedd..f80cda79 100644
--- a/tests/ffi/lib.rs
+++ b/tests/ffi/lib.rs
@@ -14,15 +14,23 @@ mod other {
     use cxx::kind::{Opaque, Trivial};
     use cxx::{type_id, CxxString, ExternType};
 
+    // Trivial.
     #[repr(C)]
     pub struct D {
-        d: u64,
+        pub d: u64,
     }
 
+    // Opaque, and has realistic complexity.
     #[repr(C)]
     pub struct E {
-        e: u64,
         e_str: CxxString,
+        e: u64,
+    }
+
+    // Opaque, but simple enough that bad code can try to create it.
+    #[repr(C)]
+    pub struct F {
+        pub f: u64,
     }
 
     unsafe impl ExternType for D {
@@ -34,6 +42,11 @@ mod other {
         type Id = type_id!("tests::E");
         type Kind = Opaque;
     }
+
+    unsafe impl ExternType for F {
+        type Id = type_id!("tests::F");
+        type Kind = Opaque;
+    }
 }
 
 #[cxx::bridge(namespace = tests)]
diff --git a/tests/ffi/tests.h b/tests/ffi/tests.h
index b3f547e5..ff1fbd3e 100644
--- a/tests/ffi/tests.h
+++ b/tests/ffi/tests.h
@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@ struct E {
   std::string e_str;
 };
 
+struct F {
+  uint64_t f;
+};
+
 enum COwnedEnum {
   CVal1,
   CVal2,
diff --git a/tests/test.rs b/tests/test.rs
index a9cd8e16..3ea02fa4 100644
--- a/tests/test.rs
+++ b/tests/test.rs
@@ -199,6 +199,7 @@ fn test_extern_trivial() {
     check!(ffi2::c_take_trivial(d));
     let d = ffi2::c_return_trivial_ptr();
     check!(ffi2::c_take_trivial_ptr(d));
+    cxx::UniquePtr::new(ffi2::D { d: 42 });
 }
 
 #[test]
@@ -206,4 +207,7 @@ fn test_extern_opaque() {
     let e = ffi2::c_return_opaque_ptr();
     check!(ffi2::c_take_opaque_ref(e.as_ref().unwrap()));
     check!(ffi2::c_take_opaque_ptr(e));
+    assert!(std::panic::catch_unwind(|| {
+        cxx::UniquePtr::new(ffi2::F { f: 42 })
+    }).is_err());
 }