diff --git a/bson/bson_test.go b/bson/bson_test.go
index 6b8c0cd0b..695f9029d 100644
--- a/bson/bson_test.go
+++ b/bson/bson_test.go
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import (
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/globalsign/mgo/bson"
 	. "gopkg.in/check.v1"
@@ -381,8 +382,54 @@ func (s *S) Test64bitInt(c *C) {
 // --------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Generic two-way struct marshaling tests.
 
+type prefixPtr string
+type prefixVal string
+
+func (t *prefixPtr) GetBSON() (interface{}, error) {
+	if t == nil {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+	return "foo-" + string(*t), nil
+}
+
+func (t *prefixPtr) SetBSON(raw bson.Raw) error {
+	var s string
+	if raw.Kind == 0x0A {
+		return bson.ErrSetZero
+	}
+	if err := raw.Unmarshal(&s); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if !strings.HasPrefix(s, "foo-") {
+		return errors.New("Prefix not found: " + s)
+	}
+	*t = prefixPtr(s[4:])
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (t prefixVal) GetBSON() (interface{}, error) {
+	return "foo-" + string(t), nil
+}
+
+func (t *prefixVal) SetBSON(raw bson.Raw) error {
+	var s string
+	if raw.Kind == 0x0A {
+		return bson.ErrSetZero
+	}
+	if err := raw.Unmarshal(&s); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if !strings.HasPrefix(s, "foo-") {
+		return errors.New("Prefix not found: " + s)
+	}
+	*t = prefixVal(s[4:])
+	return nil
+}
+
 var bytevar = byte(8)
 var byteptr = &bytevar
+var prefixptr = prefixPtr("bar")
+var prefixval = prefixVal("bar")
 
 var structItems = []testItemType{
 	{&struct{ Ptr *byte }{nil},
@@ -419,6 +466,24 @@ var structItems = []testItemType{
 	// Byte arrays.
 	{&struct{ V [2]byte }{[2]byte{'y', 'o'}},
 		"\x05v\x00\x02\x00\x00\x00\x00yo"},
+
+	{&struct{ V prefixPtr }{prefixPtr("buzz")},
+		"\x02v\x00\x09\x00\x00\x00foo-buzz\x00"},
+
+	{&struct{ V *prefixPtr }{&prefixptr},
+		"\x02v\x00\x08\x00\x00\x00foo-bar\x00"},
+
+	{&struct{ V *prefixPtr }{nil},
+		"\x0Av\x00"},
+
+	{&struct{ V prefixVal }{prefixVal("buzz")},
+		"\x02v\x00\x09\x00\x00\x00foo-buzz\x00"},
+
+	{&struct{ V *prefixVal }{&prefixval},
+		"\x02v\x00\x08\x00\x00\x00foo-bar\x00"},
+
+	{&struct{ V *prefixVal }{nil},
+		"\x0Av\x00"},
 }
 
 func (s *S) TestMarshalStructItems(c *C) {
diff --git a/bson/decode.go b/bson/decode.go
index 3b9e2856d..3e257f846 100644
--- a/bson/decode.go
+++ b/bson/decode.go
@@ -87,18 +87,20 @@ func setterStyle(outt reflect.Type) int {
 	setterMutex.RLock()
 	style := setterStyles[outt]
 	setterMutex.RUnlock()
-	if style == setterUnknown {
-		setterMutex.Lock()
-		defer setterMutex.Unlock()
-		if outt.Implements(setterIface) {
-			setterStyles[outt] = setterType
-		} else if reflect.PtrTo(outt).Implements(setterIface) {
-			setterStyles[outt] = setterAddr
-		} else {
-			setterStyles[outt] = setterNone
-		}
-		style = setterStyles[outt]
+	if style != setterUnknown {
+		return style
+	}
+
+	setterMutex.Lock()
+	defer setterMutex.Unlock()
+	if outt.Implements(setterIface) {
+		style = setterType
+	} else if reflect.PtrTo(outt).Implements(setterIface) {
+		style = setterAddr
+	} else {
+		style = setterNone
 	}
+	setterStyles[outt] = style
 	return style
 }
 
diff --git a/bson/encode.go b/bson/encode.go
index 75e503b57..61f388fa1 100644
--- a/bson/encode.go
+++ b/bson/encode.go
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import (
 	"reflect"
 	"sort"
 	"strconv"
+	"sync"
 	"time"
 )
 
@@ -60,13 +61,28 @@ var (
 
 const itoaCacheSize = 32
 
+const (
+	getterUnknown = iota
+	getterNone
+	getterTypeVal
+	getterTypePtr
+	getterAddr
+)
+
 var itoaCache []string
 
+var getterStyles map[reflect.Type]int
+var getterIface reflect.Type
+var getterMutex sync.RWMutex
+
 func init() {
 	itoaCache = make([]string, itoaCacheSize)
 	for i := 0; i != itoaCacheSize; i++ {
 		itoaCache[i] = strconv.Itoa(i)
 	}
+	var iface Getter
+	getterIface = reflect.TypeOf(&iface).Elem()
+	getterStyles = make(map[reflect.Type]int)
 }
 
 func itoa(i int) string {
@@ -76,6 +92,52 @@ func itoa(i int) string {
 	return strconv.Itoa(i)
 }
 
+func getterStyle(outt reflect.Type) int {
+	getterMutex.RLock()
+	style := getterStyles[outt]
+	getterMutex.RUnlock()
+	if style != getterUnknown {
+		return style
+	}
+
+	getterMutex.Lock()
+	defer getterMutex.Unlock()
+	if outt.Implements(getterIface) {
+		vt := outt
+		for vt.Kind() == reflect.Ptr {
+			vt = vt.Elem()
+		}
+		if vt.Implements(getterIface) {
+			style = getterTypeVal
+		} else {
+			style = getterTypePtr
+		}
+	} else if reflect.PtrTo(outt).Implements(getterIface) {
+		style = getterAddr
+	} else {
+		style = getterNone
+	}
+	getterStyles[outt] = style
+	return style
+}
+
+func getGetter(outt reflect.Type, out reflect.Value) Getter {
+	style := getterStyle(outt)
+	if style == getterNone {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if style == getterAddr {
+		if !out.CanAddr() {
+			return nil
+		}
+		return out.Addr().Interface().(Getter)
+	}
+	if style == getterTypeVal && out.Kind() == reflect.Ptr && out.IsNil() {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return out.Interface().(Getter)
+}
+
 // --------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Marshaling of the document value itself.
 
@@ -253,7 +315,7 @@ func (e *encoder) addElem(name string, v reflect.Value, minSize bool) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	if getter, ok := v.Interface().(Getter); ok {
+	if getter := getGetter(v.Type(), v); getter != nil {
 		getv, err := getter.GetBSON()
 		if err != nil {
 			panic(err)