diff --git a/generator/actions.ml b/generator/actions.ml
index ba97eb367..93e3d0d64 100644
--- a/generator/actions.ml
+++ b/generator/actions.ml
@@ -12400,9 +12400,16 @@ let is_documented { visibility = v } = match v with
   | VPublic | VStateTest -> true
   | VBindTest | VDebug | VInternal -> false
 
-let is_fish { visibility = v } = match v with
-  | VPublic | VDebug -> true
+let is_fish { visibility = v; style = (_, args, _) } =
+  (* Internal functions are not exported to guestfish. *)
+  match v with
   | VStateTest | VBindTest | VInternal -> false
+  | VPublic | VDebug ->
+    (* Functions that take Pointer parameters cannot be used in
+     * guestfish, since there is no way the user could safely
+     * generate a pointer.
+     *)
+    not (List.exists (function Pointer _ -> true | _ -> false) args)
 
 let external_functions =
   List.filter is_external all_functions
diff --git a/generator/c.ml b/generator/c.ml
index 9e17d32b9..541c843cb 100644
--- a/generator/c.ml
+++ b/generator/c.ml
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ let rec generate_prototype ?(extern = true) ?(static = false)
         pr "size_t %s_size" n
     | Pointer (t, n) ->
         next ();
-        pr "%s %s" t n
+        pr "void * /* really %s */ %s" t n
   ) args;
   if is_RBufferOut then (next (); pr "size_t *size_r");
   if optargs <> [] then (
diff --git a/generator/erlang.ml b/generator/erlang.ml
index f0c9c6af6..35ddbe6af 100644
--- a/generator/erlang.ml
+++ b/generator/erlang.ml
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ extern int64_t get_int64 (ETERM *term);
           | Int64 n ->
             pr "  int64_t %s = get_int64 (ARG (%d));\n" n i
           | Pointer (t, n) ->
-            assert false
+            pr "  void * /* %s */ %s = POINTER_NOT_IMPLEMENTED (\"%s\");\n" t n t
       ) args;
 
       (* Optional arguments. *)
diff --git a/generator/gobject.ml b/generator/gobject.ml
index 499837a40..3217b9c04 100644
--- a/generator/gobject.ml
+++ b/generator/gobject.ml
@@ -89,8 +89,8 @@ let generate_gobject_proto name ?(single_line = true)
         pr "gchar *const *%s" n
       | BufferIn n ->
         pr "const guint8 *%s, gsize %s_size" n n
-      | Pointer _ ->
-        failwith "gobject bindings do not support Pointer arguments"
+      | Pointer (t, n) ->
+        pr "void * /* %s */ %s" t n
   ) args;
   if optargs <> [] then (
     pr ", %s *optargs" (camel_of_name f)
@@ -1056,7 +1056,7 @@ guestfs_session_close (GuestfsSession *session, GError **err)
             pr " (transfer none) (array length=%s_size) (element-type guint8): an array of binary data\n" n;
             pr " * @%s_size: The size of %s, in bytes" n n;
           | Pointer _ ->
-            failwith "gobject bindings do not support Pointer arguments"
+            pr "pointer (not implemented in gobject bindings)"
           );
           pr "\n";
       ) args;
@@ -1202,8 +1202,8 @@ guestfs_session_close (GuestfsSession *session, GError **err)
           | DeviceList n | Key n | FileIn n | FileOut n
           | GUID n ->
             pr "%s" n
-          | Pointer _ ->
-            failwith "gobject bindings do not support Pointer arguments"
+          | Pointer (_, n) ->
+            pr "%s" n
       ) args;
       if is_RBufferOut then pr ", size_r";
       if optargs <> [] then pr ", argvp";
diff --git a/generator/golang.ml b/generator/golang.ml
index e67ca1b72..b4b248212 100644
--- a/generator/golang.ml
+++ b/generator/golang.ml
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ func return_hashtable (argv **C.char) map[string]string {
           | StringList n
           | DeviceList n -> pr "%s []string" n
           | BufferIn n -> pr "%s []byte" n
-          | Pointer _ -> assert false
+          | Pointer (_, n) -> pr "%s int64" n
       ) args;
       if optargs <> [] then (
         if !comma then pr ", ";
@@ -457,7 +457,7 @@ func return_hashtable (argv **C.char) map[string]string {
           | StringList n
           | DeviceList n -> pr "c_%s" n
           | BufferIn n -> pr "c_%s, C.size_t (len (%s))" n n
-          | Pointer _ -> assert false
+          | Pointer _ -> pr "nil"
       ) args;
       (match ret with
       | RBufferOut _ -> pr ", &size"
diff --git a/generator/java.ml b/generator/java.ml
index e9c594940..f76361134 100644
--- a/generator/java.ml
+++ b/generator/java.ml
@@ -898,7 +898,7 @@ get_all_event_callbacks (guestfs_h *g, size_t *len_rtn)
         | Int64 n ->
             pr "  int64_t %s;\n" n
         | Pointer (t, n) ->
-            pr "  %s %s;\n" t n
+            pr "  void * /* %s */ %s;\n" t n
       ) args;
 
       if optargs <> [] then (
@@ -965,7 +965,7 @@ get_all_event_callbacks (guestfs_h *g, size_t *len_rtn)
         | Int64 n ->
             pr "  %s = j%s;\n" n n
         | Pointer (t, n) ->
-            pr "  %s = (%s) j%s;\n" n t n
+            pr "  %s = POINTER_NOT_IMPLEMENTED (\"%s\");\n" n t
       ) args;
 
       if optargs <> [] then (
diff --git a/generator/lua.ml b/generator/lua.ml
index 5d5619cbb..c1fa6f055 100644
--- a/generator/lua.ml
+++ b/generator/lua.ml
@@ -473,7 +473,7 @@ guestfs_lua_delete_event_callback (lua_State *L)
         | Bool n -> pr "  int %s;\n" n
         | Int n -> pr "  int %s;\n" n
         | Int64 n -> pr "  int64_t %s;\n" n
-        | Pointer (t, n) -> pr "  %s %s;\n" t n
+        | Pointer (t, n) -> pr "  void * /* %s */ %s;\n" t n
       ) args;
       if optargs <> [] then (
         pr "  struct %s optargs_s = { .bitmask = 0 };\n" c_function;
@@ -506,7 +506,8 @@ guestfs_lua_delete_event_callback (lua_State *L)
             pr "  %s = luaL_checkint (L, %d);\n" n i
           | Int64 n ->
             pr "  %s = get_int64 (L, %d);\n" n i
-          | Pointer (t, n) -> assert false
+          | Pointer (t, n) ->
+            pr "  %s = POINTER_NOT_IMPLEMENTED (\"%s\");\n" n t
       ) args;
 
       if optargs <> [] then (
diff --git a/generator/ocaml.ml b/generator/ocaml.ml
index bd27f7a6a..70237b9c0 100644
--- a/generator/ocaml.ml
+++ b/generator/ocaml.ml
@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@ copy_table (char * const * argv)
         | Int64 n ->
             pr "  int64_t %s = Int64_val (%sv);\n" n n
         | Pointer (t, n) ->
-            pr "  %s %s = (%s) (intptr_t) Int64_val (%sv);\n" t n t n
+            pr "  void * /* %s */ %s = POINTER_NOT_IMPLEMENTED (\"%s\");\n" t n t
       ) args;
 
       (* Optional arguments. *)
diff --git a/generator/perl.ml b/generator/perl.ml
index 3da45fd25..dcf746d99 100644
--- a/generator/perl.ml
+++ b/generator/perl.ml
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ PREINIT:
           | Bool n -> pr "      int %s;\n" n
           | Int n -> pr "      int %s;\n" n
           | Int64 n -> pr "      int64_t %s;\n" n
-          | Pointer (t, n) -> pr "      %s %s;\n" t n
+          | Pointer (t, n) -> pr "      void * /* %s */ %s;\n" t n
       ) args;
 
       (* PREINIT section (local variable declarations). *)
diff --git a/generator/php.ml b/generator/php.ml
index c7e0a27c1..2f3048502 100644
--- a/generator/php.ml
+++ b/generator/php.ml
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ and generate_php_c () =
 #include <php_guestfs_php.h>
 
 #include \"guestfs.h\"
+#include \"guestfs-internal-frontend.h\"
 
 static int res_guestfs_h;
 
@@ -202,8 +203,10 @@ PHP_FUNCTION (guestfs_last_error)
             pr "  char **%s;\n" n;
         | Bool n ->
             pr "  zend_bool %s;\n" n
-        | Int n | Int64 n | Pointer (_, n) ->
+        | Int n | Int64 n ->
             pr "  long %s;\n" n
+        | Pointer (t, n) ->
+            pr "  void * /* %s */ %s;\n" t n
         ) args;
 
       if optargs <> [] then (
@@ -241,7 +244,8 @@ PHP_FUNCTION (guestfs_last_error)
           | OptString n -> "s!"
           | StringList n | DeviceList n -> "a"
           | Bool n -> "b"
-          | Int n | Int64 n | Pointer (_, n) -> "l"
+          | Int n | Int64 n -> "l"
+          | Pointer _ -> ""
         ) args
       ) in
 
@@ -277,8 +281,9 @@ PHP_FUNCTION (guestfs_last_error)
             pr ", &z_%s" n
         | Bool n ->
             pr ", &%s" n
-        | Int n | Int64 n | Pointer (_, n) ->
+        | Int n | Int64 n ->
             pr ", &%s" n
+        | Pointer (_, n) -> ()
       ) args;
       List.iter (
         function
@@ -342,7 +347,9 @@ PHP_FUNCTION (guestfs_last_error)
             pr "    %s[c] = NULL;\n" n;
             pr "  }\n";
             pr "\n"
-        | Bool _ | Int _ | Int64 _ | Pointer _ -> ()
+        | Bool _ | Int _ | Int64 _ -> ()
+        | Pointer (t, n) ->
+            pr "  %s = POINTER_NOT_IMPLEMENTED (\"%s\");\n" n t
         ) args;
 
       (* Optional arguments. *)
diff --git a/generator/python.ml b/generator/python.ml
index 07e87d285..82afb2e53 100644
--- a/generator/python.ml
+++ b/generator/python.ml
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ put_table (char * const * const argv)
         | Int64 n -> pr "  long long %s;\n" n
         | Pointer (t, n) ->
             pr "  long long %s_int64;\n" n;
-            pr "  %s %s;\n" t n
+            pr "  void * /* %s */ %s;\n" t n
       ) args;
 
       (* Fetch the optional arguments as objects, so we can detect
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ put_table (char * const * const argv)
             pr "  %s = get_string_list (py_%s);\n" n n;
             pr "  if (!%s) goto out;\n" n
         | Pointer (t, n) ->
-            pr "  %s = (%s) (intptr_t) %s_int64;\n" n t n
+            pr "  %s = POINTER_NOT_IMPLEMENTED (\"%s\");\n" n t
       ) args;
 
       pr "\n";
diff --git a/generator/ruby.ml b/generator/ruby.ml
index 88762caa5..a031681dd 100644
--- a/generator/ruby.ml
+++ b/generator/ruby.ml
@@ -612,7 +612,8 @@ get_all_event_callbacks (guestfs_h *g, size_t *len_rtn)
         | Int64 n ->
           pr "  long long %s = NUM2LL (%sv);\n" n n
         | Pointer (t, n) ->
-          pr "  %s %s = (%s) (intptr_t) NUM2LL (%sv);\n" t n t n
+          pr "  (void) %sv;\n" n;
+          pr "  void * /* %s */ %s = POINTER_NOT_IMPLEMENTED (\"%s\");\n" t n t
       ) args;
       pr "\n";
 
diff --git a/src/guestfs-internal-frontend.h b/src/guestfs-internal-frontend.h
index 5c5d957d8..acb7014ec 100644
--- a/src/guestfs-internal-frontend.h
+++ b/src/guestfs-internal-frontend.h
@@ -183,4 +183,15 @@ extern GUESTFS_DLL_PUBLIC int guestfs___add_libvirt_dom (guestfs_h *g, virDomain
     }                                                                   \
   } while (0)
 
+/* Not all language bindings know how to deal with Pointer arguments.
+ * Those that don't will use this macro which complains noisily and
+ * returns NULL.
+ */
+#define POINTER_NOT_IMPLEMENTED(type)                                   \
+  (                                                                     \
+   fprintf (stderr, "*** WARNING: this language binding does not support conversion of Pointer(%s), so the current function will always fail.  Patches to fix this should be sent to the libguestfs upstream mailing list.\n", \
+            type),                                                      \
+   NULL                                                                 \
+)
+
 #endif /* GUESTFS_INTERNAL_FRONTEND_H_ */