diff --git a/engine/graph/sendrecv.go b/engine/graph/sendrecv.go
index db6060ae..ec543e87 100644
--- a/engine/graph/sendrecv.go
+++ b/engine/graph/sendrecv.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/purpleidea/mgmt/engine"
 	engineUtil "github.com/purpleidea/mgmt/engine/util"
+	"github.com/purpleidea/mgmt/lang/types"
 	"github.com/purpleidea/mgmt/util/errwrap"
 )
 
@@ -93,15 +94,15 @@ func (obj *Engine) SendRecv(res engine.RecvableRes) (map[string]bool, error) {
 		value2 := obj2.FieldByName(key2)
 		kind2 := value2.Kind()
 
+		//orig := value1
 		dest := value2 // save the o.g. because we need the real dest!
 
 		// For situations where we send a variant to the resource!
-		// TODO: should this be a for loop to un-nest multiple times?
-		if kind1 == reflect.Interface {
+		for kind1 == reflect.Interface || kind1 == reflect.Ptr {
 			value1 = value1.Elem() // un-nest one interface
 			kind1 = value1.Kind()
 		}
-		if kind2 == reflect.Interface {
+		for kind2 == reflect.Interface || kind2 == reflect.Ptr {
 			value2 = value2.Elem() // un-nest one interface
 			kind2 = value2.Kind()
 		}
@@ -152,7 +153,20 @@ func (obj *Engine) SendRecv(res engine.RecvableRes) (map[string]bool, error) {
 
 		// TODO: can we catch the panics here in case they happen?
 
-		dest.Set(value1)  // do it for all types that match
+		fv, e := types.ValueOf(value1)
+		if e != nil {
+			e := errwrap.Wrapf(e, "bad value %s.%s", v.Res, v.Key)
+			err = errwrap.Append(err, e) // list of errors
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// mutate the struct field dest with the mcl data in fv
+		if e := types.Into(fv, dest); e != nil {
+			e := errwrap.Wrapf(e, "bad dest %s.%s", v.Res, v.Key)
+			err = errwrap.Append(err, e) // list of errors
+			continue
+		}
+		//dest.Set(orig)  // do it for all types that match
 		updated[k] = true // we updated this key!
 		v.Changed = true  // tag this key as updated!
 		obj.Logf("SendRecv: %s.%s -> %s.%s", v.Res, v.Key, res, k)
diff --git a/engine/util/util.go b/engine/util/util.go
index 9668b2ef..17489efb 100644
--- a/engine/util/util.go
+++ b/engine/util/util.go
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ func StructFieldCompat(st1 interface{}, key1 string, st2 interface{}, key2 strin
 	}
 
 	// If we're sending _from_ an interface...
-	if kind1 == reflect.Interface {
+	if kind1 == reflect.Interface || kind1 == reflect.Ptr {
 		// TODO: Can we do more checks instead of only returning early?
 		return nil
 	}
diff --git a/lang/types/value.go b/lang/types/value.go
index d8d04b9f..2042b4ab 100644
--- a/lang/types/value.go
+++ b/lang/types/value.go
@@ -234,16 +234,28 @@ func ValueOf(v reflect.Value) (Value, error) {
 
 	// TODO: should this return a variant value?
 	// TODO: add this into ConfigurableValueOf like ConfigurableTypeOf ?
-	//case reflect.Interface:
-	//	t, err := TypeOf(value.Type())
-	//	if err != nil {
-	//		return nil, errwrap.Wrapf(err, "can't determine type of %+v", value)
-	//	}
-	//
-	//	return &VariantValue{
-	//		T: NewType(?),
-	//		V: ?,
-	//	}, nil
+	case reflect.Interface:
+		opts := []TypeOfOption{
+			//StructTagOpt(StructTag),
+			//StrictStructTagOpt(false),
+			//SkipBadStructFieldsOpt(false),
+			AllowInterfaceTypeOpt(true),
+		}
+		t, err := ConfigurableTypeOf(value.Type(), opts...)
+		//t, err := TypeOf(value.Type())
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, errwrap.Wrapf(err, "can't determine type of %+v", value)
+		}
+
+		v, err := ValueOf(value.Elem()) // recurse
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, errwrap.Wrapf(err, "can't determine value of %+v", value)
+		}
+
+		return &VariantValue{
+			T: t,
+			V: v,
+		}, nil
 
 	default:
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to represent value of %+v which has kind: %v", v, kind)