diff --git a/engine/util/util.go b/engine/util/util.go
index dcd3eef4..62850430 100644
--- a/engine/util/util.go
+++ b/engine/util/util.go
@@ -94,10 +94,22 @@ func B64ToRes(str string) (engine.Res, error) {
 
 // StructTagToFieldName returns a mapping from recommended alias to actual field
 // name. It returns an error if it finds a collision. It uses the `lang` tags.
-func StructTagToFieldName(res engine.Res) (map[string]string, error) {
+// It must be passed a ptr to a struct or it will error.
+func StructTagToFieldName(stptr interface{}) (map[string]string, error) {
 	// TODO: fallback to looking up yaml tags, although harder to parse
 	result := make(map[string]string) // `lang` field tag -> field name
-	st := reflect.TypeOf(res).Elem()  // elem for ptr to res
+	if stptr == nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("got nil input instead of ptr to struct")
+	}
+	typ := reflect.TypeOf(stptr)
+	if k := typ.Kind(); k != reflect.Ptr { // we only look at *Struct's
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("input is not a ptr, got: %+v", k)
+	}
+	st := typ.Elem()                         // elem for ptr to struct (dereference the pointer)
+	if k := st.Kind(); k != reflect.Struct { // this should be a struct now
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("input doesn't point to a struct, got: %+v", k)
+	}
+
 	for i := 0; i < st.NumField(); i++ {
 		field := st.Field(i)
 		name := field.Name
diff --git a/engine/util/util_test.go b/engine/util/util_test.go
index 661c6e9e..c6ebdc00 100644
--- a/engine/util/util_test.go
+++ b/engine/util/util_test.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ package util
 
 import (
 	"os/user"
+	"reflect"
 	"strconv"
 	"testing"
 )
@@ -105,3 +106,61 @@ func TestCurrentUserGroupById(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("gid didn't match current user's: %s vs %s", strconv.Itoa(gid), currentGID)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestStructTagToFieldName0(t *testing.T) {
+	type foo struct {
+		A string `lang:"aaa"`
+		B bool   `lang:"bbb"`
+		C int64  `lang:"ccc"`
+	}
+	f := &foo{ // a ptr!
+		A: "hello",
+		B: true,
+		C: 13,
+	}
+	m, err := StructTagToFieldName(f) // (map[string]string, error)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("got error: %+v", err)
+		return
+	}
+	t.Logf("got output: %+v", m)
+	expected := map[string]string{
+		"aaa": "A",
+		"bbb": "B",
+		"ccc": "C",
+	}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(m, expected) {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected result")
+		return
+	}
+}
+
+func TestStructTagToFieldName1(t *testing.T) {
+	type foo struct {
+		A string `lang:"aaa"`
+		B bool   `lang:"bbb"`
+		C int64  `lang:"ccc"`
+	}
+	f := foo{ // not a ptr!
+		A: "hello",
+		B: true,
+		C: 13,
+	}
+	m, err := StructTagToFieldName(f) // (map[string]string, error)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("expected error, got nil")
+		//return
+	}
+	t.Logf("got output: %+v", m)
+	t.Logf("got error: %+v", err)
+}
+
+func TestStructTagToFieldName2(t *testing.T) {
+	m, err := StructTagToFieldName(nil) // (map[string]string, error)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("expected error, got nil")
+		//return
+	}
+	t.Logf("got output: %+v", m)
+	t.Logf("got error: %+v", err)
+}