diff --git a/compiler/src/test/scala/org/capnproto/TestUtil.scala b/compiler/src/test/scala/org/capnproto/TestUtil.scala
index 48a31aa..712d036 100644
--- a/compiler/src/test/scala/org/capnproto/TestUtil.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/test/scala/org/capnproto/TestUtil.scala
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ object TestUtil {
     assert(textList.get(2).toString() == "thud");
 
     val structList = builder.getStructList();
-    //assert(3 == structList.size());
+    assert(3 == structList.size());
     //assert(structList.get(0).getTextField().toString() == "structlist 1")
     //assert(structList.get(1).getTextField().toString() == "structlist 2")
     //assert(structList.get(2).getTextField().toString() == "structlist 3")
diff --git a/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/Data.java b/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/Data.java
index 9dab3b0..0a0f516 100644
--- a/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/Data.java
+++ b/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/Data.java
@@ -66,6 +66,12 @@ public final class Data {
         public final int offset; // in bytes
         public final int size; // in bytes
 
+        public Reader() {
+            this.buffer = ByteBuffer.allocate(0);
+            this.offset = 0;
+            this.size = 0;
+        }
+
         public Reader(ByteBuffer buffer, int offset, int size) {
             this.buffer = buffer;
             this.offset = offset * 8;
@@ -104,6 +110,12 @@ public final class Data {
         public final int offset; // in bytes
         public final int size; // in bytes
 
+        public Builder() {
+            this.buffer = ByteBuffer.allocate(0);
+            this.offset = 0;
+            this.size = 0;
+        }
+
         public Builder(ByteBuffer buffer, int offset, int size) {
             this.buffer = buffer;
             this.offset = offset;
diff --git a/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/Text.java b/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/Text.java
index fa67524..6d30b4d 100644
--- a/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/Text.java
+++ b/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/Text.java
@@ -70,6 +70,13 @@ public final class Text {
         public final int offset; // in bytes
         public final int size; // in bytes, not including NUL terminator
 
+        public Reader() {
+            // TODO what about the null terminator?
+            this.buffer = ByteBuffer.allocate(0);
+            this.offset = 0;
+            this.size = 0;
+        }
+
         public Reader(ByteBuffer buffer, int offset, int size) {
             this.buffer = buffer;
             this.offset = offset * 8;
@@ -121,6 +128,12 @@ public final class Text {
         public final int offset; // in bytes
         public final int size; // in bytes
 
+        public Builder() {
+            this.buffer = ByteBuffer.allocate(0);
+            this.offset = 0;
+            this.size = 0;
+        }
+
         public Builder(ByteBuffer buffer, int offset, int size) {
             this.buffer = buffer;
             this.offset = offset;
diff --git a/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/WireHelpers.java b/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/WireHelpers.java
index 5ae5db2..40a2415 100644
--- a/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/WireHelpers.java
+++ b/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/WireHelpers.java
@@ -344,15 +344,17 @@ final class WireHelpers {
                 throw new DecodeException("INLINE_COMPOSITE list with non-STRUCT elements not supported.");
             }
             int oldDataSize = StructPointer.dataSize(oldTag);
-            int oldPointerCount = StructPointer.ptrCount(oldTag);
+            short oldPointerCount = StructPointer.ptrCount(oldTag);
             int oldStep = (oldDataSize + oldPointerCount * Constants.POINTER_SIZE_IN_WORDS);
             int elementCount = WirePointer.inlineCompositeListElementCount(oldTag);
 
             if (oldDataSize >= elementSize.data && oldPointerCount >= elementSize.pointers) {
                 //# Old size is at least as large as we need. Ship it.
                 return factory.constructBuilder(resolved.segment, resolved.ptr * Constants.BYTES_PER_WORD,
-                                                elementCount, oldDataSize * Constants.BITS_PER_WORD, oldPointerCount,
-                                                ElementSize.INLINE_COMPOSITE);
+                                                elementCount,
+                                                oldStep * Constants.BITS_PER_WORD,
+                                                oldDataSize * Constants.BITS_PER_WORD, oldPointerCount);
+                                                //ElementSize.INLINE_COMPOSITE);
             }
 
             //# The structs in this list are smaller than expected, probably written using an older
@@ -403,7 +405,7 @@ final class WireHelpers {
 
         if (WirePointer.isNull(ref)) {
             if (defaultBuffer == null) {
-                return new Text.Builder(null, 0, 0);
+                return new Text.Builder();
             } else {
                 Text.Builder builder = initTextPointer(refOffset, segment, defaultSize);
                 // TODO is there a way to do this with bulk methods?
@@ -467,7 +469,7 @@ final class WireHelpers {
 
         if (WirePointer.isNull(ref)) {
             if (defaultBuffer == null) {
-                return new Data.Builder(ByteBuffer.allocate(0), 0, 0);
+                return new Data.Builder();
             } else {
                 Data.Builder builder = initDataPointer(refOffset, segment, defaultSize);
                 // TODO is there a way to do this with bulk methods?
@@ -822,8 +824,7 @@ final class WireHelpers {
 
         if (WirePointer.isNull(ref)) {
             if (defaultBuffer == null) {
-                // XXX -- what about null terminator?
-                return new Text.Reader(ByteBuffer.wrap(new byte[0]), 0, 0);
+                return new Text.Reader();
             } else {
                 return new Text.Reader(defaultBuffer, defaultOffset, defaultSize);
             }
@@ -861,7 +862,7 @@ final class WireHelpers {
 
         if (WirePointer.isNull(ref)) {
             if (defaultBuffer == null) {
-                return new Data.Reader(ByteBuffer.wrap(new byte[0]), 0, 0);
+                return new Data.Reader();
             } else {
                 return new Data.Reader(defaultBuffer, defaultOffset, defaultSize);
             }