diff --git a/tools/qfcc/source/type.c b/tools/qfcc/source/type.c
index c6b92b94e..56991b790 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/source/type.c
+++ b/tools/qfcc/source/type.c
@@ -729,8 +729,8 @@ encode_type (dstring_t *encoding, const type_t *type)
 	if (!type)
 		return;
 	switch (type->meta) {
-		case ty_alias: // XXX do I want this, or just the unaliased type?
-			dasprintf (encoding, "{%s>", type->name);
+		case ty_alias:
+			dasprintf (encoding, "{%s>", type->name ? type->name : "");
 			encode_type (encoding, type->t.alias.aux_type);
 			dasprintf (encoding, "}");
 			return;
diff --git a/tools/qfcc/test/Makemodule.am b/tools/qfcc/test/Makemodule.am
index 4263803fe..54bb87dcf 100644
--- a/tools/qfcc/test/Makemodule.am
+++ b/tools/qfcc/test/Makemodule.am
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ test_progs_dat=\
 	tools/qfcc/test/overload.dat \
 	tools/qfcc/test/paramret.dat \
 	tools/qfcc/test/postop.dat \
+	tools/qfcc/test/ptraliasenc.dat \
 	tools/qfcc/test/quaternion.dat \
 	tools/qfcc/test/return-ivar.dat \
 	tools/qfcc/test/sendv.dat \
@@ -383,6 +384,16 @@ tools/qfcc/test/postop.run: $(qfcc_test_run_deps)
 include $(postop_dep) # am--include-marker
 r_depfiles_remade += $(postop_dep)
 
+tools_qfcc_test_ptraliasenc_dat_SOURCES=tools/qfcc/test/ptraliasenc.r
+ptraliasenc_obj=$(tools_qfcc_test_ptraliasenc_dat_SOURCES:.r=.o)
+ptraliasenc_dep=$(call qcautodep,$(tools_qfcc_test_ptraliasenc_dat_SOURCES))
+tools/qfcc/test/ptraliasenc.dat$(EXEEXT): $(ptraliasenc_obj) $(QFCC_DEP)
+	$(V_QFCCLD)$(QLINK) -o $@ $(ptraliasenc_obj)
+tools/qfcc/test/ptraliasenc.run: $(qfcc_test_run_deps)
+	@$(top_srcdir)/tools/qfcc/test/build-run $@
+include $(ptraliasenc_dep) # am--include-marker
+r_depfiles_remade += $(ptraliasenc_dep)
+
 tools_qfcc_test_quaternion_dat_SOURCES=tools/qfcc/test/quaternion.r
 quaternion_obj=$(tools_qfcc_test_quaternion_dat_SOURCES:.r=.o)
 quaternion_dep=$(call qcautodep,$(tools_qfcc_test_quaternion_dat_SOURCES))
diff --git a/tools/qfcc/test/ptraliasenc.r b/tools/qfcc/test/ptraliasenc.r
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2f305617f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/qfcc/test/ptraliasenc.r
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+#include <types.h>
+
+#include "test-harness.h"
+
+typedef int int32_t;
+int32_t *int32_ptr;
+
+typedef struct xdef_s {
+	qfot_type_t *type;			///< pointer to type definition
+	void       *ofs;			///< 32-bit version of ddef_t.ofs
+} xdef_t;
+
+void *PR_FindGlobal (string name) = #0;
+
+int
+main (void)
+{
+	//FIXME need a simple way to get at a def's meta-data
+	xdef_t     *xdefs = PR_FindGlobal (".xdefs");
+	while (xdefs.ofs != &int32_ptr) {
+		xdefs++;
+	}
+	printf ("int32_ptr: %s\n", xdefs.type.encoding);
+	return xdefs.type.encoding != "{>^i}";
+}