diff --git a/decode.go b/decode.go
index a365a2e..f16f4fb 100644
--- a/decode.go
+++ b/decode.go
@@ -91,6 +91,13 @@ func (d *Decoder) Decode(v interface{}) error {
 }
 
 func (d *Decoder) unmarshal(pval *plistValue, v reflect.Value) error {
+	if v.Kind() == reflect.Ptr {
+		if v.IsNil() {
+			v.Set(reflect.New(v.Type().Elem()))
+		}
+		v = v.Elem()
+	}
+
 	// check for empty interface v type
 	if v.Kind() == reflect.Interface && v.NumMethod() == 0 {
 		val := reflect.ValueOf(d.valueInterface(pval))
@@ -101,13 +108,6 @@ func (d *Decoder) unmarshal(pval *plistValue, v reflect.Value) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	if v.Kind() == reflect.Ptr {
-		if v.IsNil() {
-			v.Set(reflect.New(v.Type().Elem()))
-		}
-		v = v.Elem()
-	}
-
 	unmarshalerType := reflect.TypeOf((*Unmarshaler)(nil)).Elem()
 
 	if v.CanInterface() && v.Type().Implements(unmarshalerType) {
diff --git a/decode_test.go b/decode_test.go
index e0b9d75..59c7faa 100644
--- a/decode_test.go
+++ b/decode_test.go
@@ -555,3 +555,64 @@ func TestXMLPlutilParity(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+type testVal struct {
+	s string
+	b bool
+}
+
+func (v *testVal) UnmarshalPlist(f func(interface{}) error) (err error) {
+	var val interface{}
+	err = f(&val)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	switch value := val.(type) {
+	case string:
+		v.s = value
+	case bool:
+		v.b = value
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+type nestedType struct {
+	Val  *testVal `plist:"val"`
+	Val2 *testVal `plist:"val2"`
+}
+
+// TestDecodeCustomType tests decoding a type that decodes into multiple types
+// based on the underlying plist type
+func TestDecodeCustomType(t *testing.T) {
+	p := `<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+		<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "https://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
+		<plist version="1.0">
+		<dict>
+			<key>val</key>
+			<string>val</string>
+			<key>val2</key>
+			<true></true>
+		</dict>
+		</plist>`
+	r := bytes.NewBuffer([]byte(p))
+	decoder := NewXMLDecoder(r)
+	typ := new(nestedType)
+	err := decoder.Decode(typ)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("could not read profile: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if typ.Val == nil {
+		t.Fatal("unexpected nil for typ.Val")
+	}
+	if have, want := typ.Val.s, "val"; have != want {
+		t.Errorf("typ.Val: have %v, want %v", have, want)
+	}
+
+	if typ.Val2 == nil {
+		t.Fatal("unexpected nil for typ.Val2")
+	}
+	if have, want := typ.Val2.b, true; have != want {
+		t.Errorf("typ.Val2: have %v, want %v", have, want)
+	}
+}