diff --git a/context.go b/context.go
index 654de50..bd6ebae 100644
--- a/context.go
+++ b/context.go
@@ -551,6 +551,14 @@ func (c *Context) getValue(value *Value) reflect.Value {
 	v, ok := c.values[value]
 	if !ok {
 		v = reflect.New(value.Target.Type()).Elem()
+		switch v.Kind() {
+		case reflect.Ptr:
+			v.Set(reflect.New(v.Type().Elem()))
+		case reflect.Slice:
+			v.Set(reflect.MakeSlice(v.Type(), 0, 0))
+		case reflect.Map:
+			v.Set(reflect.MakeMap(v.Type()))
+		}
 		c.values[value] = v
 	}
 	return v
diff --git a/kong_test.go b/kong_test.go
index 3703f4d..03ff1d6 100644
--- a/kong_test.go
+++ b/kong_test.go
@@ -936,3 +936,17 @@ func TestValidateArg(t *testing.T) {
 	_, err := p.Parse([]string{"one"})
 	require.EqualError(t, err, "<arg>: flag error")
 }
+
+func TestPointers(t *testing.T) {
+	cli := struct {
+		Mapped *mappedValue
+		JSON   *jsonUnmarshalerValue
+	}{}
+	p := mustNew(t, &cli)
+	_, err := p.Parse([]string{"--mapped=mapped", "--json=\"foo\""})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, cli.Mapped)
+	require.Equal(t, "mapped", cli.Mapped.decoded)
+	require.NotNil(t, cli.JSON)
+	require.Equal(t, "FOO", string(*cli.JSON))
+}
diff --git a/mapper.go b/mapper.go
index 01343b0..183ec09 100644
--- a/mapper.go
+++ b/mapper.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import (
 var (
 	mapperValueType       = reflect.TypeOf((*MapperValue)(nil)).Elem()
 	boolMapperType        = reflect.TypeOf((*BoolMapper)(nil)).Elem()
+	jsonUnmarshalerType   = reflect.TypeOf((*json.Unmarshaler)(nil)).Elem()
 	textUnmarshalerType   = reflect.TypeOf((*encoding.TextUnmarshaler)(nil)).Elem()
 	binaryUnmarshalerType = reflect.TypeOf((*encoding.BinaryUnmarshaler)(nil)).Elem()
 )
@@ -89,6 +90,20 @@ func (m *binaryUnmarshalerAdapter) Decode(ctx *DecodeContext, target reflect.Val
 	return target.Addr().Interface().(encoding.BinaryUnmarshaler).UnmarshalBinary([]byte(value))
 }
 
+type jsonUnmarshalerAdapter struct{}
+
+func (j *jsonUnmarshalerAdapter) Decode(ctx *DecodeContext, target reflect.Value) error {
+	var value string
+	err := ctx.Scan.PopValueInto("value", &value)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if target.Type().Implements(jsonUnmarshalerType) {
+		return target.Interface().(json.Unmarshaler).UnmarshalJSON([]byte(value))
+	}
+	return target.Addr().Interface().(json.Unmarshaler).UnmarshalJSON([]byte(value))
+}
+
 // A Mapper represents how a field is mapped from command-line values to Go.
 //
 // Mappers can be associated with concrete fields via pointer, reflect.Type, reflect.Kind, or via a "type" tag.
@@ -177,10 +192,13 @@ func (r *Registry) ForType(typ reflect.Type) Mapper {
 	}
 	// Next try stdlib unmarshaler interfaces.
 	for _, impl := range []reflect.Type{typ, reflect.PtrTo(typ)} {
-		if impl.Implements(textUnmarshalerType) {
+		switch {
+		case impl.Implements(textUnmarshalerType):
 			return &textUnmarshalerAdapter{}
-		} else if impl.Implements(binaryUnmarshalerType) {
+		case impl.Implements(binaryUnmarshalerType):
 			return &binaryUnmarshalerAdapter{}
+		case impl.Implements(jsonUnmarshalerType):
+			return &jsonUnmarshalerAdapter{}
 		}
 	}
 	// Finally try registered kinds.
diff --git a/mapper_test.go b/mapper_test.go
index 25fb543..091322c 100644
--- a/mapper_test.go
+++ b/mapper_test.go
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ func TestJSONUnmarshaler(t *testing.T) {
 		Value jsonUnmarshalerValue
 	}
 	p := mustNew(t, &cli)
-	_, err := p.Parse([]string{"--value=hello"})
+	_, err := p.Parse([]string{"--value=\"hello\""})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.Equal(t, "HELLO", string(cli.Value))
 }