diff --git a/composite_bench_test.go b/composite_bench_test.go
index 9eaf7632..e1dd6d04 100644
--- a/composite_bench_test.go
+++ b/composite_bench_test.go
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ func BenchmarkBinaryEncodingComposite(b *testing.B) {
 	ci := pgtype.NewConnInfo()
 	f1 := 2
 	f2 := ptrS("bar")
-	c := pgtype.NewCompositeType(&pgtype.Int4{}, &pgtype.Text{})
+	c := pgtype.NewCompositeType("test", &pgtype.Int4{}, &pgtype.Text{})
 
 	b.ResetTimer()
 	for n := 0; n < b.N; n++ {
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ func BenchmarkBinaryDecodingCompositeScan(b *testing.B) {
 	var f1 int
 	var f2 *string
 
-	c := pgtype.NewCompositeType(&pgtype.Int4{}, &pgtype.Text{})
+	c := pgtype.NewCompositeType("test", &pgtype.Int4{}, &pgtype.Text{})
 
 	b.ResetTimer()
 	for n := 0; n < b.N; n++ {
diff --git a/composite_type.go b/composite_type.go
index 53386f37..03d88aea 100644
--- a/composite_type.go
+++ b/composite_type.go
@@ -8,8 +8,10 @@ import (
 )
 
 type CompositeType struct {
-	fields []Value
 	status Status
+
+	typeName string
+	fields   []Value
 }
 
 // NewCompositeType creates a Composite object, which acts as a "schema" for
@@ -19,8 +21,8 @@ type CompositeType struct {
 // SetFields method
 // To read composite fields back pass result of Scan() method
 // to query Scan function.
-func NewCompositeType(fields ...Value) *CompositeType {
-	return &CompositeType{fields, Undefined}
+func NewCompositeType(typeName string, fields ...Value) *CompositeType {
+	return &CompositeType{typeName: typeName, fields: fields}
 }
 
 func (src CompositeType) Get() interface{} {
@@ -38,6 +40,23 @@ func (src CompositeType) Get() interface{} {
 	}
 }
 
+func (ct *CompositeType) NewTypeValue() Value {
+	a := &CompositeType{
+		typeName: ct.typeName,
+		fields:   make([]Value, len(ct.fields)),
+	}
+
+	for i := range ct.fields {
+		a.fields[i] = NewValue(ct.fields[i])
+	}
+
+	return a
+}
+
+func (ct *CompositeType) TypeName() string {
+	return ct.typeName
+}
+
 func (dst *CompositeType) Set(src interface{}) error {
 	if src == nil {
 		dst.status = Null
diff --git a/composite_type_test.go b/composite_type_test.go
index 56b9318b..92ecc849 100644
--- a/composite_type_test.go
+++ b/composite_type_test.go
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestCompositeTypeSetAndGet(t *testing.T) {
-	ct := pgtype.NewCompositeType(&pgtype.Text{}, &pgtype.Int4{})
+	ct := pgtype.NewCompositeType("test", &pgtype.Text{}, &pgtype.Int4{})
 	assert.Equal(t, pgtype.Undefined, ct.Get())
 
 	nilTests := []struct {
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func TestCompositeTypeSetAndGet(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestCompositeTypeAssignTo(t *testing.T) {
-	ct := pgtype.NewCompositeType(&pgtype.Text{}, &pgtype.Int4{})
+	ct := pgtype.NewCompositeType("test", &pgtype.Text{}, &pgtype.Int4{})
 
 	{
 		err := ct.Set([]interface{}{"foo", int32(42)})
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ func Example_composite() {
 		return
 	}
 
-	c := pgtype.NewCompositeType(&pgtype.Int4{}, &pgtype.Text{})
+	c := pgtype.NewCompositeType("mytype", &pgtype.Int4{}, &pgtype.Text{})
 	conn.ConnInfo().RegisterDataType(pgtype.DataType{Value: c, Name: "mytype", OID: oid})
 
 	var a int
diff --git a/pgtype.go b/pgtype.go
index 5662f4c7..091e98c4 100644
--- a/pgtype.go
+++ b/pgtype.go
@@ -360,9 +360,7 @@ func (ci *ConnInfo) InitializeDataTypes(nameOIDs map[string]uint32) {
 }
 
 func (ci *ConnInfo) RegisterDataType(t DataType) {
-	if tv, ok := t.Value.(TypeValue); ok {
-		t.Value = tv.NewTypeValue()
-	}
+	t.Value = NewValue(t.Value)
 
 	ci.oidToDataType[t.OID] = &t
 	ci.nameToDataType[t.Name] = &t
@@ -469,15 +467,8 @@ func (ci *ConnInfo) DeepCopy() *ConnInfo {
 	ci2 := newConnInfo()
 
 	for _, dt := range ci.oidToDataType {
-		var value Value
-		if tv, ok := dt.Value.(TypeValue); ok {
-			value = tv.NewTypeValue()
-		} else {
-			value = reflect.New(reflect.ValueOf(dt.Value).Elem().Type()).Interface().(Value)
-		}
-
 		ci2.RegisterDataType(DataType{
-			Value: value,
+			Value: NewValue(dt.Value),
 			Name:  dt.Name,
 			OID:   dt.OID,
 		})
@@ -844,6 +835,15 @@ func scanUnknownType(oid uint32, formatCode int16, buf []byte, dest interface{})
 	}
 }
 
+// NewValue returns a new instance of the same type as v.
+func NewValue(v Value) Value {
+	if tv, ok := v.(TypeValue); ok {
+		return tv.NewTypeValue()
+	} else {
+		return reflect.New(reflect.ValueOf(v).Elem().Type()).Interface().(Value)
+	}
+}
+
 var nameValues map[string]Value
 
 func init() {