diff --git a/docs/genqlient.yaml b/docs/genqlient.yaml
index bb221499..abed6673 100644
--- a/docs/genqlient.yaml
+++ b/docs/genqlient.yaml
@@ -78,14 +78,14 @@ context_type: context.Context
 client_getter: "github.com/you/yourpkg.GetClient"
 
 
-# if set, fields with a complex type will default to having
-# the "pointer: true, omitempty: true" flag
+# if set, fields with a struct type will default to having
+# the "pointer: true, omitempty: true" flag.
 #
-# This can be useful for complex schema where it would be burdensome
-# to manually set the flags on a large number of fields
+# This can be useful for struct schema where it would be burdensome
+# to manually set the flags on a large number of fields.
 #
 # Defaults to false.
-use_weak_references: boolean
+use_struct_references: boolean
 
 
 # A map from GraphQL type name to Go fully-qualified type name to override
diff --git a/generate/config.go b/generate/config.go
index 64a9f85f..60fb2c32 100644
--- a/generate/config.go
+++ b/generate/config.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	ContextType      string                  `yaml:"context_type"`
 	ClientGetter     string                  `yaml:"client_getter"`
 	Bindings         map[string]*TypeBinding `yaml:"bindings"`
-	WeakReferences   bool                    `yaml:"use_weak_references"`
+	StructReferences bool                    `yaml:"use_struct_references"`
 
 	// Set to true to use features that aren't fully ready to use.
 	//
diff --git a/generate/convert.go b/generate/convert.go
index 5521602a..06e904ba 100644
--- a/generate/convert.go
+++ b/generate/convert.go
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ func (g *generator) convertArguments(
 		// names.go) and the selection-set (we use all the input type's fields,
 		// and so on recursively).  See also the `case ast.InputObject` in
 		// convertDefinition, below.
-		goTyp, err := g.convertType(nil, arg.Type, false, nil, options, queryOptions)
+		goTyp, err := g.convertType(nil, arg.Type, nil, options, queryOptions)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
@@ -218,7 +218,6 @@ func (g *generator) convertArguments(
 func (g *generator) convertType(
 	namePrefix *prefixList,
 	typ *ast.Type,
-	isStructField bool,
 	selectionSet ast.SelectionSet,
 	options, queryOptions *genqlientDirective,
 ) (goType, error) {
@@ -236,7 +235,7 @@ func (g *generator) convertType(
 	if typ.Elem != nil {
 		// Type is a list.
 		elem, err := g.convertType(
-			namePrefix, typ.Elem, isStructField, selectionSet, options, queryOptions)
+			namePrefix, typ.Elem, selectionSet, options, queryOptions)
 		return &goSliceType{elem}, err
 	}
 
@@ -246,12 +245,14 @@ func (g *generator) convertType(
 	goTyp, err := g.convertDefinition(
 		namePrefix, def, typ.Position, selectionSet, options, queryOptions)
 
-	if g.getWeakReference(options, isStructField, def) {
-		if options.Omitempty == nil {
+	if g.getStructReference(options, def) {
+		if options.Pointer == nil || *options.Pointer == true {
+			goTyp = &goPointerType{goTyp}
+		}
+		if options.Omitempty == nil || *options.Omitempty == true {
 			oe := true
 			options.Omitempty = &oe
 		}
-		goTyp = &goPointerType{goTyp}
 	} else if options.GetPointer() {
 		// Whatever we get, wrap it in a pointer.  (Because of the way the
 		// options work, recursing here isn't as connvenient.)
@@ -261,16 +262,13 @@ func (g *generator) convertType(
 	return goTyp, err
 }
 
-// getWeakReference decides if a field should be of pointer type and have the omitempty flag set.
-func (g *generator) getWeakReference(
+// getStructReference decides if a field should be of pointer type and have the omitempty flag set.
+func (g *generator) getStructReference(
 	options *genqlientDirective,
-	isStructField bool,
 	def *ast.Definition,
 ) bool {
-	return options.Pointer == nil &&
-		isStructField &&
-		g.Config.WeakReferences &&
-		len(def.Fields) > 0
+	return g.Config.StructReferences &&
+		(def.Kind == ast.Object || def.Kind == ast.InputObject)
 }
 
 // convertDefinition decides the Go type we will generate corresponding to a
@@ -424,7 +422,7 @@ func (g *generator) convertDefinition(
 			// will be ignored?  We know field.Type is a scalar, enum, or input
 			// type.  But plumbing that is a bit tricky in practice.
 			fieldGoType, err := g.convertType(
-				namePrefix, field.Type, true, nil, fieldOptions, queryOptions)
+				namePrefix, field.Type, nil, fieldOptions, queryOptions)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
@@ -847,7 +845,7 @@ func (g *generator) convertField(
 	namePrefix = nextPrefix(namePrefix, field)
 
 	fieldGoType, err := g.convertType(
-		namePrefix, field.Definition.Type, true, field.SelectionSet,
+		namePrefix, field.Definition.Type, field.SelectionSet,
 		fieldOptions, queryOptions)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/generate/generate_test.go b/generate/generate_test.go
index 4999f229..f12c31c8 100644
--- a/generate/generate_test.go
+++ b/generate/generate_test.go
@@ -170,9 +170,9 @@ func TestGenerateWithConfig(t *testing.T) {
 			Generated:   "generated.go",
 			ContextType: "github.com/Khan/genqlient/internal/testutil.MyContext",
 		}},
-		{"WeakReferences", "", &Config{
-			WeakReferences: true,
-			Generated:      "generated-weakrefs.go",
+		{"StructReferences", "", &Config{
+			StructReferences: true,
+			Generated:        "generated-structrefs.go",
 		}},
 		{"NoContext", "", &Config{
 			Generated:   "generated.go",
diff --git a/generate/testdata/snapshots/TestGenerateWithConfig-WeakReferences-testdata-queries-generated-weakrefs.go b/generate/testdata/snapshots/TestGenerateWithConfig-StructReferences-testdata-queries-generated-structrefs.go
similarity index 100%
rename from generate/testdata/snapshots/TestGenerateWithConfig-WeakReferences-testdata-queries-generated-weakrefs.go
rename to generate/testdata/snapshots/TestGenerateWithConfig-StructReferences-testdata-queries-generated-structrefs.go