diff --git a/metadata/utils.go b/metadata/utils.go
index f793ea07f0..738c4e3dc9 100644
--- a/metadata/utils.go
+++ b/metadata/utils.go
@@ -197,9 +197,13 @@ func resolveAliases(md map[string]string, result any) error {
 		keys[lk] = k
 	}
 
-	// Return if result is not struct or pointer to struct
+	// Error if result is not pointer to struct, or pointer to pointer to struct
 	t := reflect.TypeOf(result)
-	if t.Kind() == reflect.Ptr {
+	if t.Kind() != reflect.Pointer {
+		return fmt.Errorf("not a pointer: %s", t.Kind().String())
+	}
+	t = t.Elem()
+	if t.Kind() == reflect.Pointer {
 		t = t.Elem()
 	}
 	if t.Kind() != reflect.Struct {
diff --git a/metadata/utils_test.go b/metadata/utils_test.go
index cdca77b9dc..599b04c0f7 100644
--- a/metadata/utils_test.go
+++ b/metadata/utils_test.go
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ func TestResolveAliases(t *testing.T) {
 				"hello": "world",
 				"ciao":  "mondo",
 			},
-			result: struct {
+			result: &struct {
 				Hello   string `mapstructure:"hello"`
 				Ciao    string `mapstructure:"ciao"`
 				Bonjour string `mapstructure:"bonjour"`
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ func TestResolveAliases(t *testing.T) {
 			md: map[string]string{
 				"ciao": "mondo",
 			},
-			result: struct {
+			result: &struct {
 				Hello   string `mapstructure:"hello" mapstructurealiases:"ciao"`
 				Bonjour string `mapstructure:"bonjour"`
 			}{},
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ func TestResolveAliases(t *testing.T) {
 				"hello": "world",
 				"ciao":  "mondo",
 			},
-			result: struct {
+			result: &struct {
 				Hello   string `mapstructure:"hello" mapstructurealiases:"ciao"`
 				Bonjour string `mapstructure:"bonjour"`
 			}{},
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ func TestResolveAliases(t *testing.T) {
 			md: map[string]string{
 				"bonjour": "monde",
 			},
-			result: struct {
+			result: &struct {
 				Hello   string `mapstructure:"hello" mapstructurealiases:"ciao"`
 				Bonjour string `mapstructure:"bonjour"`
 			}{},
@@ -385,7 +385,7 @@ func TestResolveAliases(t *testing.T) {
 			md: map[string]string{
 				"bonjour": "monde",
 			},
-			result: struct {
+			result: &struct {
 				Hello string `mapstructure:"hello" mapstructurealiases:"ciao,bonjour"`
 			}{},
 			wantMd: map[string]string{
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@ func TestResolveAliases(t *testing.T) {
 				"ciao":    "mondo",
 				"bonjour": "monde",
 			},
-			result: struct {
+			result: &struct {
 				Hello string `mapstructure:"hello" mapstructurealiases:"ciao,bonjour"`
 			}{},
 			wantMd: map[string]string{