diff --git a/compiler/cbuilderdecls.nim b/compiler/cbuilderdecls.nim
index 74ed391431ec..e5032d743116 100644
--- a/compiler/cbuilderdecls.nim
+++ b/compiler/cbuilderdecls.nim
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ type
     siOrderedStruct ## struct constructor, but without named fields on C
     siNamedStruct ## struct constructor, with named fields i.e. C99 designated initializer
     siArray ## array constructor
-    siWrapper ## wrapper for a single field, generates it verbatim, now unused
+    siWrapper ## wrapper for a single field, generates it verbatim
 
   StructInitializer = object
     ## context for building struct initializers, i.e. `{ field1, field2 }`
diff --git a/compiler/ccgexprs.nim b/compiler/ccgexprs.nim
index 42b953fd7e3b..0b4073f6b37e 100644
--- a/compiler/ccgexprs.nim
+++ b/compiler/ccgexprs.nim
@@ -3306,7 +3306,11 @@ proc getNullValueAux(p: BProc; t: PType; obj, constOrNil: PNode,
         var branchInit: StructInitializer
         result.addStructInitializer(branchInit, kind = siNamedStruct):
           result.addField(branchInit, name = fieldName):
-            getNullValueAux(p, t, b, constOrNil, result, branchInit, isConst, info)
+            # we need to generate the default value of the single sym,
+            # to do this create a dummy wrapper initializer and recurse
+            var branchFieldInit: StructInitializer
+            result.addStructInitializer(branchFieldInit, kind = siWrapper):
+              getNullValueAux(p, t, b, constOrNil, result, branchFieldInit, isConst, info)
     else:
       # no fields, don't initialize
       return