diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 8629a69..dae59ae 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,10 +4,14 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog].
 
 [Keep a Changelog]: http://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/
 
-## 0.9.0 - 2023-07-28
+## 0.9.0 - 2023-08-02
 
+- Change how compact encoding is handled: `visit_compact_*` functions are removed from the `Visitor` trait, and
+  compact encoding is now handled recursively and should now work in more cases (such as nested structs with compact
+  encoded values inside) ([#32](https://github.com/paritytech/scale-decode/pull/32)).
 - Improve custom error handling: custom errors now require `Debug + Display` on `no_std` or `Error` on `std`.
-  `Error::custom()` now accepts anything implementing these traits rather than depending on `Into<Error>`.
+  `Error::custom()` now accepts anything implementing these traits rather than depending on `Into<Error>`
+  ([#31](https://github.com/paritytech/scale-decode/pull/31)).
 
 ## 0.8.0
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ec19660..314322b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -21,7 +21,11 @@ generated.
 Here's an example of implementing `Visitor` to decode bytes into a custom `Value` type:
 
 ```rust
-use scale_decode::visitor::{self, TypeId};
+use scale_decode::visitor::{
+    self,
+    types::{Array, BitSequence, Composite, Sequence, Str, Tuple, Variant},
+    TypeId,
+};
 
 // A custom type we'd like to decode into:
 #[derive(Debug, PartialEq)]
@@ -40,11 +44,6 @@ enum Value {
     I64(i64),
     I128(i128),
     I256([u8; 32]),
-    CompactU8(u8),
-    CompactU16(u16),
-    CompactU32(u32),
-    CompactU64(u64),
-    CompactU128(u128),
     Sequence(Vec<Value>),
     Composite(Vec<(String, Value)>),
     Tuple(Vec<Value>),
@@ -58,147 +57,112 @@ enum Value {
 // values into this type:
 struct ValueVisitor;
 impl visitor::Visitor for ValueVisitor {
-    type Value<'scale> = Value;
+    type Value<'scale, 'info> = Value;
     type Error = visitor::DecodeError;
 
-    fn visit_bool<'scale>(
+    fn visit_bool<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
         value: bool,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::Bool(value))
     }
-    fn visit_char<'scale>(
+    fn visit_char<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
         value: char,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::Char(value))
     }
-    fn visit_u8<'scale>(
+    fn visit_u8<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
         value: u8,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::U8(value))
     }
-    fn visit_u16<'scale>(
+    fn visit_u16<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
         value: u16,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::U16(value))
     }
-    fn visit_u32<'scale>(
+    fn visit_u32<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
         value: u32,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::U32(value))
     }
-    fn visit_u64<'scale>(
+    fn visit_u64<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
         value: u64,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::U64(value))
     }
-    fn visit_u128<'scale>(
+    fn visit_u128<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
         value: u128,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::U128(value))
     }
-    fn visit_u256(
+    fn visit_u256<'info>(
         self,
         value: &'_ [u8; 32],
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'_>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'_, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::U256(*value))
     }
-    fn visit_i8<'scale>(
+    fn visit_i8<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
         value: i8,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::I8(value))
     }
-    fn visit_i16<'scale>(
+    fn visit_i16<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
         value: i16,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::I16(value))
     }
-    fn visit_i32<'scale>(
+    fn visit_i32<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
         value: i32,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::I32(value))
     }
-    fn visit_i64<'scale>(
+    fn visit_i64<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
         value: i64,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::I64(value))
     }
-    fn visit_i128<'scale>(
+    fn visit_i128<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
         value: i128,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::I128(value))
     }
-    fn visit_i256(
+    fn visit_i256<'info>(
         self,
         value: &'_ [u8; 32],
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'_>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'_, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::I256(*value))
     }
-    fn visit_compact_u8<'scale>(
+    fn visit_sequence<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
-        value: Compact<u8>,
+        value: &mut Sequence<'scale, 'info>,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
-        Ok(Value::CompactU8(value.value()))
-    }
-    fn visit_compact_u16<'scale>(
-        self,
-        value: Compact<u16>,
-        _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
-        Ok(Value::CompactU16(value.value()))
-    }
-    fn visit_compact_u32<'scale>(
-        self,
-        value: Compact<u32>,
-        _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
-        Ok(Value::CompactU32(value.value()))
-    }
-    fn visit_compact_u64<'scale>(
-        self,
-        value: Compact<u64>,
-        _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
-        Ok(Value::CompactU64(value.value()))
-    }
-    fn visit_compact_u128<'scale>(
-        self,
-        value: Compact<u128>,
-        _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
-        Ok(Value::CompactU128(value.value()))
-    }
-    fn visit_sequence<'scale>(
-        self,
-        value: &mut Sequence<'scale, '_>,
-        _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         let mut vals = vec![];
         while let Some(val) = value.decode_item(ValueVisitor) {
             let val = val?;
@@ -206,11 +170,11 @@ impl visitor::Visitor for ValueVisitor {
         }
         Ok(Value::Sequence(vals))
     }
-    fn visit_composite<'scale>(
+    fn visit_composite<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
-        value: &mut Composite<'scale, '_>,
+        value: &mut Composite<'scale, 'info>,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         let mut vals = vec![];
         for item in value.by_ref() {
             let item = item?;
@@ -220,11 +184,11 @@ impl visitor::Visitor for ValueVisitor {
         }
         Ok(Value::Composite(vals))
     }
-    fn visit_tuple<'scale>(
+    fn visit_tuple<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
-        value: &mut Tuple<'scale, '_>,
+        value: &mut Tuple<'scale, 'info>,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         let mut vals = vec![];
         while let Some(val) = value.decode_item(ValueVisitor) {
             let val = val?;
@@ -232,18 +196,18 @@ impl visitor::Visitor for ValueVisitor {
         }
         Ok(Value::Tuple(vals))
     }
-    fn visit_str<'scale>(
+    fn visit_str<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
         value: &mut Str<'scale>,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::Str(value.as_str()?.to_owned()))
     }
-    fn visit_variant<'scale>(
+    fn visit_variant<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
-        value: &mut Variant<'scale, '_>,
+        value: &mut Variant<'scale, 'info>,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         let mut vals = vec![];
         let fields = value.fields();
         for item in fields.by_ref() {
@@ -254,11 +218,11 @@ impl visitor::Visitor for ValueVisitor {
         }
         Ok(Value::Variant(value.name().to_owned(), vals))
     }
-    fn visit_array<'scale>(
+    fn visit_array<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
-        value: &mut Array<'scale, '_>,
+        value: &mut Array<'scale, 'info>,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         let mut vals = vec![];
         while let Some(val) = value.decode_item(ValueVisitor) {
             let val = val?;
@@ -266,11 +230,11 @@ impl visitor::Visitor for ValueVisitor {
         }
         Ok(Value::Array(vals))
     }
-    fn visit_bitsequence<'scale>(
+    fn visit_bitsequence<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
         value: &mut BitSequence<'scale>,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         let bools: Result<scale_bits::Bits, _> = value.decode()?.collect();
         Ok(Value::BitSequence(bools?))
     }
@@ -306,5 +270,5 @@ use scale_decode::DecodeAsType;
 let value = Value::decode_as_type(scale_bytes, type_id, types)?;
 ```
 
-With an `IntoVisitor` impl, you'd also benefit from being able to decode things like `Vec<Value>`, `(Value, bool)`, `Arc<Value>`
-and so on in the same way.
\ No newline at end of file
+With an `IntoVisitor` impl, you'd also benefit from being able to decode things like `Vec<Value>`,
+`(Value, bool)`, `Arc<Value>` and so on in the same way.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scale-decode/README.md b/scale-decode/README.md
index ec19660..314322b 100644
--- a/scale-decode/README.md
+++ b/scale-decode/README.md
@@ -21,7 +21,11 @@ generated.
 Here's an example of implementing `Visitor` to decode bytes into a custom `Value` type:
 
 ```rust
-use scale_decode::visitor::{self, TypeId};
+use scale_decode::visitor::{
+    self,
+    types::{Array, BitSequence, Composite, Sequence, Str, Tuple, Variant},
+    TypeId,
+};
 
 // A custom type we'd like to decode into:
 #[derive(Debug, PartialEq)]
@@ -40,11 +44,6 @@ enum Value {
     I64(i64),
     I128(i128),
     I256([u8; 32]),
-    CompactU8(u8),
-    CompactU16(u16),
-    CompactU32(u32),
-    CompactU64(u64),
-    CompactU128(u128),
     Sequence(Vec<Value>),
     Composite(Vec<(String, Value)>),
     Tuple(Vec<Value>),
@@ -58,147 +57,112 @@ enum Value {
 // values into this type:
 struct ValueVisitor;
 impl visitor::Visitor for ValueVisitor {
-    type Value<'scale> = Value;
+    type Value<'scale, 'info> = Value;
     type Error = visitor::DecodeError;
 
-    fn visit_bool<'scale>(
+    fn visit_bool<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
         value: bool,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::Bool(value))
     }
-    fn visit_char<'scale>(
+    fn visit_char<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
         value: char,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::Char(value))
     }
-    fn visit_u8<'scale>(
+    fn visit_u8<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
         value: u8,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::U8(value))
     }
-    fn visit_u16<'scale>(
+    fn visit_u16<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
         value: u16,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::U16(value))
     }
-    fn visit_u32<'scale>(
+    fn visit_u32<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
         value: u32,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::U32(value))
     }
-    fn visit_u64<'scale>(
+    fn visit_u64<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
         value: u64,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::U64(value))
     }
-    fn visit_u128<'scale>(
+    fn visit_u128<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
         value: u128,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::U128(value))
     }
-    fn visit_u256(
+    fn visit_u256<'info>(
         self,
         value: &'_ [u8; 32],
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'_>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'_, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::U256(*value))
     }
-    fn visit_i8<'scale>(
+    fn visit_i8<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
         value: i8,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::I8(value))
     }
-    fn visit_i16<'scale>(
+    fn visit_i16<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
         value: i16,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::I16(value))
     }
-    fn visit_i32<'scale>(
+    fn visit_i32<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
         value: i32,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::I32(value))
     }
-    fn visit_i64<'scale>(
+    fn visit_i64<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
         value: i64,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::I64(value))
     }
-    fn visit_i128<'scale>(
+    fn visit_i128<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
         value: i128,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::I128(value))
     }
-    fn visit_i256(
+    fn visit_i256<'info>(
         self,
         value: &'_ [u8; 32],
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'_>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'_, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::I256(*value))
     }
-    fn visit_compact_u8<'scale>(
+    fn visit_sequence<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
-        value: Compact<u8>,
+        value: &mut Sequence<'scale, 'info>,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
-        Ok(Value::CompactU8(value.value()))
-    }
-    fn visit_compact_u16<'scale>(
-        self,
-        value: Compact<u16>,
-        _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
-        Ok(Value::CompactU16(value.value()))
-    }
-    fn visit_compact_u32<'scale>(
-        self,
-        value: Compact<u32>,
-        _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
-        Ok(Value::CompactU32(value.value()))
-    }
-    fn visit_compact_u64<'scale>(
-        self,
-        value: Compact<u64>,
-        _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
-        Ok(Value::CompactU64(value.value()))
-    }
-    fn visit_compact_u128<'scale>(
-        self,
-        value: Compact<u128>,
-        _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
-        Ok(Value::CompactU128(value.value()))
-    }
-    fn visit_sequence<'scale>(
-        self,
-        value: &mut Sequence<'scale, '_>,
-        _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         let mut vals = vec![];
         while let Some(val) = value.decode_item(ValueVisitor) {
             let val = val?;
@@ -206,11 +170,11 @@ impl visitor::Visitor for ValueVisitor {
         }
         Ok(Value::Sequence(vals))
     }
-    fn visit_composite<'scale>(
+    fn visit_composite<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
-        value: &mut Composite<'scale, '_>,
+        value: &mut Composite<'scale, 'info>,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         let mut vals = vec![];
         for item in value.by_ref() {
             let item = item?;
@@ -220,11 +184,11 @@ impl visitor::Visitor for ValueVisitor {
         }
         Ok(Value::Composite(vals))
     }
-    fn visit_tuple<'scale>(
+    fn visit_tuple<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
-        value: &mut Tuple<'scale, '_>,
+        value: &mut Tuple<'scale, 'info>,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         let mut vals = vec![];
         while let Some(val) = value.decode_item(ValueVisitor) {
             let val = val?;
@@ -232,18 +196,18 @@ impl visitor::Visitor for ValueVisitor {
         }
         Ok(Value::Tuple(vals))
     }
-    fn visit_str<'scale>(
+    fn visit_str<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
         value: &mut Str<'scale>,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Value::Str(value.as_str()?.to_owned()))
     }
-    fn visit_variant<'scale>(
+    fn visit_variant<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
-        value: &mut Variant<'scale, '_>,
+        value: &mut Variant<'scale, 'info>,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         let mut vals = vec![];
         let fields = value.fields();
         for item in fields.by_ref() {
@@ -254,11 +218,11 @@ impl visitor::Visitor for ValueVisitor {
         }
         Ok(Value::Variant(value.name().to_owned(), vals))
     }
-    fn visit_array<'scale>(
+    fn visit_array<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
-        value: &mut Array<'scale, '_>,
+        value: &mut Array<'scale, 'info>,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         let mut vals = vec![];
         while let Some(val) = value.decode_item(ValueVisitor) {
             let val = val?;
@@ -266,11 +230,11 @@ impl visitor::Visitor for ValueVisitor {
         }
         Ok(Value::Array(vals))
     }
-    fn visit_bitsequence<'scale>(
+    fn visit_bitsequence<'scale, 'info>(
         self,
         value: &mut BitSequence<'scale>,
         _type_id: TypeId,
-    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale>, Self::Error> {
+    ) -> Result<Self::Value<'scale, 'info>, Self::Error> {
         let bools: Result<scale_bits::Bits, _> = value.decode()?.collect();
         Ok(Value::BitSequence(bools?))
     }
@@ -306,5 +270,5 @@ use scale_decode::DecodeAsType;
 let value = Value::decode_as_type(scale_bytes, type_id, types)?;
 ```
 
-With an `IntoVisitor` impl, you'd also benefit from being able to decode things like `Vec<Value>`, `(Value, bool)`, `Arc<Value>`
-and so on in the same way.
\ No newline at end of file
+With an `IntoVisitor` impl, you'd also benefit from being able to decode things like `Vec<Value>`,
+`(Value, bool)`, `Arc<Value>` and so on in the same way.
\ No newline at end of file