diff --git a/src/foundation.jl b/src/foundation.jl
index 288011a..9c1f38d 100644
--- a/src/foundation.jl
+++ b/src/foundation.jl
@@ -21,9 +21,9 @@ struct NSString <: Object
 end
 Base.unsafe_convert(::Type{id}, str::NSString) = str.ptr
 
-NSString() = NSString(@objc [NSString string]::id)
-NSString(data::String) = NSString(@objc [NSString stringWithUTF8String :data::Ptr{UInt8}]::id)
-Base.length(s::NSString) = Int(@objc [s::id length]::NSUInteger)
+NSString() = @objc [NSString string]::NSString
+NSString(data::String) = @objc [NSString stringWithUTF8String :data::Ptr{UInt8}]::NSString
+Base.length(s::NSString) = Int(@objc [s::NSString length]::NSUInteger)
 
 export NSHost, hostname
 
@@ -33,6 +33,6 @@ end
 Base.unsafe_convert(::Type{id}, host::NSHost) = host.ptr
 
 hostname() =
-  unsafe_string(@objc [[[NSHost currentHost]::id localizedName]::id UTF8String]::Ptr{UInt8})
+  unsafe_string(@objc [[[NSHost currentHost]::NSHost localizedName]::NSString UTF8String]::Ptr{UInt8})
 
 end
diff --git a/src/primitives.jl b/src/primitives.jl
index 4dbb3b4..27b1b12 100644
--- a/src/primitives.jl
+++ b/src/primitives.jl
@@ -88,7 +88,8 @@ abstract type OpaqueObject end
 const id = Ptr{OpaqueObject}
 
 abstract type Object end
-# interface: object of a subtype of Object should be convertible to id
+# interface: subtypes of Object should be constructible from and convertible to `id`s
+#            (i.e., requiring `MyObj(::id)` and `Base.unsafe_convert(::Type{id}, ::MyObj)`)
 
 class(obj::Union{Object,id}) =
   ccall(:object_getClass, Ptr{Cvoid}, (id,), obj) |> Class
diff --git a/src/syntax.jl b/src/syntax.jl
index 39f1806..9ea4ef5 100644
--- a/src/syntax.jl
+++ b/src/syntax.jl
@@ -2,6 +2,54 @@ export @objc, @classes
 
 callerror() = error("ObjectiveC call: use [obj method]::typ or [obj method :param::typ ...]::typ")
 
+ctype(T::Type) = T
+ctype(T::Type{<:Object}) = id
+
+# version of ccall that calls `ctype` on types to figure out if we need pass-by-reference,
+# further relying on `Base.unsafe_convert` to get a hold of such a reference.
+# it works around the limitation that ccall type tuples need to be literals.
+# this is a bit of hack, as it relies on internals of ccall.
+@inline @generated function byref_ccall(f::Ptr, _rettyp, _types, vals...)
+    ex = quote end
+
+    rettyp = _rettyp.parameters[1]
+    types = _types.parameters[1].parameters
+    args = [:(vals[$i]) for i in 1:length(vals)]
+
+    # unwrap
+    reference_rettyp = ctype(rettyp)
+    reference_types = map(ctype, types)
+
+    # cconvert
+    cconverted = [Symbol("cconverted_$i") for i in 1:length(vals)]
+    for (dst, typ, src) in zip(cconverted, types, args)
+      append!(ex.args, (quote
+         $dst = Base.cconvert($typ, $src)
+      end).args)
+    end
+
+    # unsafe_convert
+    unsafe_converted = [Symbol("unsafe_converted_$i") for i in 1:length(vals)]
+    for (dst, typ, src) in zip(unsafe_converted, types, cconverted)
+      append!(ex.args, (quote
+         $dst = Base.unsafe_convert($typ, $src)
+      end).args)
+    end
+
+    call = Expr(:foreigncall, :f, reference_rettyp, Core.svec(reference_types...), 0, QuoteNode(:ccall), unsafe_converted..., cconverted...)
+    push!(ex.args, call)
+
+    # re-wrap if necessary
+    if rettyp != reference_rettyp
+        ex = quote
+            val = $(ex)
+            $rettyp(val)
+        end
+    end
+
+    return ex
+end
+
 function objcm(ex)
     # handle a single call, [dst method: param::typ]::typ
 
@@ -54,12 +102,14 @@ function objcm(ex)
     return ex
 end
 
+const msgSend = cglobal(:objc_msgSend)
+
 function class_message(class_name, msg, rettyp, argtyps, argvals)
     quote
         class = Class($(String(class_name)))
         sel = Selector($(String(msg)))
-        ccall(:objc_msgSend, $(esc(rettyp)),
-              (Ptr{Cvoid}, Ptr{Cvoid}, $(map(esc, argtyps)...)),
+        byref_ccall(msgSend, $(esc(rettyp)),
+              Tuple{Ptr{Cvoid}, Ptr{Cvoid}, $(map(esc, argtyps)...)},
               class, sel, $(map(esc, argvals)...))
     end
 end
@@ -67,8 +117,8 @@ end
 function instance_message(instance, msg, rettyp, argtyps, argvals)
     quote
         sel = Selector($(String(msg)))
-        ccall(:objc_msgSend, $(esc(rettyp)),
-              (id, Ptr{Cvoid}, $(map(esc, argtyps)...)),
+        byref_ccall(msgSend, $(esc(rettyp)),
+              Tuple{id, Ptr{Cvoid}, $(map(esc, argtyps)...)},
               $instance, sel, $(map(esc, argvals)...))
     end
 end
diff --git a/test/runtests.jl b/test/runtests.jl
index fa174c4..6288934 100644
--- a/test/runtests.jl
+++ b/test/runtests.jl
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ using Test
 
 using ObjectiveC
 
-# smoke test
+# basic @objc test
 let data = "test"
     ptr = @objc [NSString stringWithUTF8String :data::Ptr{UInt8}]::id
     @test ptr isa id
@@ -12,6 +12,17 @@ let data = "test"
     @test 4 == @objc [ptr::id length]::Culong
 end
 
+# test re-wrapping of Objective-C objects (which are passed by-reference)
+struct TestNSString <: Object
+    canary::Int
+    ptr::id
+    TestNSString(ptr::id) = new(42, ptr)
+end
+let str = @objc [NSString string]::TestNSString
+    @assert str isa TestNSString
+    @assert str.canary == 42
+end
+
 @testset "foundation" begin
 
 using .Foundation