diff --git a/reflect_extension.go b/reflect_extension.go
index 74a97bfe..ed1a21eb 100644
--- a/reflect_extension.go
+++ b/reflect_extension.go
@@ -2,12 +2,13 @@ package jsoniter
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/modern-go/reflect2"
 	"reflect"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"unicode"
 	"unsafe"
+
+	"github.com/modern-go/reflect2"
 )
 
 var typeDecoders = map[string]ValDecoder{}
@@ -448,12 +449,22 @@ func processTags(structDescriptor *StructDescriptor, cfg *frozenConfig) {
 			if tagPart == "omitempty" {
 				shouldOmitEmpty = true
 			} else if tagPart == "string" {
-				if binding.Field.Type().Kind() == reflect.String {
-					binding.Decoder = &stringModeStringDecoder{binding.Decoder, cfg}
-					binding.Encoder = &stringModeStringEncoder{binding.Encoder, cfg}
-				} else {
+				fieldType := binding.Field.Type()
+				isPointer := false
+				if fieldType.Kind() == reflect.Pointer {
+					isPointer = true
+					fieldType = reflect2.Type2(fieldType.Type1().Elem())
+				}
+				switch fieldType.Kind() {
+				case reflect.String:
+					binding.Decoder = &stringModeStringDecoder{isPointer, binding.Decoder, cfg}
+					binding.Encoder = &stringModeStringEncoder{isPointer, binding.Encoder, cfg}
+				case reflect.Float32, reflect.Float64,
+					reflect.Int, reflect.Int8, reflect.Int16, reflect.Int32, reflect.Int64,
+					reflect.Uint, reflect.Uint8, reflect.Uint16, reflect.Uint32, reflect.Uint64, reflect.Uintptr,
+					reflect.Bool:
 					binding.Decoder = &stringModeNumberDecoder{binding.Decoder}
-					binding.Encoder = &stringModeNumberEncoder{binding.Encoder}
+					binding.Encoder = &stringModeNumberEncoder{isPointer, binding.Encoder}
 				}
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/reflect_struct_decoder.go b/reflect_struct_decoder.go
index 92ae912d..8e82e4a9 100644
--- a/reflect_struct_decoder.go
+++ b/reflect_struct_decoder.go
@@ -1058,16 +1058,60 @@ func (decoder *structFieldDecoder) Decode(ptr unsafe.Pointer, iter *Iterator) {
 }
 
 type stringModeStringDecoder struct {
+	isPointer   bool // true indicates *string field type.
 	elemDecoder ValDecoder
 	cfg         *frozenConfig
 }
 
 func (decoder *stringModeStringDecoder) Decode(ptr unsafe.Pointer, iter *Iterator) {
 	decoder.elemDecoder.Decode(ptr, iter)
-	str := *((*string)(ptr))
+
+	if iter.Error != nil {
+		return
+	}
+
+	var str string
+	if decoder.isPointer {
+		if *((**string)(ptr)) == nil {
+			return
+		}
+		str = **((**string)(ptr))
+	} else {
+		str = *((*string)(ptr))
+	}
+
+	if len(str) < 2 {
+		iter.ReportError(
+			"stringModeStringDecoder",
+			`expect len(s) >= 2, but found `+str,
+		)
+		return
+	}
+	if str[0] != '"' || str[len(str)-1] != '"' {
+		var idx int
+		if str[0] == '"' {
+			idx = len(str) - 1
+		}
+		iter.ReportError(
+			"stringModeStringDecoder",
+			`expect ", but found `+string(str[idx]),
+		)
+		return
+	}
+
 	tempIter := decoder.cfg.BorrowIterator([]byte(str))
 	defer decoder.cfg.ReturnIterator(tempIter)
-	*((*string)(ptr)) = tempIter.ReadString()
+
+	if decoder.isPointer {
+		unescaped := tempIter.ReadString()
+		*((**string)(ptr)) = &unescaped
+	} else {
+		*((*string)(ptr)) = tempIter.ReadString()
+	}
+
+	if tempIter.Error != nil {
+		iter.Error = tempIter.Error
+	}
 }
 
 type stringModeNumberDecoder struct {
diff --git a/reflect_struct_encoder.go b/reflect_struct_encoder.go
index 152e3ef5..73cf7b25 100644
--- a/reflect_struct_encoder.go
+++ b/reflect_struct_encoder.go
@@ -2,10 +2,11 @@ package jsoniter
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/modern-go/reflect2"
 	"io"
 	"reflect"
 	"unsafe"
+
+	"github.com/modern-go/reflect2"
 )
 
 func encoderOfStruct(ctx *ctx, typ reflect2.Type) ValEncoder {
@@ -180,13 +181,22 @@ func (encoder *emptyStructEncoder) IsEmpty(ptr unsafe.Pointer) bool {
 }
 
 type stringModeNumberEncoder struct {
+	isPointer   bool
 	elemEncoder ValEncoder
 }
 
 func (encoder *stringModeNumberEncoder) Encode(ptr unsafe.Pointer, stream *Stream) {
-	stream.writeByte('"')
+	shouldQuote := true
+	if encoder.isPointer && ((*reflect2.UnsafePtrType)(nil)).UnsafeIsNil(ptr) {
+		shouldQuote = false
+	}
+	if shouldQuote {
+		stream.writeByte('"')
+	}
 	encoder.elemEncoder.Encode(ptr, stream)
-	stream.writeByte('"')
+	if shouldQuote {
+		stream.writeByte('"')
+	}
 }
 
 func (encoder *stringModeNumberEncoder) IsEmpty(ptr unsafe.Pointer) bool {
@@ -194,11 +204,17 @@ func (encoder *stringModeNumberEncoder) IsEmpty(ptr unsafe.Pointer) bool {
 }
 
 type stringModeStringEncoder struct {
+	isPointer   bool
 	elemEncoder ValEncoder
 	cfg         *frozenConfig
 }
 
 func (encoder *stringModeStringEncoder) Encode(ptr unsafe.Pointer, stream *Stream) {
+	if encoder.isPointer && ((*reflect2.UnsafePtrType)(nil)).UnsafeIsNil(ptr) {
+		encoder.elemEncoder.Encode(ptr, stream)
+		return
+	}
+
 	tempStream := encoder.cfg.BorrowStream(nil)
 	tempStream.Attachment = stream.Attachment
 	defer encoder.cfg.ReturnStream(tempStream)