diff --git a/daemon/remote.c b/daemon/remote.c
index f2e193de61..37fbed0ad1 100644
--- a/daemon/remote.c
+++ b/daemon/remote.c
@@ -1268,88 +1268,6 @@ cleanup:
     return rv;
 }
 
-static int
-remoteDispatchDomainPinVcpu(struct qemud_server *server ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
-                            struct qemud_client *client ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
-                            virConnectPtr conn,
-                            remote_message_header *hdr ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
-                            remote_error *rerr,
-                            remote_domain_pin_vcpu_args *args,
-                            void *ret ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
-{
-    virDomainPtr dom = NULL;
-    int rv = -1;
-
-    if (!conn) {
-        virNetError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s", _("connection not open"));
-        goto cleanup;
-    }
-
-    if (!(dom = get_nonnull_domain(conn, args->dom)))
-        goto cleanup;
-
-    if (args->cpumap.cpumap_len > REMOTE_CPUMAP_MAX) {
-        virNetError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s", _("cpumap_len > REMOTE_CPUMAP_MAX"));
-        goto cleanup;
-    }
-
-    if (virDomainPinVcpu(dom, args->vcpu,
-                         (unsigned char *) args->cpumap.cpumap_val,
-                         args->cpumap.cpumap_len) < 0)
-        goto cleanup;
-
-    rv = 0;
-
-cleanup:
-    if (rv < 0)
-        remoteDispatchError(rerr);
-    if (dom)
-        virDomainFree(dom);
-    return rv;
-}
-
-static int
-remoteDispatchDomainPinVcpuFlags(struct qemud_server *server ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
-                                 struct qemud_client *client ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
-                                 virConnectPtr conn,
-                                 remote_message_header *hdr ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
-                                 remote_error *rerr,
-                                 remote_domain_pin_vcpu_flags_args *args,
-                                 void *ret ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
-{
-    virDomainPtr dom = NULL;
-    int rv = -1;
-
-    if (!conn) {
-        virNetError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s", _("connection not open"));
-        goto cleanup;
-    }
-
-    if (!(dom = get_nonnull_domain(conn, args->dom)))
-        goto cleanup;
-
-    if (args->cpumap.cpumap_len > REMOTE_CPUMAP_MAX) {
-        virNetError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s", _("cpumap_len > REMOTE_CPUMAP_MAX"));
-        goto cleanup;
-    }
-
-    if (virDomainPinVcpuFlags(dom,
-                              args->vcpu,
-                              (unsigned char *) args->cpumap.cpumap_val,
-                              args->cpumap.cpumap_len,
-                              args->flags) < 0)
-        goto cleanup;
-
-    rv = 0;
-
-cleanup:
-    if (rv < 0)
-        remoteDispatchError(rerr);
-    if (dom)
-        virDomainFree(dom);
-    return rv;
-}
-
 static int
 remoteDispatchDomainGetMemoryParameters(struct qemud_server *server
                                         ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
diff --git a/daemon/remote_generator.pl b/daemon/remote_generator.pl
index 78992b0c8e..71085d9283 100755
--- a/daemon/remote_generator.pl
+++ b/daemon/remote_generator.pl
@@ -403,20 +403,32 @@ elsif ($opt_b) {
                          "        virDomainSnapshotFree(snapshot);\n" .
                          "    if (dom)\n" .
                          "        virDomainFree(dom);");
-                } elsif ($args_member =~ m/^(remote_string|remote_nonnull_string|remote_uuid|opaque) (\S+)<\S+>;/) {
+                } elsif ($args_member =~ m/^(?:remote_string|remote_uuid) (\S+)<\S+>;/) {
                     if (! @args_list) {
                         push(@args_list, "conn");
                     }
 
-                    if ($call->{ProcName} eq "SecretSetValue") {
-                        push(@args_list, "(const unsigned char *)args->$2.$2_val");
-                    } elsif ($call->{ProcName} eq "CPUBaseline") {
-                        push(@args_list, "(const char **)args->$2.$2_val");
-                    } else {
-                        push(@args_list, "args->$2.$2_val");
+                    push(@args_list, "args->$1.$1_val");
+                    push(@args_list, "args->$1.$1_len");
+                } elsif ($args_member =~ m/^(?:opaque|remote_nonnull_string) (\S+)<\S+>;(.*)$/) {
+                    if (! @args_list) {
+                        push(@args_list, "conn");
                     }
 
-                    push(@args_list, "args->$2.$2_len");
+                    my $cast = "";
+                    my $arg_name = $1;
+                    my $annotation = $2;
+
+                    if ($annotation ne "") {
+                        if ($annotation =~ m/\s*\/\*\s*(.*)\s*\*\//) {
+                            $cast = $1;
+                        } else {
+                            die "malformed cast annotation for argument: $args_member";
+                        }
+                    }
+
+                    push(@args_list, "${cast}args->$arg_name.${arg_name}_val");
+                    push(@args_list, "args->$arg_name.${arg_name}_len");
                 } elsif ($args_member =~ m/^(?:unsigned )?int (\S+)<\S+>;/) {
                     if (! @args_list) {
                         push(@args_list, "conn");
@@ -998,34 +1010,60 @@ elsif ($opt_k) {
                 } elsif ($args_member =~ m/^remote_string (\S+);/) {
                     push(@args_list, "const char *$1");
                     push(@setters_list, "args.$1 = $1 ? (char **)&$1 : NULL;");
-                } elsif ($args_member =~ m/^remote_nonnull_string (\S+)<(\S+)>;/) {
-                    push(@args_list, "const char **$1");
-                    push(@args_list, "unsigned int ${1}len");
-                    push(@setters_list, "args.$1.${1}_val = (char **)$1;");
-                    push(@setters_list, "args.$1.${1}_len = ${1}len;");
-                    push(@args_check_list, { name => "\"$1\"", arg => "${1}len", limit => $2 });
+                } elsif ($args_member =~ m/^remote_nonnull_string (\S+)<(\S+)>;(.*)$/) {
+                    my $type_name = "const char **";
+                    my $arg_name = $1;
+                    my $limit = $2;
+                    my $annotation = $3;
+
+                    if ($annotation ne "") {
+                        if ($annotation =~ m/\s*\/\*\s*\((.*)\)\s*\*\//) {
+                            $type_name = $1;
+                        } else {
+                            die "malformed cast annotation for argument: $args_member";
+                        }
+                    }
+
+                    push(@args_list, "$type_name$arg_name");
+                    push(@args_list, "unsigned int ${arg_name}len");
+                    push(@setters_list, "args.$arg_name.${arg_name}_val = (char **)$arg_name;");
+                    push(@setters_list, "args.$arg_name.${arg_name}_len = ${arg_name}len;");
+                    push(@args_check_list, { name => "\"$arg_name\"", arg => "${arg_name}len", limit => $2 });
                 } elsif ($args_member =~ m/^remote_nonnull_string (\S+);/) {
                     push(@args_list, "const char *$1");
                     push(@setters_list, "args.$1 = (char *)$1;");
-                } elsif ($args_member =~ m/^(remote_string|opaque) (\S+)<(\S+)>;/) {
-                    my $type_name = $1;
-                    my $arg_name = $2;
-                    my $limit = $3;
+                } elsif ($args_member =~ m/^opaque (\S+)<(\S+)>;(.*)$/) {
+                    my $type_name = "const char *";
+                    my $arg_name = $1;
+                    my $limit = $2;
+                    my $annotation = $3;
+
+                    if ($annotation ne "") {
+                        if ($annotation =~ m/\s*\/\*\s*\((.*)\)\s*\*\//) {
+                            $type_name = $1;
+                        } else {
+                            die "malformed cast annotation for argument: $args_member";
+                        }
+                    }
+
+                    push(@args_list, "$type_name$arg_name");
 
                     if ($call->{ProcName} eq "SecretSetValue") {
-                        push(@args_list, "const unsigned char *$arg_name");
+                        # SPECIAL: virSecretSetValue uses size_t instead of int
                         push(@args_list, "size_t ${arg_name}len");
-                    } elsif ($call->{ProcName} eq "DomainPinVcpu") {
-                        push(@args_list, "unsigned char *$arg_name");
-                        push(@args_list, "int ${arg_name}len");
-                    } elsif ($call->{ProcName} eq "DomainPinVcpuFlags") {
-                        push(@args_list, "unsigned char *$arg_name");
-                        push(@args_list, "int ${arg_name}len");
                     } else {
-                        push(@args_list, "const char *$arg_name");
                         push(@args_list, "int ${arg_name}len");
                     }
 
+                    push(@setters_list, "args.$arg_name.${arg_name}_val = (char *)$arg_name;");
+                    push(@setters_list, "args.$arg_name.${arg_name}_len = ${arg_name}len;");
+                    push(@args_check_list, { name => "\"$arg_name\"", arg => "${arg_name}len", limit => $limit });
+                } elsif ($args_member =~ m/^remote_string (\S+)<(\S+)>;/) {
+                    my $arg_name = $1;
+                    my $limit = $2;
+
+                    push(@args_list, "const char *$arg_name");
+                    push(@args_list, "int ${arg_name}len");
                     push(@setters_list, "args.$arg_name.${arg_name}_val = (char *)$arg_name;");
                     push(@setters_list, "args.$arg_name.${arg_name}_len = ${arg_name}len;");
                     push(@args_check_list, { name => "\"$arg_name\"", arg => "${arg_name}len", limit => $limit });
diff --git a/src/remote/remote_protocol.x b/src/remote/remote_protocol.x
index f157b91629..3f8f006f83 100644
--- a/src/remote/remote_protocol.x
+++ b/src/remote/remote_protocol.x
@@ -357,7 +357,10 @@ struct remote_node_get_memory_stats {
  * If the 'remote_CALL_ret' maps to a struct in the public API then it is
  * also filled via call-by-reference and must be annotated with a
  * insert@<offset> comment to indicate the offset in the parameter list of
- * the function to be called. */
+ * the function to be called.
+ *
+ * Dynamic opaque and remote_nonnull_string arrays can be annotated with an
+ * optional typecast */
 
 struct remote_open_args {
     /* NB. "name" might be NULL although in practice you can't
@@ -890,13 +893,13 @@ struct remote_domain_get_vcpus_flags_ret {
 struct remote_domain_pin_vcpu_args {
     remote_nonnull_domain dom;
     unsigned int vcpu;
-    opaque cpumap<REMOTE_CPUMAP_MAX>;
+    opaque cpumap<REMOTE_CPUMAP_MAX>; /* (unsigned char *) */
 };
 
 struct remote_domain_pin_vcpu_flags_args {
     remote_nonnull_domain dom;
     unsigned int vcpu;
-    opaque cpumap<REMOTE_CPUMAP_MAX>;
+    opaque cpumap<REMOTE_CPUMAP_MAX>; /* (unsigned char *) */
     unsigned int flags;
 };
 
@@ -1701,7 +1704,7 @@ struct remote_secret_get_xml_desc_ret {
 
 struct remote_secret_set_value_args {
     remote_nonnull_secret secret;
-    opaque value<REMOTE_SECRET_VALUE_MAX>;
+    opaque value<REMOTE_SECRET_VALUE_MAX>; /* (const unsigned char *) */
     unsigned int flags;
 };
 
@@ -1819,7 +1822,7 @@ struct remote_cpu_compare_ret {
 
 
 struct remote_cpu_baseline_args {
-    remote_nonnull_string xmlCPUs<REMOTE_CPU_BASELINE_MAX>;
+    remote_nonnull_string xmlCPUs<REMOTE_CPU_BASELINE_MAX>; /* (const char **) */
     unsigned int flags;
 };
 
@@ -2193,7 +2196,7 @@ enum remote_procedure {
     REMOTE_PROC_DOMAIN_LOOKUP_BY_NAME = 23, /* autogen autogen */
     REMOTE_PROC_DOMAIN_LOOKUP_BY_UUID = 24, /* autogen autogen */
     REMOTE_PROC_NUM_OF_DEFINED_DOMAINS = 25, /* autogen autogen */
-    REMOTE_PROC_DOMAIN_PIN_VCPU = 26, /* skipgen autogen */
+    REMOTE_PROC_DOMAIN_PIN_VCPU = 26, /* autogen autogen */
     REMOTE_PROC_DOMAIN_REBOOT = 27, /* autogen autogen */
     REMOTE_PROC_DOMAIN_RESUME = 28, /* autogen autogen */
     REMOTE_PROC_DOMAIN_SET_AUTOSTART = 29, /* autogen autogen */
@@ -2412,7 +2415,7 @@ enum remote_procedure {
     REMOTE_PROC_INTERFACE_CHANGE_ROLLBACK = 222, /* autogen autogen */
     REMOTE_PROC_DOMAIN_GET_SCHEDULER_PARAMETERS_FLAGS = 223, /* skipgen autogen */
     REMOTE_PROC_DOMAIN_EVENT_CONTROL_ERROR = 224, /* skipgen skipgen */
-    REMOTE_PROC_DOMAIN_PIN_VCPU_FLAGS = 225, /* skipgen autogen */
+    REMOTE_PROC_DOMAIN_PIN_VCPU_FLAGS = 225, /* autogen autogen */
     REMOTE_PROC_DOMAIN_SEND_KEY = 226, /* autogen autogen */
     REMOTE_PROC_NODE_GET_CPU_STATS = 227, /* skipgen skipgen */
     REMOTE_PROC_NODE_GET_MEMORY_STATS = 228, /* skipgen skipgen */