diff --git a/questionable/binding.nim b/questionable/binding.nim
index 3a68107..e688085 100644
--- a/questionable/binding.nim
+++ b/questionable/binding.nim
@@ -2,15 +2,20 @@ import std/options
 import std/macros
 import ./private/binderror
 
-proc option[T](option: Option[T]): Option[T] =
+template toOption[T](option: Option[T]): Option[T] =
   option
 
+template toOption[T: ref | ptr | pointer | proc](value: T): Option[T] =
+  # `std/options` don't consider closure iterators to be pointer types
+  # (probably a bug) so we don't list them here.
+  value.option
+
 proc placeholder(T: type): T =
   discard
 
 template bindLet(name, expression): untyped =
   let evaluated = expression
-  let option = evaluated.option
+  let option = evaluated.toOption
   type T = typeof(option.unsafeGet())
   let name {.used.} = if option.isSome:
     option.unsafeGet()
@@ -21,7 +26,7 @@ template bindLet(name, expression): untyped =
 
 template bindVar(name, expression): untyped =
   let evaluated = expression
-  let option = evaluated.option
+  let option = evaluated.toOption
   type T = typeof(option.unsafeGet())
   var name {.used.} = if option.isSome:
     option.unsafeGet()
@@ -55,7 +60,7 @@ macro bindTuple(names, expression): bool =
 
   quote do:
     let `evaluated` = `expression`
-    let `opt` = `evaluated`.option
+    let `opt` = `evaluated`.toOption
     type `T` = typeof(`opt`.unsafeGet())
     `letsection`
     `opt`.isSome
diff --git a/testmodules/options/test.nim b/testmodules/options/test.nim
index e461543..62d4e6f 100644
--- a/testmodules/options/test.nim
+++ b/testmodules/options/test.nim
@@ -165,6 +165,53 @@ suite "optionals":
     else:
       fail()
 
+  test "=? works with reference types":
+    var x = new int
+    x[] = 42
+    if a =? x:
+      check a[] == 42
+    else:
+      fail
+
+    x = nil
+    if a =? x:
+      fail
+
+    var p = proc = discard
+    if a =? p:
+      a()
+    else:
+      fail
+
+    p = nil
+    if a =? p:
+      fail
+
+  test "=? rejects non-reference types":
+    check `not` compiles do:
+      if a =? 0:
+        discard
+    check `not` compiles do:
+      if var a =? 0:
+        discard
+    check `not` compiles do:
+      if (a,) =? (0,):
+        discard
+
+  test "=? works with custom optional types":
+    type MyOption = distinct int
+    proc isSome(x: MyOption): bool = x.int >= 0
+    proc unsafeGet(x: MyOption): int = x.int
+    template toOption(x: MyOption): MyOption = x
+
+    if a =? MyOption 42:
+      check a == 42
+    else:
+      fail
+
+    if a =? MyOption -1:
+      fail
+
   test "=? binds and unpacks tuples":
     if (a, b) =? (some ("test", 1)):
       check a == "test"