diff --git a/modules/cabana/ml_nullable_test.go b/modules/cabana/ml_nullable_test.go
index 401bc99..9f4a3f9 100644
--- a/modules/cabana/ml_nullable_test.go
+++ b/modules/cabana/ml_nullable_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package cabana
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"reflect"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"testing/fstest"
@@ -180,3 +181,74 @@ func TestMLNullablePointerHost(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	})
 }
+
+type nullableSlug string
+
+func (nullableSlug) String() string { return "decorated" }
+
+func TestHostScalarString(t *testing.T) {
+	var nilString *string
+	var nilBytes *[]byte
+	inner := new("x")
+	slug := nullableSlug("raw-slug")
+	cases := []struct {
+		name string
+		in   any
+		want string
+	}{
+		{"nil interface", nil, ""},
+		{"nil *string", (*string)(nil), ""},
+		{"nil *int", (*int)(nil), ""},
+		{"**string to nil", &nilString, ""},
+		{"nil *[]byte", nilBytes, ""},
+		{"pointer to empty", new(""), ""},
+		{"pointer to text", new("Opis"), "Opis"},
+		{"**string to text", &inner, "x"},
+		{"pointer to int", new(42), "42"},
+		{"pointer to int64", new(int64(-7)), "-7"},
+		{"pointer to uint", new(uint(9)), "9"},
+		{"pointer to float64", new(1.5), "1.5"},
+		{"pointer to bool", new(true), "true"},
+		{"named string value", slug, "raw-slug"},
+		{"pointer to named string", &slug, "raw-slug"},
+		{"byte slice", []byte("abc"), "abc"},
+		{"pointer to byte slice", new([]byte("abc")), "abc"},
+		{"plain string", "plain", "plain"},
+		{"plain int", 7, "7"},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range cases {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got := hostScalarString(tc.in)
+			assertNoPointerLeak(t, tc.name, got)
+			if got != tc.want {
+				t.Fatalf("hostScalarString(%#v) = %q, want %q", tc.in, got, tc.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestMLHydrationPointerHost(t *testing.T) {
+	cc := mlCompiled(t)
+	cases := []struct {
+		name string
+		in   any
+		want map[string]string
+	}{
+		{"nil pointer", (*string)(nil), map[string]string{"en": "", "pl": ""}},
+		{"pointer to empty", new(""), map[string]string{"en": "", "pl": ""}},
+		{"pointer to text", new("Hello"), map[string]string{"en": "Hello", "pl": ""}},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range cases {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			writer := &recordingWriter{defaultLocale: "en", enabled: []string{"en", "pl"}}
+			data := map[string]any{"title": tc.in}
+			if err := hydrateMLRecord(context.Background(), nil, cc, writer, nil, data, "update"); err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("hydrate: %v", err)
+			}
+			got := mlLocaleMap(t, tc.name, data, "title")
+			if !reflect.DeepEqual(got, tc.want) {
+				t.Fatalf("title = %#v, want %#v", got, tc.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}