diff --git a/src/core/src/factory.rs b/src/core/src/factory.rs
index ed307a1dcd5..bb31a55bcb9 100644
--- a/src/core/src/factory.rs
+++ b/src/core/src/factory.rs
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ use std::error::Error;
 use std::fmt;
 use std::mem;
 use {handle, format, mapping, pso, shade, target, tex};
-use {Capabilities, Resources};
+use {Capabilities, Resources, Pod};
 use {VertexShader, GeometryShader, PixelShader, ShaderSet};
 
 
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ pub trait Typed: Sized {
 
 
 /// Cast a slice from one POD type to another.
-pub fn cast_slice<A: Copy, B: Copy>(slice: &[A]) -> &[B] {
+pub fn cast_slice<A: Pod, B: Pod>(slice: &[A]) -> &[B] {
     use std::slice;
     let raw_len = mem::size_of::<A>().wrapping_mul(slice.len());
     let len = raw_len / mem::size_of::<B>();
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ pub trait Factory<R: Resources> {
     fn create_buffer_raw(&mut self, BufferInfo) -> Result<handle::RawBuffer<R>, BufferError>;
     fn create_buffer_const_raw(&mut self, data: &[u8], stride: usize, BufferRole, Bind)
                                 -> Result<handle::RawBuffer<R>, BufferError>;
-    fn create_buffer_const<T: Copy>(&mut self, data: &[T], role: BufferRole, bind: Bind) -> Result<handle::Buffer<R, T>, BufferError> {
+    fn create_buffer_const<T: Pod>(&mut self, data: &[T], role: BufferRole, bind: Bind) -> Result<handle::Buffer<R, T>, BufferError> {
         self.create_buffer_const_raw(cast_slice(data), mem::size_of::<T>(), role, bind)
             .map(|raw| Typed::new(raw))
     }
diff --git a/src/core/src/format.rs b/src/core/src/format.rs
index 6f58a74eae8..2de8063034b 100644
--- a/src/core/src/format.rs
+++ b/src/core/src/format.rs
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 //  ETC2_RGB, // Use the EXT2 algorithm on 3 components.
 //  ETC2_SRGB, // Use the EXT2 algorithm on 4 components (RGBA) in the sRGB color space.
 //  ETC2_EAC_RGBA8, // Use the EXT2 EAC algorithm on 4 components.
-
+use Pod;
 
 macro_rules! impl_channel_type {
     { $($name:ident = $shader_type:ident [ $($imp_trait:ident),* ] ,)* } => {
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ pub struct Format(pub SurfaceType, pub ChannelType);
 /// Compile-time surface type trait.
 pub trait SurfaceTyped {
     /// The corresponding data type to be passed from CPU.
-    type DataType: Copy;
+    type DataType: Pod;
     /// Return the run-time value of the type.
     fn get_surface_type() -> SurfaceType;
 }
@@ -289,6 +289,9 @@ macro_rules! alias {
                     $name(v)
                 }
             }
+
+            unsafe impl Pod for $name {}
+
             impl $name {
                 /// Convert a 2-element slice.
                 pub fn cast2(v: [$ty; 2]) -> [$name; 2] {
diff --git a/src/core/src/lib.rs b/src/core/src/lib.rs
index 5873e6953a8..7e3196dd328 100644
--- a/src/core/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/core/src/lib.rs
@@ -206,3 +206,19 @@ pub trait DeviceFence<R: Resources>: Device<Resources=R> where
     /// the fence is satisfied
     fn fence_wait(&mut self, fence: &handle::Fence<R>);
 }
+
+/// A trait for plain-old-data types.
+///
+/// A POD type does not have invalid bit patterns and can be safely
+/// created from arbitrary bit pattern.
+pub unsafe trait Pod {}
+
+macro_rules! impl_pod {
+    ( ty = $($ty:ty)* ) => { $( unsafe impl Pod for $ty {} )* };
+    ( ar = $($tt:expr)* ) => { $( unsafe impl<T: Pod> Pod for [T; $tt] {} )* };
+}
+
+impl_pod! { ty = isize usize i8 u8 i16 u16 i32 u32 i64 u64 f32 f64 }
+impl_pod! { ar =
+    0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32
+}
diff --git a/src/render/src/encoder.rs b/src/render/src/encoder.rs
index 1c14502f200..dc8819c2bd5 100644
--- a/src/render/src/encoder.rs
+++ b/src/render/src/encoder.rs
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ use std::fmt;
 use std::mem;
 
 use gfx_core::{Device, IndexType, Resources, VertexCount};
-use gfx_core::{draw, format, handle, tex};
+use gfx_core::{draw, format, handle, tex, Pod};
 use gfx_core::factory::{cast_slice, Typed};
 use slice;
 use pso;
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ impl<R: Resources, C: draw::CommandBuffer<R>> Encoder<R, C> {
     }
 
     /// Update a buffer with a slice of data.
-    pub fn update_buffer<T: Copy>(&mut self, buf: &handle::Buffer<R, T>,
+    pub fn update_buffer<T: Pod>(&mut self, buf: &handle::Buffer<R, T>,
                          data: &[T], offset_elements: usize)
                          -> Result<(), UpdateError<usize>>
     {
diff --git a/src/render/src/factory.rs b/src/render/src/factory.rs
index df9dc48631e..5abe4c2c0ba 100644
--- a/src/render/src/factory.rs
+++ b/src/render/src/factory.rs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 //! exposes extension functions and shortcuts to aid with creating and managing graphics resources.
 //! See the `FactoryExt` trait for more information.
 
-use gfx_core::{format, handle, tex, state};
+use gfx_core::{format, handle, tex, state, Pod};
 use gfx_core::{Primitive, Resources, ShaderSet};
 use gfx_core::factory::{Bind, BufferRole, Factory};
 use gfx_core::pso::{CreationError, Descriptor};
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ pub trait FactoryExt<R: Resources>: Factory<R> {
     /// constructed.
     fn create_vertex_buffer<T>(&mut self, vertices: &[T])
                             -> handle::Buffer<R, T> where
-                            T: Copy + pso::buffer::Structure<format::Format>
+                            T: Pod + pso::buffer::Structure<format::Format>
     {
         //debug_assert!(nv <= self.get_capabilities().max_vertex_count);
         self.create_buffer_const(vertices, BufferRole::Vertex, Bind::empty()).unwrap()
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ pub trait FactoryExt<R: Resources>: Factory<R> {
     /// `Slice` from the supplied indices.
     fn create_vertex_buffer_with_slice<B, V>(&mut self, vertices: &[V], indices: B)
                                        -> (handle::Buffer<R, V>, Slice<R>)
-                                       where V: Copy + pso::buffer::Structure<format::Format>,
+                                       where V: Pod + pso::buffer::Structure<format::Format>,
                                              B: IntoIndexBuffer<R>
     {
         let vertex_buffer = self.create_vertex_buffer(vertices);
diff --git a/src/render/src/lib.rs b/src/render/src/lib.rs
index 7120eea7107..a8bb5e37adf 100644
--- a/src/render/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/render/src/lib.rs
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ extern crate gfx_core;
 
 /// public re-exported traits
 pub mod traits {
-    pub use gfx_core::{Device, Factory, DeviceFence};
+    pub use gfx_core::{Device, Factory, DeviceFence, Pod};
     pub use factory::FactoryExt;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/render/src/macros/structure.rs b/src/render/src/macros/structure.rs
index dc66c213ca8..c013fb713ce 100644
--- a/src/render/src/macros/structure.rs
+++ b/src/render/src/macros/structure.rs
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ macro_rules! gfx_impl_struct {
             $( pub $field: $ty, )*
         }
 
+        unsafe impl $crate::traits::Pod for $root {}
+
         impl $crate::pso::buffer::Structure<$runtime_format> for $root {
             fn query(name: &str) -> Option<$crate::pso::buffer::Element<$runtime_format>> {
                 use std::mem::size_of;