diff --git a/include/qapi/visitor.h b/include/qapi/visitor.h
index 1fef18c08f..28c21d8338 100644
--- a/include/qapi/visitor.h
+++ b/include/qapi/visitor.h
@@ -18,7 +18,10 @@
 
 typedef struct GenericList
 {
-    void *value;
+    union {
+        void *value;
+        uint64_t padding;
+    };
     struct GenericList *next;
 } GenericList;
 
diff --git a/scripts/qapi-types.py b/scripts/qapi-types.py
index fd42d71da1..ddcfed9f4b 100644
--- a/scripts/qapi-types.py
+++ b/scripts/qapi-types.py
@@ -22,7 +22,10 @@ def generate_fwd_struct(name, members, builtin_type=False):
 
 typedef struct %(name)sList
 {
-    %(type)s value;
+    union {
+        %(type)s value;
+        uint64_t padding;
+    };
     struct %(name)sList *next;
 } %(name)sList;
 ''',
@@ -35,7 +38,10 @@ typedef struct %(name)s %(name)s;
 
 typedef struct %(name)sList
 {
-    %(name)s *value;
+    union {
+        %(name)s *value;
+        uint64_t padding;
+    };
     struct %(name)sList *next;
 } %(name)sList;
 ''',
diff --git a/tests/test-qmp-output-visitor.c b/tests/test-qmp-output-visitor.c
index 0942a41875..b2fa9a74f6 100644
--- a/tests/test-qmp-output-visitor.c
+++ b/tests/test-qmp-output-visitor.c
@@ -295,7 +295,10 @@ static void test_visitor_out_struct_errors(TestOutputVisitorData *data,
 
 typedef struct TestStructList
 {
-    TestStruct *value;
+    union {
+        TestStruct *value;
+        uint64_t padding;
+    };
     struct TestStructList *next;
 } TestStructList;