diff --git a/spa/include/spa/pod/builder.h b/spa/include/spa/pod/builder.h
index 6579372d3..88e28a53b 100644
--- a/spa/include/spa/pod/builder.h
+++ b/spa/include/spa/pod/builder.h
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ extern "C" {
 struct spa_pod_frame {
 	struct spa_pod pod;
 	uint32_t ref;
+	uint32_t _padding;
 };
 
 struct spa_pod_builder_state {
@@ -46,12 +47,14 @@ struct spa_pod_builder_state {
 #define SPA_POD_BUILDER_FLAG_SEQUENCE	(1<<3)
 #define SPA_POD_BUILDER_FLAG_HEADER	(1<<4)
 	uint32_t flags;
-	int depth;
+	uint32_t depth;
+	uint32_t _padding;
 };
 
 struct spa_pod_builder {
 	void *data;
 	uint32_t size;
+	uint32_t _padding;
 
 	uint32_t (*write) (struct spa_pod_builder *builder, const void *data, uint32_t size);
 	void * (*deref) (struct spa_pod_builder *builder, uint32_t ref, bool safe);
@@ -144,8 +147,7 @@ spa_pod_builder_push(struct spa_pod_builder *builder,
 static inline uint32_t
 spa_pod_builder_raw(struct spa_pod_builder *builder, const void *data, uint32_t size)
 {
-	uint32_t ref;
-	int i;
+	uint32_t i, ref;
 
 	if (builder->write) {
 		ref = builder->write(builder, data, size);
@@ -322,7 +324,7 @@ spa_pod_builder_bytes(struct spa_pod_builder *builder, const void *bytes, uint32
 	return ref;
 }
 
-#define SPA_POD_INIT_Pointer(type,value) (struct spa_pod_pointer){ { sizeof(struct spa_pod_pointer_body), SPA_TYPE_Pointer }, { type, value } }
+#define SPA_POD_INIT_Pointer(type,value) (struct spa_pod_pointer){ { sizeof(struct spa_pod_pointer_body), SPA_TYPE_Pointer }, { type, 0, value } }
 
 static inline uint32_t
 spa_pod_builder_pointer(struct spa_pod_builder *builder, uint32_t type, void *val)
diff --git a/spa/include/spa/pod/parser.h b/spa/include/spa/pod/parser.h
index 85bcebbbf..b54107875 100644
--- a/spa/include/spa/pod/parser.h
+++ b/spa/include/spa/pod/parser.h
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ extern "C" {
 #include <spa/pod/iter.h>
 
 struct spa_pod_parser {
-	int depth;
+	uint32_t depth;
 #define SPA_POD_PARSER_FLAG_OBJECT	(1<<0)
 #define SPA_POD_PARSER_FLAG_STRUCT	(1<<1)
 	uint32_t flags;
diff --git a/spa/include/spa/pod/pod.h b/spa/include/spa/pod/pod.h
index 535fc4056..c63e461c7 100644
--- a/spa/include/spa/pod/pod.h
+++ b/spa/include/spa/pod/pod.h
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ extern "C" {
 #define SPA_POD_BODY_CONST(pod)			SPA_MEMBER((pod),sizeof(struct spa_pod),const void)
 
 struct spa_pod {
-	uint32_t size;
+	uint32_t size;		/* size of the body */
 	uint32_t type;		/* a basic id of enum spa_type */
 };
 
@@ -193,6 +193,7 @@ static inline bool spa_pod_is_object_id(const struct spa_pod *pod, uint32_t id)
 
 struct spa_pod_pointer_body {
 	uint32_t type;		/**< pointer id, one of enum spa_type */
+	uint32_t _padding;
 	const void *value;
 };
 
@@ -203,7 +204,7 @@ struct spa_pod_pointer {
 
 struct spa_pod_fd {
 	struct spa_pod pod;
-	int value;
+	int64_t value;
 };
 
 static inline struct spa_pod *spa_pod_get_values(const struct spa_pod *pod, uint32_t *n_vals, uint32_t *choice)
@@ -221,6 +222,7 @@ static inline struct spa_pod *spa_pod_get_values(const struct spa_pod *pod, uint
 
 #define SPA_POD_PROP_SIZE(prop)		(sizeof(struct spa_pod_prop) + (prop)->value.size)
 
+/* props can be inside an object */
 struct spa_pod_prop {
 	uint32_t key;			/**< key of property, list of valid keys depends on the
 					  *  object type */
diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-native/connection.c b/src/modules/module-protocol-native/connection.c
index 133afb79b..bd20b7e9a 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-native/connection.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-native/connection.c
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ pw_protocol_native_connection_begin_resource(struct pw_protocol_native_connectio
 
 	impl->dest_id = resource->id;
 	impl->opcode = opcode;
-	impl->builder = (struct spa_pod_builder) { NULL, 0, write_pod };
+	impl->builder = (struct spa_pod_builder) { NULL, 0, 0, write_pod };
 
 	return &impl->builder;
 }
@@ -389,7 +389,7 @@ pw_protocol_native_connection_begin_proxy(struct pw_protocol_native_connection *
 
 	impl->dest_id = proxy->id;
 	impl->opcode = opcode;
-	impl->builder = (struct spa_pod_builder) { NULL, 0, write_pod, };
+	impl->builder = (struct spa_pod_builder) { NULL, 0, 0, write_pod, };
 
 	return &impl->builder;
 }