diff --git a/parse.go b/parse.go
index 00e79b7..0175977 100644
--- a/parse.go
+++ b/parse.go
@@ -216,27 +216,19 @@ func NewParser(config Config, dests ...interface{}) (*Parser, error) {
 		// is the reason that this method for setting default values was deprecated)
 		for _, spec := range p.cmd.specs {
 			// get the value
-			v := p.val(spec.dest)
+			defaultString, defaultValue, err := p.defaultVal(spec.dest)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
 
 			// if the value is the "zero value" (e.g. nil pointer, empty struct) then ignore
-			if isZero(v) {
+			if defaultString == "" {
 				continue
 			}
 
 			// store as a default
-			spec.defaultValue = v
-
-			// we need a string to display in help text
-			// if MarshalText is implemented then use that
-			if m, ok := v.Interface().(encoding.TextMarshaler); ok {
-				s, err := m.MarshalText()
-				if err != nil {
-					return nil, fmt.Errorf("%v: error marshaling default value to string: %v", spec.dest, err)
-				}
-				spec.defaultString = string(s)
-			} else {
-				spec.defaultString = fmt.Sprintf("%v", v)
-			}
+			spec.defaultString = defaultString
+			spec.defaultValue = defaultValue
 		}
 
 		if dest, ok := dest.(Versioned); ok {
@@ -575,11 +567,8 @@ func (p *Parser) process(args []string) error {
 				return fmt.Errorf("invalid subcommand: %s", arg)
 			}
 
-			// instantiate the field to point to a new struct
-			v := p.val(subcmd.dest)
-			if v.IsNil() {
-				v.Set(reflect.New(v.Type().Elem())) // we already checked that all subcommands are struct pointers
-			}
+			// ensure the command struct exists (is not a nil pointer)
+			p.val(subcmd.dest)
 
 			// add the new options to the set of allowed options
 			specs = append(specs, subcmd.specs...)
@@ -743,20 +732,57 @@ func isFlag(s string) bool {
 	return strings.HasPrefix(s, "-") && strings.TrimLeft(s, "-") != ""
 }
 
-// val returns a reflect.Value corresponding to the current value for the
-// given path
-func (p *Parser) val(dest path) reflect.Value {
+// defaultVal returns the string representation of the value at dest if it is
+// reachable without traversing nil pointers, but only if it does not represent
+// the default value for the type.
+func (p *Parser) defaultVal(dest path) (string, reflect.Value, error) {
 	v := p.roots[dest.root]
 	for _, field := range dest.fields {
 		if v.Kind() == reflect.Ptr {
 			if v.IsNil() {
-				return reflect.Value{}
+				return "", v, nil
 			}
 			v = v.Elem()
 		}
 
 		v = v.FieldByIndex(field.Index)
 	}
+
+	if !v.IsValid() || isZero(v) {
+		return "", v, nil
+	}
+
+	if defaultVal, ok := v.Interface().(encoding.TextMarshaler); ok {
+		str, err := defaultVal.MarshalText()
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", v, fmt.Errorf("%v: error marshaling default value to string: %w", dest, err)
+		}
+		return string(str), v, nil
+	}
+
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%v", v), v, nil
+}
+
+// val returns a reflect.Value corresponding to the current value for the
+// given path initiating nil pointers in the path
+func (p *Parser) val(dest path) reflect.Value {
+	v := p.roots[dest.root]
+	for _, field := range dest.fields {
+		if v.Kind() == reflect.Ptr {
+			if v.IsNil() {
+				v.Set(reflect.New(v.Type().Elem()))
+			}
+			v = v.Elem()
+		}
+
+		v = v.FieldByIndex(field.Index)
+	}
+
+	// Don't return a nil-pointer
+	if v.Kind() == reflect.Ptr && v.IsNil() {
+		v.Set(reflect.New(v.Type().Elem()))
+	}
+
 	return v
 }
 
diff --git a/parse_test.go b/parse_test.go
index 3029760..2fa3d92 100644
--- a/parse_test.go
+++ b/parse_test.go
@@ -930,6 +930,17 @@ func TestParserMustParse(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestNonPointerSubcommand(t *testing.T) {
+	var args struct {
+		Sub struct {
+			Foo string `arg:"env"`
+		} `arg:"subcommand"`
+	}
+
+	_, err := NewParser(Config{IgnoreEnv: true}, &args)
+	require.Error(t, err, "subcommands must be pointers to structs but args.Sub is a struct")
+}
+
 type textUnmarshaler struct {
 	val int
 }
diff --git a/subcommand_test.go b/subcommand_test.go
index 2c61dd3..c3909e6 100644
--- a/subcommand_test.go
+++ b/subcommand_test.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package arg
 
 import (
-	"reflect"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
@@ -402,12 +401,8 @@ func TestValForNilStruct(t *testing.T) {
 		Sub *subcmd `arg:"subcommand"`
 	}
 
-	p, err := NewParser(Config{}, &cmd)
+	_, err := NewParser(Config{}, &cmd)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	typ := reflect.TypeOf(cmd)
-	subField, _ := typ.FieldByName("Sub")
-
-	v := p.val(path{fields: []reflect.StructField{subField, subField}})
-	assert.False(t, v.IsValid())
+	require.Nil(t, cmd.Sub)
 }