diff --git a/changelog/pending/20221017--sdk-go--decode-ptr-asset-and-ptr-archive-values.yaml b/changelog/pending/20221017--sdk-go--decode-ptr-asset-and-ptr-archive-values.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..162254463c86
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/pending/20221017--sdk-go--decode-ptr-asset-and-ptr-archive-values.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+changes:
+- type: fix
+  scope: sdk/go
+  description: Allow decoding *asset and *archive values
diff --git a/sdk/go/common/resource/mapper_test.go b/sdk/go/common/resource/mapper_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..58853c0a38e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sdk/go/common/resource/mapper_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+// Copyright 2016-2022, Pulumi Corporation.
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package resource_test
+
+import (
+	"reflect"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
+	"github.com/pulumi/pulumi/sdk/v3/go/common/resource"
+	"github.com/pulumi/pulumi/sdk/v3/go/common/util/mapper"
+)
+
+type complexBag struct {
+	asset   resource.Asset
+	archive resource.Archive
+
+	optionalAsset   *resource.Asset
+	optionalArchive *resource.Archive
+}
+
+func TestAssetsAndArchives(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	newAsset := func(s string) *resource.Asset {
+		a, err := resource.NewTextAsset(s)
+		require.NoError(t, err, "creating asset %s", s)
+		return a
+	}
+	newArchive := func(m map[string]interface{}) *resource.Archive {
+		a, err := resource.NewAssetArchive(m)
+		require.NoError(t, err, "creating asset %#v", m)
+		return a
+	}
+
+	bigArchive := func() *resource.Archive {
+		return newArchive(map[string]interface{}{
+			"asset1": newAsset("asset1"),
+			"archive1": newArchive(map[string]interface{}{
+				"asset2": newAsset("asset2"),
+				"asset3": newAsset("asset3"),
+			}),
+		})
+	}
+	tree := map[string]interface{}{
+		"asset":           newAsset("simple asset"),
+		"optionalAsset":   newAsset("simple optional asset"),
+		"archive":         bigArchive(),
+		"optionalArchive": bigArchive(),
+	}
+
+	bag := complexBag{}
+	md := mapper.New(nil)
+
+	t.Run("asset", func(t *testing.T) { //nolint:parallelTest
+		err := md.DecodeValue(tree, reflect.TypeOf(complexBag{}), "asset", &bag.asset, false)
+		assert.Nil(t, err)
+	})
+	t.Run("optionalAsset", func(t *testing.T) { //nolint:parallelTest
+		err := md.DecodeValue(tree, reflect.TypeOf(complexBag{}), "optionalAsset", &bag.optionalAsset, false)
+		assert.Nil(t, err)
+	})
+	t.Run("archive", func(t *testing.T) { //nolint:parallelTest
+		err := md.DecodeValue(tree, reflect.TypeOf(complexBag{}), "archive", &bag.archive, false)
+		assert.Nil(t, err)
+	})
+	t.Run("optionalArchive", func(t *testing.T) { //nolint:parallelTest
+		err := md.DecodeValue(tree, reflect.TypeOf(complexBag{}), "optionalArchive", &bag.optionalArchive, false)
+		assert.Nil(t, err)
+	})
+}
diff --git a/sdk/go/common/util/mapper/mapper_decode.go b/sdk/go/common/util/mapper/mapper_decode.go
index 023742bc9053..5d539a493f35 100644
--- a/sdk/go/common/util/mapper/mapper_decode.go
+++ b/sdk/go/common/util/mapper/mapper_decode.go
@@ -88,13 +88,21 @@ func (md *mapper) DecodeValue(obj map[string]interface{}, ty reflect.Type, key s
 	if v, has := obj[key]; has {
 		// The field exists; okay, try to map it to the right type.
 		vsrc := reflect.ValueOf(v)
+	newValue:
 		// Ensure the source is valid; this is false if the value reflects the zero value.
 		if vsrc.IsValid() {
 			vdstType := vdst.Type().Elem()
 
+			// If the source is a ptr, dereference it as necessary to get the underlying
+			// value.
+			if vsrc.Type().Kind() == reflect.Ptr && !vsrc.IsNil() {
+				vsrc = vsrc.Elem()
+				goto newValue
+			}
+
 			// So long as the target element is a pointer, we have a pointer to pointer; dig through until we bottom out
 			// on the non-pointer type that matches the source.  This assumes the source isn't itself a pointer!
-			contract.Assertf(vsrc.Type().Kind() != reflect.Ptr, "source is a pointer")
+			contract.Assertf(vsrc.Type().Kind() != reflect.Ptr, "source is a null pointer")
 			for vdstType.Kind() == reflect.Ptr {
 				vdst = vdst.Elem()
 				vdstType = vdstType.Elem()