diff --git a/source/ddbus/conv.d b/source/ddbus/conv.d
index b90b2a0..6a73b94 100644
--- a/source/ddbus/conv.d
+++ b/source/ddbus/conv.d
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import std.variant : VariantN;
 void buildIter(TS...)(DBusMessageIter* iter, TS args)
     if (allCanDBus!TS) {
   foreach (index, arg; args) {
-    alias TS[index] T;
+    alias T = Unqual!(TS[index]);
     static if (is(T == string) || is(T == InterfaceName) || is(T == BusName)) {
       immutable(char)* cStr = arg.toStringz();
       dbus_message_iter_append_basic(iter, typeCode!T, &cStr);
@@ -172,10 +172,10 @@ void buildIter(TS...)(DBusMessageIter* iter, TS args)
 }
 
 T readIter(T)(DBusMessageIter* iter)
-    if (is(T == enum) && !is(T == InterfaceName) && !is(T == BusName)) {
+    if (is(T == enum) && !is(Unqual!T == InterfaceName) && !is(Unqual!T == BusName)) {
   import std.algorithm.searching : canFind;
 
-  alias OriginalType!T B;
+  alias B = Unqual!(OriginalType!T);
 
   B value = readIter!B(iter);
   enforce(only(EnumMembers!T).canFind(value), new InvalidValueException(value, T.stringof));
@@ -197,8 +197,10 @@ T readIter(T)(DBusMessageIter* iter)
   return T(cast(E) value);
 }
 
-T readIter(T)(DBusMessageIter* iter)
-    if (!(is(T == enum) && !is(T == InterfaceName) && !is(T == BusName)) && !isInstanceOf!(BitFlags, T) && canDBus!T) {
+U readIter(U)(DBusMessageIter* iter)
+    if (!(is(U == enum) && !is(Unqual!U == InterfaceName) && !is(Unqual!U == BusName)) && !isInstanceOf!(BitFlags, U) && canDBus!U) {
+  alias T = Unqual!U;
+
   auto argType = dbus_message_iter_get_arg_type(iter);
   T ret;
 
@@ -214,7 +216,7 @@ T readIter(T)(DBusMessageIter* iter)
           ret.explicitVariant = true;
       }
       dbus_message_iter_next(iter);
-      return ret;
+      return cast(U) ret;
     }
   }
 
@@ -226,7 +228,7 @@ T readIter(T)(DBusMessageIter* iter)
     const(char)* cStr;
     dbus_message_iter_get_basic(iter, &cStr);
     string str = cStr.fromStringz().idup; // copy string
-    static if (is(T == string) || is(T == InterfaceName) || is(T == BusName)) {
+    static if (is(T == string) || is(T : InterfaceName) || is(T : BusName)) {
       ret = cast(T)str;
     } else {
       ret = ObjectPath(str);
@@ -239,20 +241,20 @@ T readIter(T)(DBusMessageIter* iter)
     DBusMessageIter sub;
     dbus_message_iter_recurse(iter, &sub);
     readIterTuple!T(&sub, ret);
-  } else static if (is(T t : U[], U)) {
-    assert(dbus_message_iter_get_element_type(iter) == typeCode!U);
+  } else static if (is(T t : S[], S)) {
+    assert(dbus_message_iter_get_element_type(iter) == typeCode!S);
 
     DBusMessageIter sub;
     dbus_message_iter_recurse(iter, &sub);
 
     while (dbus_message_iter_get_arg_type(&sub) != 0) {
-      static if (is(U == DictionaryEntry!(K, V), K, V)) {
+      static if (is(S == DictionaryEntry!(K, V), K, V)) {
         DBusMessageIter entry;
         dbus_message_iter_recurse(&sub, &entry);
-        ret ~= U(readIter!K(&entry), readIter!V(&entry));
+        ret ~= S(readIter!K(&entry), readIter!V(&entry));
         dbus_message_iter_next(&sub);
       } else {
-        ret ~= readIter!U(&sub);
+        ret ~= readIter!S(&sub);
       }
     }
   } else static if (isInstanceOf!(Variant, T)) {
@@ -295,13 +297,13 @@ T readIter(T)(DBusMessageIter* iter)
 
     if (ret.type == 's') {
       ret.str = readIter!string(iter);
-      return ret;
+      return cast(U) ret;
     } else if (ret.type == 'o') {
       ret.obj = readIter!ObjectPath(iter);
-      return ret;
+      return cast(U) ret;
     } else if (ret.type == 'b') {
       ret.boolean = readIter!bool(iter);
-      return ret;
+      return cast(U) ret;
     } else if (dbus_type_is_basic(ret.type)) {
       dbus_message_iter_get_basic(iter, &ret.int64);
     } else if (ret.type == 'a') {
@@ -351,7 +353,7 @@ T readIter(T)(DBusMessageIter* iter)
   }
 
   dbus_message_iter_next(iter);
-  return ret;
+  return cast(U) ret;
 }
 
 void readIterTuple(Tup)(DBusMessageIter* iter, ref Tup tuple)
diff --git a/source/ddbus/thin.d b/source/ddbus/thin.d
index c8c7bf6..74e7a6e 100644
--- a/source/ddbus/thin.d
+++ b/source/ddbus/thin.d
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ struct ObjectPath {
     return hashOf(_value);
   }
 
+  T opCast(T : ObjectPath)() const pure @nogc nothrow @safe {
+    return this;
+  }
+
   T opCast(T : string)() const pure @nogc nothrow @safe {
     return value;
   }
@@ -482,25 +486,26 @@ struct DBusAny {
       TypeMismatchException if the DBus type of the current value of the
       DBusAny object is not the same as the DBus type used to represent T.
   +/
-  T get(T)() @property const
-      if (staticIndexOf!(T, BasicTypes) >= 0) {
+  U get(U)() @property const
+      if (staticIndexOf!(Unqual!U, BasicTypes) >= 0) {
+    alias T = Unqual!U;
     enforce(type == typeCode!T, new TypeMismatchException(
         "Cannot get a " ~ T.stringof ~ " from a DBusAny with" ~ " a value of DBus type '" ~ typeSig ~ "'.",
         typeCode!T, type));
 
     static if (isIntegral!T) {
       enum memberName = (isUnsigned!T ? "uint" : "int") ~ (T.sizeof * 8).to!string;
-      return __traits(getMember, this, memberName);
+      return cast(U) __traits(getMember, this, memberName);
     } else static if (is(T == double)) {
-      return float64;
+      return cast(U) float64;
     } else static if (is(T == string)) {
-      return str;
+      return cast(U) str;
     } else static if (is(T == InterfaceName) || is(T == BusName)) {
-      return cast(T) str;
+      return cast(U) str;
     } else static if (is(T == ObjectPath)) {
-      return obj;
+      return cast(U) obj;
     } else static if (is(T == bool)) {
-      return boolean;
+      return cast(U) boolean;
     } else {
       static assert(false);
     }
@@ -696,6 +701,21 @@ struct DBusAny {
       return uint64 == b.uint64;
     }
   }
+
+  /// Returns: true if this variant is an integer.
+  bool typeIsIntegral() const @property {
+    return type.dbusIsIntegral;
+  }
+
+  /// Returns: true if this variant is a floating point value.
+  bool typeIsFloating() const @property {
+    return type.dbusIsFloating;
+  }
+
+  /// Returns: true if this variant is an integer or a floating point value.
+  bool typeIsNumeric() const @property {
+    return type.dbusIsNumeric;
+  }
 }
 
 unittest {
@@ -706,23 +726,26 @@ unittest {
     return v;
   }
 
-  void test(T)(T value, DBusAny b) {
+  void test(bool testGet = false, T)(T value, DBusAny b) {
     assertEqual(DBusAny(value), b);
     assertEqual(b.to!T, value);
+    static if (testGet)
+      assertEqual(b.get!T, value);
     b.toString();
   }
 
-  test(cast(ubyte) 184, set!"uint8"(DBusAny('y', null, false), cast(ubyte) 184));
-  test(cast(short) 184, set!"int16"(DBusAny('n', null, false), cast(short) 184));
-  test(cast(ushort) 184, set!"uint16"(DBusAny('q', null, false), cast(ushort) 184));
-  test(cast(int) 184, set!"int32"(DBusAny('i', null, false), cast(int) 184));
-  test(cast(uint) 184, set!"uint32"(DBusAny('u', null, false), cast(uint) 184));
-  test(cast(long) 184, set!"int64"(DBusAny('x', null, false), cast(long) 184));
-  test(cast(ulong) 184, set!"uint64"(DBusAny('t', null, false), cast(ulong) 184));
-  test(1.84, set!"float64"(DBusAny('d', null, false), 1.84));
-  test(true, set!"boolean"(DBusAny('b', null, false), true));
-  test("abc", set!"str"(DBusAny('s', null, false), "abc"));
-  test(ObjectPath("/foo/Bar"), set!"obj"(DBusAny('o', null, false), ObjectPath("/foo/Bar")));
+  test!true(cast(ubyte) 184, set!"uint8"(DBusAny('y', null, false), cast(ubyte) 184));
+  test(cast(byte) 184, set!"uint8"(DBusAny('y', null, false), cast(byte) 184));
+  test!true(cast(short) 184, set!"int16"(DBusAny('n', null, false), cast(short) 184));
+  test!true(cast(ushort) 184, set!"uint16"(DBusAny('q', null, false), cast(ushort) 184));
+  test!true(cast(int) 184, set!"int32"(DBusAny('i', null, false), cast(int) 184));
+  test!true(cast(uint) 184, set!"uint32"(DBusAny('u', null, false), cast(uint) 184));
+  test!true(cast(long) 184, set!"int64"(DBusAny('x', null, false), cast(long) 184));
+  test!true(cast(ulong) 184, set!"uint64"(DBusAny('t', null, false), cast(ulong) 184));
+  test!true(1.84, set!"float64"(DBusAny('d', null, false), 1.84));
+  test!true(true, set!"boolean"(DBusAny('b', null, false), true));
+  test!true("abc", set!"str"(DBusAny('s', null, false), "abc"));
+  test!true(ObjectPath("/foo/Bar"), set!"obj"(DBusAny('o', null, false), ObjectPath("/foo/Bar")));
   test(cast(ubyte[])[1, 2, 3], set!"binaryData"(DBusAny('a', ['y'], false),
       cast(ubyte[])[1, 2, 3]));
 
diff --git a/source/ddbus/util.d b/source/ddbus/util.d
index db6c647..ede8dc7 100644
--- a/source/ddbus/util.d
+++ b/source/ddbus/util.d
@@ -57,7 +57,8 @@ package  // Don't add to the API yet, 'cause I intend to move it later
 alias BasicTypes = AliasSeq!(bool, ubyte, short, ushort, int, uint, long, ulong,
     double, string, ObjectPath, InterfaceName, BusName);
 
-template basicDBus(T) {
+template basicDBus(U) {
+  alias T = Unqual!U;
   static if (staticIndexOf!(T, BasicTypes) >= 0) {
     enum basicDBus = true;
   } else static if (is(T B == enum)) {
@@ -70,7 +71,8 @@ template basicDBus(T) {
   }
 }
 
-template canDBus(T) {
+template canDBus(U) {
+  alias T = Unqual!U;
   static if (basicDBus!T || is(T == DBusAny)) {
     enum canDBus = true;
   } else static if (isInstanceOf!(Variant, T)) {
@@ -106,8 +108,9 @@ unittest {
   (canDBus!(int[string])).assertTrue();
 }
 
-string typeSig(T)()
-    if (canDBus!T) {
+string typeSig(U)()
+    if (canDBus!U) {
+  alias T = Unqual!U;
   static if (is(T == ubyte)) {
     return "y";
   } else static if (is(T == bool)) {
@@ -205,6 +208,33 @@ int typeCode(T)()
   return 'e';
 }
 
+/**
+  Params:
+    type = the type code of a type (first character in a type string)
+  Returns: true if the given type is an integer.
+*/
+bool dbusIsIntegral(int type) @property {
+  return type == 'y' || type == 'n' || type == 'q' || type == 'i' || type == 'u' || type == 'x' || type == 't';
+}
+
+/**
+  Params:
+    type = the type code of a type (first character in a type string)
+  Returns: true if the given type is a floating point value.
+*/
+bool dbusIsFloating(int type) @property {
+  return type == 'd';
+}
+
+/**
+  Params:
+    type = the type code of a type (first character in a type string)
+  Returns: true if the given type is an integer or a floating point value.
+*/
+bool dbusIsNumeric(int type) @property {
+  return dbusIsIntegral(type) || dbusIsFloating(type);
+}
+
 unittest {
   import dunit.toolkit;
 
@@ -216,6 +246,10 @@ unittest {
   typeSig!int().assertEqual("i");
   typeSig!bool().assertEqual("b");
   typeSig!string().assertEqual("s");
+  typeSig!InterfaceName().assertEqual("s");
+  typeSig!(immutable(InterfaceName))().assertEqual("s");
+  typeSig!ObjectPath().assertEqual("o");
+  typeSig!(immutable(ObjectPath))().assertEqual("o");
   typeSig!(Variant!int)().assertEqual("v");
   // enums
   enum E : ubyte {