diff --git a/src/test/kotlin/com/github/avrokotlin/avro4k/encoding/PrimitiveEncodingTest.kt b/src/test/kotlin/com/github/avrokotlin/avro4k/encoding/PrimitiveEncodingTest.kt
index d98295c..2b8f7ed 100644
--- a/src/test/kotlin/com/github/avrokotlin/avro4k/encoding/PrimitiveEncodingTest.kt
+++ b/src/test/kotlin/com/github/avrokotlin/avro4k/encoding/PrimitiveEncodingTest.kt
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package com.github.avrokotlin.avro4k.encoding
 
 import com.github.avrokotlin.avro4k.AvroAssertions
+import com.github.avrokotlin.avro4k.SomeEnum
 import com.github.avrokotlin.avro4k.WrappedBoolean
 import com.github.avrokotlin.avro4k.WrappedByte
 import com.github.avrokotlin.avro4k.WrappedChar
@@ -10,9 +11,13 @@ import com.github.avrokotlin.avro4k.WrappedInt
 import com.github.avrokotlin.avro4k.WrappedLong
 import com.github.avrokotlin.avro4k.WrappedShort
 import com.github.avrokotlin.avro4k.WrappedString
+import com.github.avrokotlin.avro4k.internal.nullable
 import com.github.avrokotlin.avro4k.record
 import io.kotest.core.spec.style.StringSpec
+import kotlinx.serialization.InternalSerializationApi
 import kotlinx.serialization.Serializable
+import kotlinx.serialization.serializer
+import org.apache.avro.Schema
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer
 
 internal class PrimitiveEncodingTest : StringSpec({
@@ -31,6 +36,30 @@ internal class PrimitiveEncodingTest : StringSpec({
             .isEncodedAs(false)
     }
 
+    @OptIn(InternalSerializationApi::class)
+    listOf<Any>(
+        true,
+        false,
+        1.toByte(),
+        2.toShort(),
+        3,
+        4L,
+        5.0F,
+        6.0,
+        'A',
+        SomeEnum.B
+    ).forEach {
+        "coerce ${it::class.simpleName} $it to string" {
+            AvroAssertions.assertThat(it, it::class.serializer())
+                .isEncodedAs(it.toString(), writerSchema = Schema.create(Schema.Type.STRING))
+        }
+
+        "coerce ${it::class.simpleName} $it to nullable string" {
+            AvroAssertions.assertThat(it, it::class.serializer())
+                .isEncodedAs(it.toString(), writerSchema = Schema.create(Schema.Type.STRING).nullable)
+        }
+    }
+
     "read write out bytes" {
         AvroAssertions.assertThat(ByteTest(3))
             .isEncodedAs(record(3))
diff --git a/src/test/kotlin/com/github/avrokotlin/avro4k/encoding/RecordEncodingTest.kt b/src/test/kotlin/com/github/avrokotlin/avro4k/encoding/RecordEncodingTest.kt
index f07816b..d80241f 100644
--- a/src/test/kotlin/com/github/avrokotlin/avro4k/encoding/RecordEncodingTest.kt
+++ b/src/test/kotlin/com/github/avrokotlin/avro4k/encoding/RecordEncodingTest.kt
@@ -183,6 +183,48 @@ internal class RecordEncodingTest : StringSpec({
         AvroAssertions.assertThat(input)
             .isDecodedAs(MissingFields(true))
     }
+    "support decoding from a writer schema with missing descriptor fields (just skipping, no reordering)" {
+        @Serializable
+        @SerialName("TheClass")
+        data class TheClass(
+            val a: String?,
+            val b: Boolean?,
+            val c: Int,
+        )
+
+        @Serializable
+        @SerialName("TheClass")
+        data class TheLightClass(
+            val b: Boolean?,
+        )
+
+        val writerSchema =
+            SchemaBuilder.record("TheClass").fields()
+                .name("a").type(Schema.create(Schema.Type.STRING).nullable).withDefault(null)
+                .name("b").type().booleanType().noDefault()
+                .name("c").type().intType().intDefault(42)
+                .endRecord()
+
+        AvroAssertions.assertThat(TheClass("hello", true, 42))
+            .isDecodedAs(TheLightClass(true), writerSchema = writerSchema)
+    }
+    "support encoding & decoding with additional descriptor optional fields (no reordering)" {
+        @Serializable
+        @SerialName("TheClass")
+        data class TheClass(
+            val a: String? = null,
+            val b: Boolean?,
+            val c: Int = 42,
+        )
+
+        val writerSchema =
+            SchemaBuilder.record("TheClass").fields()
+                .name("b").type().booleanType().noDefault()
+                .endRecord()
+
+        AvroAssertions.assertThat(TheClass("hello", true, 17))
+            .isEncodedAs(record(true), expectedDecodedValue = TheClass(null, true, 42), writerSchema = writerSchema)
+    }
     "should fail when trying to write a data class but missing the last schema field" {
         @Serializable
         @SerialName("Base")