diff --git a/cl/compile.go b/cl/compile.go
index 2abb36e4..2f770667 100644
--- a/cl/compile.go
+++ b/cl/compile.go
@@ -130,8 +130,6 @@ type context struct {
 	rewrites   map[string]string
 }
 
-const maxStringTypeDepth = 64
-
 func (p *context) rewriteValue(name string) (string, bool) {
 	if p.rewrites == nil {
 		return "", false
@@ -145,21 +143,16 @@ func (p *context) rewriteValue(name string) (string, bool) {
 	return val, ok
 }
 
-func (p *context) isStringType(typ types.Type) bool {
-	depth := 0
-	for typ != nil && depth < maxStringTypeDepth {
-		depth++
-		switch t := typ.Underlying().(type) {
-		case *types.Basic:
-			return t.Kind() == types.String
-		case *types.Pointer:
-			typ = t.Elem()
-			continue
-		default:
-			return false
-		}
+// isStringPtrType checks if typ is a pointer to the basic string type (*string).
+// This is used to validate that -ldflags -X can only rewrite variables of type *string,
+// not derived string types like "type T string".
+func (p *context) isStringPtrType(typ types.Type) bool {
+	ptr, ok := typ.(*types.Pointer)
+	if !ok {
+		return false
 	}
-	return false
+	basic, ok := ptr.Elem().Underlying().(*types.Basic)
+	return ok && basic.Kind() == types.String
 }
 
 func (p *context) globalFullName(g *ssa.Global) string {
@@ -178,7 +171,7 @@ func (p *context) rewriteInitStore(store *ssa.Store, g *ssa.Global) (string, boo
 	if _, ok := store.Val.(*ssa.Const); !ok {
 		return "", false
 	}
-	if !p.isStringType(g.Type()) {
+	if !p.isStringPtrType(g.Type()) {
 		return "", false
 	}
 	value, ok := p.rewriteValue(p.globalFullName(g))
@@ -236,10 +229,10 @@ func (p *context) compileGlobal(pkg llssa.Package, gbl *ssa.Global) {
 	}
 	g := pkg.NewVar(name, typ, llssa.Background(vtype))
 	if value, ok := p.rewriteValue(name); ok {
-		if p.isStringType(typ) {
+		if p.isStringPtrType(gbl.Type()) {
 			g.Init(pkg.ConstString(value))
 		} else {
-			log.Printf("warning: ignoring rewrite for non-string variable %s (type: %v)", name, typ)
+			log.Printf("warning: ignoring rewrite for non-string variable %s (type: %v)", name, gbl.Type())
 			if define {
 				g.InitNil()
 			}
diff --git a/cl/rewrite_internal_test.go b/cl/rewrite_internal_test.go
index 856cedcc..041c6058 100644
--- a/cl/rewrite_internal_test.go
+++ b/cl/rewrite_internal_test.go
@@ -95,21 +95,24 @@ func TestRewriteValueNoDot(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestIsStringTypeDefault(t *testing.T) {
+func TestIsStringPtrTypeDefault(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := &context{}
-	if ctx.isStringType(types.NewPointer(types.Typ[types.Int])) {
+	if ctx.isStringPtrType(types.NewPointer(types.Typ[types.Int])) {
 		t.Fatalf("expected non-string pointer to return false")
 	}
 }
 
-func TestIsStringTypeBranches(t *testing.T) {
+func TestIsStringPtrTypeBranches(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := &context{}
-	if ctx.isStringType(types.NewSlice(types.Typ[types.String])) {
+	if ctx.isStringPtrType(types.NewSlice(types.Typ[types.String])) {
 		t.Fatalf("slice should trigger default branch and return false")
 	}
-	if ctx.isStringType(nil) {
+	if ctx.isStringPtrType(nil) {
 		t.Fatalf("nil type should return false")
 	}
+	if !ctx.isStringPtrType(types.NewPointer(types.Typ[types.String])) {
+		t.Fatalf("*string should return true")
+	}
 }
 
 func TestRewriteIgnoredInNonInitStore(t *testing.T) {