diff --git a/unix/ioctl_linux.go b/unix/ioctl_linux.go
index 7e4f64af..d368ad21 100644
--- a/unix/ioctl_linux.go
+++ b/unix/ioctl_linux.go
@@ -22,30 +22,30 @@ func IoctlRetInt(fd int, req uint) (int, error) {
 
 func IoctlGetUint32(fd int, req uint) (uint32, error) {
 	var value uint32
-	err := ioctl(fd, req, uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&value)))
+	err := ioctlPtr(fd, req, unsafe.Pointer(&value))
 	return value, err
 }
 
 func IoctlGetRTCTime(fd int) (*RTCTime, error) {
 	var value RTCTime
-	err := ioctl(fd, RTC_RD_TIME, uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&value)))
+	err := ioctlPtr(fd, RTC_RD_TIME, unsafe.Pointer(&value))
 	return &value, err
 }
 
 func IoctlSetRTCTime(fd int, value *RTCTime) error {
-	err := ioctl(fd, RTC_SET_TIME, uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(value)))
+	err := ioctlPtr(fd, RTC_SET_TIME, unsafe.Pointer(value))
 	runtime.KeepAlive(value)
 	return err
 }
 
 func IoctlGetRTCWkAlrm(fd int) (*RTCWkAlrm, error) {
 	var value RTCWkAlrm
-	err := ioctl(fd, RTC_WKALM_RD, uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&value)))
+	err := ioctlPtr(fd, RTC_WKALM_RD, unsafe.Pointer(&value))
 	return &value, err
 }
 
 func IoctlSetRTCWkAlrm(fd int, value *RTCWkAlrm) error {
-	err := ioctl(fd, RTC_WKALM_SET, uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(value)))
+	err := ioctlPtr(fd, RTC_WKALM_SET, unsafe.Pointer(value))
 	runtime.KeepAlive(value)
 	return err
 }
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ func IoctlGetEthtoolDrvinfo(fd int, ifname string) (*EthtoolDrvinfo, error) {
 	value := EthtoolDrvinfo{Cmd: ETHTOOL_GDRVINFO}
 	ifrd := ifr.SetData(unsafe.Pointer(&value))
 
-	err = ioctl(fd, SIOCETHTOOL, uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&ifrd)))
+	err = ioctlPtr(fd, SIOCETHTOOL, unsafe.Pointer(&ifrd))
 	runtime.KeepAlive(ifrd)
 	return &value, err
 }
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ func IoctlGetEthtoolDrvinfo(fd int, ifname string) (*EthtoolDrvinfo, error) {
 // https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/watchdog/watchdog-api.html.
 func IoctlGetWatchdogInfo(fd int) (*WatchdogInfo, error) {
 	var value WatchdogInfo
-	err := ioctl(fd, WDIOC_GETSUPPORT, uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&value)))
+	err := ioctlPtr(fd, WDIOC_GETSUPPORT, unsafe.Pointer(&value))
 	return &value, err
 }
 
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ func IoctlGetWatchdogInfo(fd int) (*WatchdogInfo, error) {
 // more information, see:
 // https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/watchdog/watchdog-api.html.
 func IoctlWatchdogKeepalive(fd int) error {
+	// arg is ignored and not a pointer, so ioctl is fine instead of ioctlPtr.
 	return ioctl(fd, WDIOC_KEEPALIVE, 0)
 }
 
@@ -86,7 +87,7 @@ func IoctlWatchdogKeepalive(fd int) error {
 // range of data conveyed in value to the file associated with the file
 // descriptor destFd. See the ioctl_ficlonerange(2) man page for details.
 func IoctlFileCloneRange(destFd int, value *FileCloneRange) error {
-	err := ioctl(destFd, FICLONERANGE, uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(value)))
+	err := ioctlPtr(destFd, FICLONERANGE, unsafe.Pointer(value))
 	runtime.KeepAlive(value)
 	return err
 }
@@ -139,7 +140,7 @@ func IoctlFileDedupeRange(srcFd int, value *FileDedupeRange) error {
 		rawinfo.Reserved = value.Info[i].Reserved
 	}
 
-	err := ioctl(srcFd, FIDEDUPERANGE, uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&buf[0])))
+	err := ioctlPtr(srcFd, FIDEDUPERANGE, unsafe.Pointer(&buf[0]))
 
 	// Output
 	for i := range value.Info {
@@ -157,31 +158,31 @@ func IoctlFileDedupeRange(srcFd int, value *FileDedupeRange) error {
 }
 
 func IoctlHIDGetDesc(fd int, value *HIDRawReportDescriptor) error {
-	err := ioctl(fd, HIDIOCGRDESC, uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(value)))
+	err := ioctlPtr(fd, HIDIOCGRDESC, unsafe.Pointer(value))
 	runtime.KeepAlive(value)
 	return err
 }
 
 func IoctlHIDGetRawInfo(fd int) (*HIDRawDevInfo, error) {
 	var value HIDRawDevInfo
-	err := ioctl(fd, HIDIOCGRAWINFO, uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&value)))
+	err := ioctlPtr(fd, HIDIOCGRAWINFO, unsafe.Pointer(&value))
 	return &value, err
 }
 
 func IoctlHIDGetRawName(fd int) (string, error) {
 	var value [_HIDIOCGRAWNAME_LEN]byte
-	err := ioctl(fd, _HIDIOCGRAWNAME, uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&value[0])))
+	err := ioctlPtr(fd, _HIDIOCGRAWNAME, unsafe.Pointer(&value[0]))
 	return ByteSliceToString(value[:]), err
 }
 
 func IoctlHIDGetRawPhys(fd int) (string, error) {
 	var value [_HIDIOCGRAWPHYS_LEN]byte
-	err := ioctl(fd, _HIDIOCGRAWPHYS, uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&value[0])))
+	err := ioctlPtr(fd, _HIDIOCGRAWPHYS, unsafe.Pointer(&value[0]))
 	return ByteSliceToString(value[:]), err
 }
 
 func IoctlHIDGetRawUniq(fd int) (string, error) {
 	var value [_HIDIOCGRAWUNIQ_LEN]byte
-	err := ioctl(fd, _HIDIOCGRAWUNIQ, uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&value[0])))
+	err := ioctlPtr(fd, _HIDIOCGRAWUNIQ, unsafe.Pointer(&value[0]))
 	return ByteSliceToString(value[:]), err
 }
diff --git a/unix/syscall_linux.go b/unix/syscall_linux.go
index 41b91fdf..77522ead 100644
--- a/unix/syscall_linux.go
+++ b/unix/syscall_linux.go
@@ -66,11 +66,18 @@ func Fchmodat(dirfd int, path string, mode uint32, flags int) (err error) {
 	return fchmodat(dirfd, path, mode)
 }
 
-//sys	ioctl(fd int, req uint, arg uintptr) (err error)
+//sys	ioctl(fd int, req uint, arg uintptr) (err error) = SYS_IOCTL
+//sys	ioctlPtr(fd int, req uint, arg unsafe.Pointer) (err error) = SYS_IOCTL
 
-// ioctl itself should not be exposed directly, but additional get/set
-// functions for specific types are permissible.
-// These are defined in ioctl.go and ioctl_linux.go.
+// ioctl itself should not be exposed directly, but additional get/set functions
+// for specific types are permissible. These are defined in ioctl.go and
+// ioctl_linux.go.
+//
+// The third argument to ioctl is often a pointer but sometimes an integer.
+// Callers should use ioctlPtr when the third argument is a pointer and ioctl
+// when the third argument is an integer.
+//
+// TODO: some existing code incorrectly uses ioctl when it should use ioctlPtr.
 
 //sys	Linkat(olddirfd int, oldpath string, newdirfd int, newpath string, flags int) (err error)
 
diff --git a/unix/zsyscall_linux.go b/unix/zsyscall_linux.go
index 7305cc91..d5666327 100644
--- a/unix/zsyscall_linux.go
+++ b/unix/zsyscall_linux.go
@@ -48,6 +48,16 @@ func ioctl(fd int, req uint, arg uintptr) (err error) {
 
 // THIS FILE IS GENERATED BY THE COMMAND AT THE TOP; DO NOT EDIT
 
+func ioctlPtr(fd int, req uint, arg unsafe.Pointer) (err error) {
+	_, _, e1 := Syscall(SYS_IOCTL, uintptr(fd), uintptr(req), uintptr(arg))
+	if e1 != 0 {
+		err = errnoErr(e1)
+	}
+	return
+}
+
+// THIS FILE IS GENERATED BY THE COMMAND AT THE TOP; DO NOT EDIT
+
 func Linkat(olddirfd int, oldpath string, newdirfd int, newpath string, flags int) (err error) {
 	var _p0 *byte
 	_p0, err = BytePtrFromString(oldpath)