diff --git a/build.sbt b/build.sbt
index 9a9b625b5..cb898b05d 100644
--- a/build.sbt
+++ b/build.sbt
@@ -107,6 +107,30 @@ lazy val plugin = project.in(file("plugin"))
     crossScalaVersions := Seq(Scala213, Scala212)
   )
 
+lazy val macroAnnotationSettings = Seq(
+  scalacOptions ++= {
+    CrossVersion.partialVersion(scalaVersion.value) match {
+      case Some((2, v)) if v >= 13 => Seq("-Ymacro-annotations")
+      case _ => Nil
+    }
+  },
+  libraryDependencies ++= {
+    CrossVersion.partialVersion(scalaVersion.value) match {
+      case Some((2, v)) if v <= 12 =>
+        Seq(compilerPlugin("org.scalamacros" % "paradise" % "2.1.1" cross CrossVersion.full))
+      case _ => Nil
+    }
+  },
+)
+
+lazy val coreTestMacros = crossProject(JSPlatform, JVMPlatform, NativePlatform)
+  .crossType(CrossType.Full)
+  .settings(moduleName := "core-test-macros")
+  .settings(commonSettings)
+  .settings(noPublishSettings)
+  .configureCross(buildInfoSetup)
+  .settings(macroAnnotationSettings)
+
 lazy val core = crossProject(JSPlatform, JVMPlatform, NativePlatform)
   .crossType(CrossType.Full)
   .configureCross(configureJUnit)
@@ -119,6 +143,8 @@ lazy val core = crossProject(JSPlatform, JVMPlatform, NativePlatform)
   .settings(Compile / sourceManaged := baseDirectory.value.getParentFile / "shared" / "src" / "main" / "managed")
   .settings(Compile / sourceGenerators += (Compile / sourceManaged).map(Boilerplate.gen).taskValue)
   .settings(mimaSettings)
+  .dependsOn(coreTestMacros % "test->compile")
+  .settings(macroAnnotationSettings)
 
 lazy val coreJVM = core.jvm
 lazy val coreJS = core.js
diff --git a/core/shared/src/main/scala/shapeless/generic.scala b/core/shared/src/main/scala/shapeless/generic.scala
index 0a3a5d3ea..4ba9e67c3 100644
--- a/core/shared/src/main/scala/shapeless/generic.scala
+++ b/core/shared/src/main/scala/shapeless/generic.scala
@@ -916,9 +916,13 @@ trait CaseClassMacros extends ReprTypes with CaseClassMacrosVersionSpecifics {
         // case 3: case class
         case tpe if tpe.typeSymbol.asClass.isCaseClass =>
           val companion = patchedCompanionSymbolOf(tpe.typeSymbol)
+          val apply   = companion.typeSignature.member(TermName("apply"))
           val unapply = companion.typeSignature.member(TermName("unapply"))
           val fields = fieldsOf(tpe)
-          FromTo(fromApply(fields), if (unapply.isSynthetic) toUnapply(fields) else toGetters(fields))
+          FromTo(
+            if (apply == NoSymbol) fromConstructor(fields) else fromApply(fields),
+            if (unapply.isSynthetic) toUnapply(fields) else toGetters(fields)
+          )
         // case 4: exactly one matching public apply/unapply
         case HasApplyUnapply(args) =>
           FromTo(fromApply(args), toUnapply(args))
diff --git a/core/shared/src/test/scala/shapeless/generic.scala b/core/shared/src/test/scala/shapeless/generic.scala
index 2bd4fe8c9..49fd5dff7 100644
--- a/core/shared/src/test/scala/shapeless/generic.scala
+++ b/core/shared/src/test/scala/shapeless/generic.scala
@@ -157,6 +157,13 @@ package GenericTestsAux {
   final case class InTap[A, -B](in: B => A) extends Tap[A]
   final case class OutTap[A, +B](out: A => B) extends Tap[A]
   final case class PipeTap[A, B](in: B => A, out: A => B) extends Tap[A]
+
+  object macroAnnotations {
+    case class A(i: Int, s: String)
+
+    @generateGeneric
+    object A
+  }
 }
 
 class GenericTests {
diff --git a/coreTestMacros/shared/src/main/scala/shapeless/generateGeneric.scala b/coreTestMacros/shared/src/main/scala/shapeless/generateGeneric.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3f4000fc9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/coreTestMacros/shared/src/main/scala/shapeless/generateGeneric.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+package shapeless
+
+import scala.annotation.{StaticAnnotation, compileTimeOnly}
+import scala.reflect.macros.blackbox
+import scala.language.experimental.macros
+
+@compileTimeOnly("enable macro annotations")
+class generateGeneric extends StaticAnnotation {
+  def macroTransform(annottees: Any*): Any = macro GenerateGenericMacroImpl.macroTransformImpl
+}
+
+object GenerateGenericMacroImpl {
+  def macroTransformImpl(c: blackbox.Context)(annottees: c.Tree*): c.Tree = {
+    import c.universe._
+
+    def modifyObject(obj: Tree): Tree = obj match {
+      case q"$mods object $tname extends { ..$earlydefns } with ..$parents { $self => ..$body }" =>
+        q"""$mods object $tname extends { ..$earlydefns } with ..$parents { $self =>
+          ..$body
+          _root_.shapeless.Generic[${tname.toTypeName}](_root_.shapeless.Generic.materialize)
+        }"""
+      case _ => sys.error("impossible")
+    }
+
+    def modify(cls: Tree, obj: Tree): Tree = q"..${Seq(cls, modifyObject(obj))}"
+
+    annottees match {
+      case (cls: ClassDef) :: (obj: ModuleDef) :: Nil => modify(cls, obj)
+      case (cls: ClassDef) :: Nil => modify(cls, q"object ${cls.name.toTermName}")
+      // this works for the companion object of a sealed trait or top-level case class but not nested case class
+      case (obj: ModuleDef) :: Nil => modifyObject(obj)
+      case _ => c.abort(c.enclosingPosition, "@generateGeneric can annotate only traits, classes, and objects")
+    }
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file