diff --git a/src-self-hosted/translate_c.zig b/src-self-hosted/translate_c.zig
index 5262bad1c..0fc2feba7 100644
--- a/src-self-hosted/translate_c.zig
+++ b/src-self-hosted/translate_c.zig
@@ -810,8 +810,10 @@ fn transRecordDecl(c: *Context, record_decl: *const ZigClangRecordDecl) Error!?*
             _ = try appendToken(c, .Colon, ":");
             const field_type = transQualType(rp, ZigClangFieldDecl_getType(field_decl), field_loc) catch |err| switch (err) {
                 error.UnsupportedType => {
-                    try failDecl(c, record_loc, name, "unable to translate {} member type", .{container_kind_name});
-                    return null;
+                    const opaque = try transCreateNodeOpaqueType(c);
+                    semicolon = try appendToken(c, .Semicolon, ";");
+                    try emitWarning(c, record_loc, "{} demoted to opaque type - unable to translate type of field {}", .{ container_kind_name, raw_name });
+                    break :blk opaque;
                 },
                 else => |e| return e,
             };
diff --git a/test/translate_c.zig b/test/translate_c.zig
index 9fb4c3b10..3e7d15a23 100644
--- a/test/translate_c.zig
+++ b/test/translate_c.zig
@@ -41,6 +41,26 @@ pub fn addCases(cases: *tests.TranslateCContext) void {
         \\pub const FOO = -BAR;
     });
 
+    cases.add("struct with atomic field",
+        \\struct arcan_shmif_cont {
+        \\        struct arcan_shmif_page* addr;
+        \\};
+        \\struct arcan_shmif_page {
+        \\        volatile _Atomic int abufused[12];
+        \\};
+    , &[_][]const u8{
+        \\pub const struct_arcan_shmif_page = //
+    ,
+        \\warning: unsupported type: 'Atomic'
+        \\    @OpaqueType(); // 
+    ,
+        \\ warning: struct demoted to opaque type - unable to translate type of field abufused
+    , // TODO should be `addr: *struct_arcan_shmif_page`
+        \\pub const struct_arcan_shmif_cont = extern struct {
+        \\    addr: [*c]struct_arcan_shmif_page,
+        \\};
+    });
+
     cases.add("function prototype translated as optional",
         \\typedef void (*fnptr_ty)(void);
         \\typedef __attribute__((cdecl)) void (*fnptr_attr_ty)(void);