diff --git a/src/librustc/middle/cstore.rs b/src/librustc/middle/cstore.rs
index f61978271e7f6..2ca2f69cf22db 100644
--- a/src/librustc/middle/cstore.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/middle/cstore.rs
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ pub enum NativeLibraryKind {
 pub struct NativeLibrary {
     pub kind: NativeLibraryKind,
     pub name: String,
-    pub cfg: Option<P<ast::MetaItem>>,
+    pub cfg: Option<ast::MetaItem>,
 }
 
 /// The data we save and restore about an inlined item or method.  This is not
diff --git a/src/librustc_borrowck/borrowck/mir/mod.rs b/src/librustc_borrowck/borrowck/mir/mod.rs
index 836832de5b9c4..9035c2ab3c236 100644
--- a/src/librustc_borrowck/borrowck/mir/mod.rs
+++ b/src/librustc_borrowck/borrowck/mir/mod.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 use borrowck::BorrowckCtxt;
 
 use syntax::ast::{self, MetaItem};
-use syntax::ptr::P;
 use syntax_pos::{Span, DUMMY_SP};
 
 use rustc::hir;
@@ -35,7 +34,7 @@ use self::dataflow::{MaybeInitializedLvals, MaybeUninitializedLvals};
 use self::dataflow::{DefinitelyInitializedLvals};
 use self::gather_moves::{MoveData, MovePathIndex, LookupResult};
 
-fn has_rustc_mir_with(attrs: &[ast::Attribute], name: &str) -> Option<P<MetaItem>> {
+fn has_rustc_mir_with(attrs: &[ast::Attribute], name: &str) -> Option<MetaItem> {
     for attr in attrs {
         if attr.check_name("rustc_mir") {
             let items = attr.meta_item_list();
diff --git a/src/librustc_incremental/calculate_svh/svh_visitor.rs b/src/librustc_incremental/calculate_svh/svh_visitor.rs
index 71738b2a7d3d0..a1a7c05f774b6 100644
--- a/src/librustc_incremental/calculate_svh/svh_visitor.rs
+++ b/src/librustc_incremental/calculate_svh/svh_visitor.rs
@@ -919,7 +919,7 @@ impl<'a, 'hash, 'tcx> StrictVersionHashVisitor<'a, 'hash, 'tcx> {
             if !attr.is_sugared_doc &&
                !IGNORED_ATTRIBUTES.contains(&&*attr.value.name().as_str()) {
                 SawAttribute(attr.style).hash(self.st);
-                self.hash_meta_item(&*attr.value);
+                self.hash_meta_item(&attr.value);
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/libsyntax/ast.rs b/src/libsyntax/ast.rs
index 15bcdde058f8d..45970a63ab4a5 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/ast.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/ast.rs
@@ -505,7 +505,7 @@ pub type NestedMetaItem = Spanned<NestedMetaItemKind>;
 #[derive(Clone, Eq, RustcEncodable, RustcDecodable, Hash, Debug, PartialEq)]
 pub enum NestedMetaItemKind {
     /// A full MetaItem, for recursive meta items.
-    MetaItem(P<MetaItem>),
+    MetaItem(MetaItem),
     /// A literal.
     ///
     /// E.g. "foo", 64, true
@@ -1758,7 +1758,7 @@ pub struct AttrId(pub usize);
 pub struct Attribute {
     pub id: AttrId,
     pub style: AttrStyle,
-    pub value: P<MetaItem>,
+    pub value: MetaItem,
     pub is_sugared_doc: bool,
     pub span: Span,
 }
diff --git a/src/libsyntax/attr.rs b/src/libsyntax/attr.rs
index db43bb0285738..cd93b8e96e455 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/attr.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/attr.rs
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ pub fn is_known(attr: &Attribute) -> bool {
 
 impl NestedMetaItem {
     /// Returns the MetaItem if self is a NestedMetaItemKind::MetaItem.
-    pub fn meta_item(&self) -> Option<&P<MetaItem>> {
+    pub fn meta_item(&self) -> Option<&MetaItem> {
         match self.node {
             NestedMetaItemKind::MetaItem(ref item) => Some(&item),
             _ => None
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ impl NestedMetaItem {
     }
 
     /// Returns a MetaItem if self is a MetaItem with Kind Word.
-    pub fn word(&self) -> Option<&P<MetaItem>> {
+    pub fn word(&self) -> Option<&MetaItem> {
         self.meta_item().and_then(|meta_item| if meta_item.is_word() {
             Some(meta_item)
         } else {
@@ -294,16 +294,16 @@ impl Attribute {
 
 /* Constructors */
 
-pub fn mk_name_value_item_str(name: Name, value: InternedString) -> P<MetaItem> {
+pub fn mk_name_value_item_str(name: Name, value: InternedString) -> MetaItem {
     let value_lit = dummy_spanned(ast::LitKind::Str(value, ast::StrStyle::Cooked));
     mk_spanned_name_value_item(DUMMY_SP, name, value_lit)
 }
 
-pub fn mk_name_value_item(name: Name, value: ast::Lit) -> P<MetaItem> {
+pub fn mk_name_value_item(name: Name, value: ast::Lit) -> MetaItem {
     mk_spanned_name_value_item(DUMMY_SP, name, value)
 }
 
-pub fn mk_list_item(name: Name, items: Vec<NestedMetaItem>) -> P<MetaItem> {
+pub fn mk_list_item(name: Name, items: Vec<NestedMetaItem>) -> MetaItem {
     mk_spanned_list_item(DUMMY_SP, name, items)
 }
 
@@ -311,20 +311,20 @@ pub fn mk_list_word_item(name: Name) -> ast::NestedMetaItem {
     dummy_spanned(NestedMetaItemKind::MetaItem(mk_spanned_word_item(DUMMY_SP, name)))
 }
 
-pub fn mk_word_item(name: Name) -> P<MetaItem> {
+pub fn mk_word_item(name: Name) -> MetaItem {
     mk_spanned_word_item(DUMMY_SP, name)
 }
 
-pub fn mk_spanned_name_value_item(sp: Span, name: Name, value: ast::Lit) -> P<MetaItem> {
-    P(MetaItem { span: sp, name: name, node: MetaItemKind::NameValue(value) })
+pub fn mk_spanned_name_value_item(sp: Span, name: Name, value: ast::Lit) -> MetaItem {
+    MetaItem { span: sp, name: name, node: MetaItemKind::NameValue(value) }
 }
 
-pub fn mk_spanned_list_item(sp: Span, name: Name, items: Vec<NestedMetaItem>) -> P<MetaItem> {
-    P(MetaItem { span: sp, name: name, node: MetaItemKind::List(items) })
+pub fn mk_spanned_list_item(sp: Span, name: Name, items: Vec<NestedMetaItem>) -> MetaItem {
+    MetaItem { span: sp, name: name, node: MetaItemKind::List(items) }
 }
 
-pub fn mk_spanned_word_item(sp: Span, name: Name) -> P<MetaItem> {
-    P(MetaItem { span: sp, name: name, node: MetaItemKind::Word })
+pub fn mk_spanned_word_item(sp: Span, name: Name) -> MetaItem {
+    MetaItem { span: sp, name: name, node: MetaItemKind::Word }
 }
 
 
@@ -341,12 +341,12 @@ pub fn mk_attr_id() -> AttrId {
 }
 
 /// Returns an inner attribute with the given value.
-pub fn mk_attr_inner(id: AttrId, item: P<MetaItem>) -> Attribute {
+pub fn mk_attr_inner(id: AttrId, item: MetaItem) -> Attribute {
     mk_spanned_attr_inner(DUMMY_SP, id, item)
 }
 
 /// Returns an innter attribute with the given value and span.
-pub fn mk_spanned_attr_inner(sp: Span, id: AttrId, item: P<MetaItem>) -> Attribute {
+pub fn mk_spanned_attr_inner(sp: Span, id: AttrId, item: MetaItem) -> Attribute {
     Attribute {
         id: id,
         style: ast::AttrStyle::Inner,
@@ -358,12 +358,12 @@ pub fn mk_spanned_attr_inner(sp: Span, id: AttrId, item: P<MetaItem>) -> Attribu
 
 
 /// Returns an outer attribute with the given value.
-pub fn mk_attr_outer(id: AttrId, item: P<MetaItem>) -> Attribute {
+pub fn mk_attr_outer(id: AttrId, item: MetaItem) -> Attribute {
     mk_spanned_attr_outer(DUMMY_SP, id, item)
 }
 
 /// Returns an outer attribute with the given value and span.
-pub fn mk_spanned_attr_outer(sp: Span, id: AttrId, item: P<MetaItem>) -> Attribute {
+pub fn mk_spanned_attr_outer(sp: Span, id: AttrId, item: MetaItem) -> Attribute {
     Attribute {
         id: id,
         style: ast::AttrStyle::Outer,
@@ -373,7 +373,7 @@ pub fn mk_spanned_attr_outer(sp: Span, id: AttrId, item: P<MetaItem>) -> Attribu
     }
 }
 
-pub fn mk_doc_attr_outer(id: AttrId, item: P<MetaItem>, is_sugared_doc: bool) -> Attribute {
+pub fn mk_doc_attr_outer(id: AttrId, item: MetaItem, is_sugared_doc: bool) -> Attribute {
     Attribute {
         id: id,
         style: ast::AttrStyle::Outer,
@@ -390,11 +390,11 @@ pub fn mk_sugared_doc_attr(id: AttrId, text: InternedString, lo: BytePos, hi: By
     Attribute {
         id: id,
         style: style,
-        value: P(MetaItem {
+        value: MetaItem {
             span: mk_sp(lo, hi),
             name: token::intern("doc"),
             node: MetaItemKind::NameValue(lit),
-        }),
+        },
         is_sugared_doc: true,
         span: mk_sp(lo, hi),
     }
@@ -423,8 +423,7 @@ pub fn first_attr_value_str_by_name(attrs: &[Attribute], name: &str)
         .and_then(|at| at.value_str())
 }
 
-pub fn last_meta_item_value_str_by_name(items: &[P<MetaItem>], name: &str)
-                                     -> Option<InternedString> {
+pub fn last_meta_item_value_str_by_name(items: &[MetaItem], name: &str) -> Option<InternedString> {
     items.iter()
          .rev()
          .find(|mi| mi.check_name(name))
@@ -859,7 +858,7 @@ pub fn find_deprecation(diagnostic: &Handler, attrs: &[Attribute],
     find_deprecation_generic(diagnostic, attrs.iter(), item_sp)
 }
 
-pub fn require_unique_names(diagnostic: &Handler, metas: &[P<MetaItem>]) {
+pub fn require_unique_names(diagnostic: &Handler, metas: &[MetaItem]) {
     let mut set = HashSet::new();
     for meta in metas {
         let name = meta.name();
diff --git a/src/libsyntax/ext/build.rs b/src/libsyntax/ext/build.rs
index 75e931351717c..f488e1cf95c37 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/ext/build.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/ext/build.rs
@@ -275,9 +275,9 @@ pub trait AstBuilder {
                     generics: Generics) -> P<ast::Item>;
     fn item_ty(&self, span: Span, name: Ident, ty: P<ast::Ty>) -> P<ast::Item>;
 
-    fn attribute(&self, sp: Span, mi: P<ast::MetaItem>) -> ast::Attribute;
+    fn attribute(&self, sp: Span, mi: ast::MetaItem) -> ast::Attribute;
 
-    fn meta_word(&self, sp: Span, w: ast::Name) -> P<ast::MetaItem>;
+    fn meta_word(&self, sp: Span, w: ast::Name) -> ast::MetaItem;
 
     fn meta_list_item_word(&self, sp: Span, w: ast::Name) -> ast::NestedMetaItem;
 
@@ -285,12 +285,12 @@ pub trait AstBuilder {
                  sp: Span,
                  name: ast::Name,
                  mis: Vec<ast::NestedMetaItem> )
-                 -> P<ast::MetaItem>;
+                 -> ast::MetaItem;
     fn meta_name_value(&self,
                        sp: Span,
                        name: ast::Name,
                        value: ast::LitKind)
-                       -> P<ast::MetaItem>;
+                       -> ast::MetaItem;
 
     fn item_use(&self, sp: Span,
                 vis: ast::Visibility, vp: P<ast::ViewPath>) -> P<ast::Item>;
@@ -1146,11 +1146,11 @@ impl<'a> AstBuilder for ExtCtxt<'a> {
         self.item_ty_poly(span, name, ty, Generics::default())
     }
 
-    fn attribute(&self, sp: Span, mi: P<ast::MetaItem>) -> ast::Attribute {
+    fn attribute(&self, sp: Span, mi: ast::MetaItem) -> ast::Attribute {
         attr::mk_spanned_attr_outer(sp, attr::mk_attr_id(), mi)
     }
 
-    fn meta_word(&self, sp: Span, w: ast::Name) -> P<ast::MetaItem> {
+    fn meta_word(&self, sp: Span, w: ast::Name) -> ast::MetaItem {
         attr::mk_spanned_word_item(sp, w)
     }
 
@@ -1159,12 +1159,12 @@ impl<'a> AstBuilder for ExtCtxt<'a> {
     }
 
     fn meta_list(&self, sp: Span, name: ast::Name, mis: Vec<ast::NestedMetaItem>)
-                 -> P<ast::MetaItem> {
+                 -> ast::MetaItem {
         attr::mk_spanned_list_item(sp, name, mis)
     }
 
     fn meta_name_value(&self, sp: Span, name: ast::Name, value: ast::LitKind)
-                       -> P<ast::MetaItem> {
+                       -> ast::MetaItem {
         attr::mk_spanned_name_value_item(sp, name, respan(sp, value))
     }
 
diff --git a/src/libsyntax/ext/quote.rs b/src/libsyntax/ext/quote.rs
index 4386dbeb8344e..fa38f21e9b37c 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/ext/quote.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/ext/quote.rs
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ pub mod rt {
     impl_to_tokens_slice! { P<ast::Item>, [] }
     impl_to_tokens_slice! { ast::Arg, [TokenTree::Token(DUMMY_SP, token::Comma)] }
 
-    impl ToTokens for P<ast::MetaItem> {
+    impl ToTokens for ast::MetaItem {
         fn to_tokens(&self, _cx: &ExtCtxt) -> Vec<TokenTree> {
             let nt = token::NtMeta(self.clone());
             vec![TokenTree::Token(DUMMY_SP, token::Interpolated(Rc::new(nt)))]
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ pub fn parse_block_panic(parser: &mut Parser) -> P<Block> {
     panictry!(parser.parse_block())
 }
 
-pub fn parse_meta_item_panic(parser: &mut Parser) -> P<ast::MetaItem> {
+pub fn parse_meta_item_panic(parser: &mut Parser) -> ast::MetaItem {
     panictry!(parser.parse_meta_item())
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libsyntax/feature_gate.rs b/src/libsyntax/feature_gate.rs
index 68562e02f9a83..19f5e860b27e7 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/feature_gate.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/feature_gate.rs
@@ -995,7 +995,7 @@ fn contains_novel_literal(item: &ast::MetaItem) -> bool {
         NameValue(ref lit) => !lit.node.is_str(),
         List(ref list) => list.iter().any(|li| {
             match li.node {
-                MetaItem(ref mi) => contains_novel_literal(&**mi),
+                MetaItem(ref mi) => contains_novel_literal(&mi),
                 Literal(_) => true,
             }
         }),
@@ -1013,7 +1013,7 @@ impl<'a> Visitor for PostExpansionVisitor<'a> {
             self.context.check_attribute(attr, false);
         }
 
-        if contains_novel_literal(&*(attr.value)) {
+        if contains_novel_literal(&attr.value) {
             gate_feature_post!(&self, attr_literals, attr.span,
                                "non-string literals in attributes, or string \
                                literals in top-level positions, are experimental");
diff --git a/src/libsyntax/fold.rs b/src/libsyntax/fold.rs
index 2a544eee00450..b6c87155d6b1c 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/fold.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/fold.rs
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ pub trait Folder : Sized {
         noop_fold_crate(c, self)
     }
 
-    fn fold_meta_items(&mut self, meta_items: Vec<P<MetaItem>>) -> Vec<P<MetaItem>> {
+    fn fold_meta_items(&mut self, meta_items: Vec<MetaItem>) -> Vec<MetaItem> {
         noop_fold_meta_items(meta_items, self)
     }
 
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ pub trait Folder : Sized {
         noop_fold_meta_list_item(list_item, self)
     }
 
-    fn fold_meta_item(&mut self, meta_item: P<MetaItem>) -> P<MetaItem> {
+    fn fold_meta_item(&mut self, meta_item: MetaItem) -> MetaItem {
         noop_fold_meta_item(meta_item, self)
     }
 
@@ -293,8 +293,7 @@ pub trait Folder : Sized {
     }
 }
 
-pub fn noop_fold_meta_items<T: Folder>(meta_items: Vec<P<MetaItem>>, fld: &mut T)
-                                       -> Vec<P<MetaItem>> {
+pub fn noop_fold_meta_items<T: Folder>(meta_items: Vec<MetaItem>, fld: &mut T) -> Vec<MetaItem> {
     meta_items.move_map(|x| fld.fold_meta_item(x))
 }
 
@@ -519,18 +518,18 @@ pub fn noop_fold_meta_list_item<T: Folder>(li: NestedMetaItem, fld: &mut T)
     }
 }
 
-pub fn noop_fold_meta_item<T: Folder>(mi: P<MetaItem>, fld: &mut T) -> P<MetaItem> {
-    mi.map(|MetaItem { name, node, span }| MetaItem {
-        name: name,
-        node: match node {
+pub fn noop_fold_meta_item<T: Folder>(mi: MetaItem, fld: &mut T) -> MetaItem {
+    MetaItem {
+        name: mi.name,
+        node: match mi.node {
             MetaItemKind::Word => MetaItemKind::Word,
             MetaItemKind::List(mis) => {
                 MetaItemKind::List(mis.move_map(|e| fld.fold_meta_list_item(e)))
             },
             MetaItemKind::NameValue(s) => MetaItemKind::NameValue(s),
         },
-        span: fld.new_span(span)
-    })
+        span: fld.new_span(mi.span)
+    }
 }
 
 pub fn noop_fold_arg<T: Folder>(Arg {id, pat, ty}: Arg, fld: &mut T) -> Arg {
diff --git a/src/libsyntax/parse/attr.rs b/src/libsyntax/parse/attr.rs
index f6405807a2531..a6e40d70e2fc1 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/parse/attr.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/parse/attr.rs
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ use parse::common::SeqSep;
 use parse::PResult;
 use parse::token;
 use parse::parser::{Parser, TokenType};
-use ptr::P;
 
 #[derive(PartialEq, Eq, Debug)]
 enum InnerAttributeParsePolicy<'a> {
@@ -211,7 +210,7 @@ impl<'a> Parser<'a> {
     ///
     /// meta_item : IDENT ( '=' UNSUFFIXED_LIT | '(' meta_item_inner? ')' )? ;
     /// meta_item_inner : (meta_item | UNSUFFIXED_LIT) (',' meta_item_inner)? ;
-    pub fn parse_meta_item(&mut self) -> PResult<'a, P<ast::MetaItem>> {
+    pub fn parse_meta_item(&mut self) -> PResult<'a, ast::MetaItem> {
         let nt_meta = match self.token {
             token::Interpolated(ref nt) => match **nt {
                 token::NtMeta(ref e) => Some(e.clone()),
@@ -235,7 +234,7 @@ impl<'a> Parser<'a> {
             ast::MetaItemKind::Word
         };
         let hi = self.prev_span.hi;
-        Ok(P(ast::MetaItem { name: ident.name, node: node, span: mk_sp(lo, hi) }))
+        Ok(ast::MetaItem { name: ident.name, node: node, span: mk_sp(lo, hi) })
     }
 
     /// matches meta_item_inner : (meta_item | UNSUFFIXED_LIT) ;
diff --git a/src/libsyntax/parse/mod.rs b/src/libsyntax/parse/mod.rs
index 7feb745259c1b..19e8b711ba485 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/parse/mod.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/parse/mod.rs
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ pub fn parse_item_from_source_str<'a>(name: String, source: String, sess: &'a Pa
 }
 
 pub fn parse_meta_from_source_str<'a>(name: String, source: String, sess: &'a ParseSess)
-                                      -> PResult<'a, P<ast::MetaItem>> {
+                                      -> PResult<'a, ast::MetaItem> {
     new_parser_from_source_str(sess, name, source).parse_meta_item()
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libsyntax/parse/token.rs b/src/libsyntax/parse/token.rs
index 9493cd281eaf4..4aaa028ef75e2 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/parse/token.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/parse/token.rs
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ pub enum Nonterminal {
     NtTy(P<ast::Ty>),
     NtIdent(ast::SpannedIdent),
     /// Stuff inside brackets for attributes
-    NtMeta(P<ast::MetaItem>),
+    NtMeta(ast::MetaItem),
     NtPath(ast::Path),
     NtTT(tokenstream::TokenTree),
     // These are not exposed to macros, but are used by quasiquote.
diff --git a/src/libsyntax/std_inject.rs b/src/libsyntax/std_inject.rs
index e999af2907918..166d95911b96c 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/std_inject.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/std_inject.rs
@@ -69,11 +69,11 @@ pub fn maybe_inject_crates_ref(sess: &ParseSess,
     krate.module.items.insert(0, P(ast::Item {
         attrs: vec![ast::Attribute {
             style: ast::AttrStyle::Outer,
-            value: P(ast::MetaItem {
+            value: ast::MetaItem {
                 name: token::intern("prelude_import"),
                 node: ast::MetaItemKind::Word,
                 span: span,
-            }),
+            },
             id: attr::mk_attr_id(),
             is_sugared_doc: false,
             span: span,
diff --git a/src/libsyntax_ext/deriving/mod.rs b/src/libsyntax_ext/deriving/mod.rs
index 32dcdcfd1107e..ef4c02931ab48 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax_ext/deriving/mod.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax_ext/deriving/mod.rs
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ pub fn expand_derive(cx: &mut ExtCtxt,
     // Expand `#[derive]`s after other attribute macro invocations.
     if cx.resolver.find_attr_invoc(&mut item.attrs.clone()).is_some() {
         return vec![Annotatable::Item(item.map_attrs(|mut attrs| {
-            attrs.push(cx.attribute(span, P(mitem.clone())));
+            attrs.push(cx.attribute(span, mitem.clone()));
             attrs.extend(derive_attrs);
             attrs
         }))];