diff --git a/arshal_default.go b/arshal_default.go
index 819bd2b..dadc87a 100644
--- a/arshal_default.go
+++ b/arshal_default.go
@@ -1037,9 +1037,7 @@ func makeStructArshaler(t reflect.Type) *arshaler {
 					b, _ = jsonwire.AppendQuote(b, f.name, &xe.Flags)
 				}
 				xe.Buf = b
-				if !xe.Flags.Get(jsonflags.AllowDuplicateNames) {
-					xe.Names.ReplaceLastQuotedOffset(n0)
-				}
+				xe.Names.ReplaceLastQuotedOffset(n0)
 				xe.Tokens.Last.Increment()
 			} else {
 				if err := enc.WriteToken(jsontext.String(f.name)); err != nil {
diff --git a/arshal_test.go b/arshal_test.go
index 054d76e..f4d1c1b 100644
--- a/arshal_test.go
+++ b/arshal_test.go
@@ -1011,7 +1011,7 @@ func TestMarshal(t *testing.T) {
 		opts: []Options{
 			Deterministic(true),
 			WithMarshalers(MarshalFuncV2(func(enc *jsontext.Encoder, v string, opts Options) error {
-				if p := enc.StackPointer(); p != "/0" {
+				if p := enc.StackPointer(); p != "/X" {
 					return fmt.Errorf("invalid stack pointer: got %s, want /0", p)
 				}
 				switch v {
diff --git a/jsontext/coder_test.go b/jsontext/coder_test.go
index 21f65c7..a5cd3c6 100644
--- a/jsontext/coder_test.go
+++ b/jsontext/coder_test.go
@@ -493,70 +493,66 @@ func testCoderInterleaved(t *testing.T, where jsontest.CasePos, modeName string,
 
 func TestCoderStackPointer(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
-		token                        Token
-		wantWithRejectDuplicateNames Pointer
-		wantWithAllowDuplicateNames  Pointer
+		token Token
+		want  Pointer
 	}{
-		{Null, "", ""},
-
-		{ArrayStart, "", ""},
-		{ArrayEnd, "", ""},
-
-		{ArrayStart, "", ""},
-		{Bool(true), "/0", "/0"},
-		{ArrayEnd, "", ""},
-
-		{ArrayStart, "", ""},
-		{String("hello"), "/0", "/0"},
-		{String("goodbye"), "/1", "/1"},
-		{ArrayEnd, "", ""},
-
-		{ObjectStart, "", ""},
-		{ObjectEnd, "", ""},
-
-		{ObjectStart, "", ""},
-		{String("hello"), "/hello", "/0"},
-		{String("goodbye"), "/hello", "/0"},
-		{ObjectEnd, "", ""},
-
-		{ObjectStart, "", ""},
-		{String(""), "/", "/0"},
-		{Null, "/", "/0"},
-		{String("0"), "/0", "/1"},
-		{Null, "/0", "/1"},
-		{String("~"), "/~0", "/2"},
-		{Null, "/~0", "/2"},
-		{String("/"), "/~1", "/3"},
-		{Null, "/~1", "/3"},
-		{String("a//b~/c/~d~~e"), "/a~1~1b~0~1c~1~0d~0~0e", "/4"},
-		{Null, "/a~1~1b~0~1c~1~0d~0~0e", "/4"},
-		{String(" \r\n\t"), "/ \r\n\t", "/5"},
-		{Null, "/ \r\n\t", "/5"},
-		{ObjectEnd, "", ""},
-
-		{ArrayStart, "", ""},
-		{ObjectStart, "/0", "/0"},
-		{String(""), "/0/", "/0/0"},
-		{ArrayStart, "/0/", "/0/0"},
-		{ObjectStart, "/0//0", "/0/0/0"},
-		{String("#"), "/0//0/#", "/0/0/0/0"},
-		{Null, "/0//0/#", "/0/0/0/0"},
-		{ObjectEnd, "/0//0", "/0/0/0"},
-		{ArrayEnd, "/0/", "/0/0"},
-		{ObjectEnd, "/0", "/0"},
-		{ArrayEnd, "", ""},
+		{Null, ""},
+
+		{ArrayStart, ""},
+		{ArrayEnd, ""},
+
+		{ArrayStart, ""},
+		{Bool(true), "/0"},
+		{ArrayEnd, ""},
+
+		{ArrayStart, ""},
+		{String("hello"), "/0"},
+		{String("goodbye"), "/1"},
+		{ArrayEnd, ""},
+
+		{ObjectStart, ""},
+		{ObjectEnd, ""},
+
+		{ObjectStart, ""},
+		{String("hello"), "/hello"},
+		{String("goodbye"), "/hello"},
+		{ObjectEnd, ""},
+
+		{ObjectStart, ""},
+		{String(""), "/"},
+		{Null, "/"},
+		{String("0"), "/0"},
+		{Null, "/0"},
+		{String("~"), "/~0"},
+		{Null, "/~0"},
+		{String("/"), "/~1"},
+		{Null, "/~1"},
+		{String("a//b~/c/~d~~e"), "/a~1~1b~0~1c~1~0d~0~0e"},
+		{Null, "/a~1~1b~0~1c~1~0d~0~0e"},
+		{String(" \r\n\t"), "/ \r\n\t"},
+		{Null, "/ \r\n\t"},
+		{ObjectEnd, ""},
+
+		{ArrayStart, ""},
+		{ObjectStart, "/0"},
+		{String(""), "/0/"},
+		{ArrayStart, "/0/"},
+		{ObjectStart, "/0//0"},
+		{String("#"), "/0//0/#"},
+		{Null, "/0//0/#"},
+		{ObjectEnd, "/0//0"},
+		{ArrayEnd, "/0/"},
+		{ObjectEnd, "/0"},
+		{ArrayEnd, ""},
 	}
 
 	for _, allowDupes := range []bool{false, true} {
 		var name string
-		var want func(i int) Pointer
 		switch allowDupes {
 		case false:
 			name = "RejectDuplicateNames"
-			want = func(i int) Pointer { return tests[i].wantWithRejectDuplicateNames }
 		case true:
 			name = "AllowDuplicateNames"
-			want = func(i int) Pointer { return tests[i].wantWithAllowDuplicateNames }
 		}
 
 		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -567,8 +563,8 @@ func TestCoderStackPointer(t *testing.T) {
 				if err := enc.WriteToken(tt.token); err != nil {
 					t.Fatalf("%d: Encoder.WriteToken error: %v", i, err)
 				}
-				if got := enc.StackPointer(); got != want(i) {
-					t.Fatalf("%d: Encoder.StackPointer = %v, want %v", i, got, want(i))
+				if got := enc.StackPointer(); got != tests[i].want {
+					t.Fatalf("%d: Encoder.StackPointer = %v, want %v", i, got, tests[i].want)
 				}
 			}
 
@@ -577,8 +573,8 @@ func TestCoderStackPointer(t *testing.T) {
 				if _, err := dec.ReadToken(); err != nil {
 					t.Fatalf("%d: Decoder.ReadToken error: %v", i, err)
 				}
-				if got := dec.StackPointer(); got != want(i) {
-					t.Fatalf("%d: Decoder.StackPointer = %v, want %v", i, got, want(i))
+				if got := dec.StackPointer(); got != tests[i].want {
+					t.Fatalf("%d: Decoder.StackPointer = %v, want %v", i, got, tests[i].want)
 				}
 			}
 		})
diff --git a/jsontext/decode.go b/jsontext/decode.go
index 44cdb9d..2ac2fec 100644
--- a/jsontext/decode.go
+++ b/jsontext/decode.go
@@ -491,13 +491,15 @@ func (d *decoderState) ReadToken() (Token, error) {
 		} else {
 			pos += n
 		}
-		if !d.Flags.Get(jsonflags.AllowDuplicateNames) && d.Tokens.Last.NeedObjectName() {
-			if !d.Tokens.Last.isValidNamespace() {
-				return Token{}, errInvalidNamespace
-			}
-			if d.Tokens.Last.isActiveNamespace() && !d.Namespaces.Last().insertQuoted(d.buf[pos-n:pos], flags.IsVerbatim()) {
-				err = newDuplicateNameError(d.buf[pos-n : pos])
-				return Token{}, d.injectSyntacticErrorWithPosition(err, pos-n) // report position at start of string
+		if d.Tokens.Last.NeedObjectName() {
+			if !d.Flags.Get(jsonflags.AllowDuplicateNames) {
+				if !d.Tokens.Last.isValidNamespace() {
+					return Token{}, errInvalidNamespace
+				}
+				if d.Tokens.Last.isActiveNamespace() && !d.Namespaces.Last().insertQuoted(d.buf[pos-n:pos], flags.IsVerbatim()) {
+					err = newDuplicateNameError(d.buf[pos-n : pos])
+					return Token{}, d.injectSyntacticErrorWithPosition(err, pos-n) // report position at start of string
+				}
 			}
 			d.Names.ReplaceLastQuotedOffset(pos - n) // only replace if insertQuoted succeeds
 		}
@@ -531,8 +533,8 @@ func (d *decoderState) ReadToken() (Token, error) {
 		if err = d.Tokens.pushObject(); err != nil {
 			return Token{}, d.injectSyntacticErrorWithPosition(err, pos)
 		}
+		d.Names.push()
 		if !d.Flags.Get(jsonflags.AllowDuplicateNames) {
-			d.Names.push()
 			d.Namespaces.push()
 		}
 		pos += 1
@@ -543,8 +545,8 @@ func (d *decoderState) ReadToken() (Token, error) {
 		if err = d.Tokens.popObject(); err != nil {
 			return Token{}, d.injectSyntacticErrorWithPosition(err, pos)
 		}
+		d.Names.pop()
 		if !d.Flags.Get(jsonflags.AllowDuplicateNames) {
-			d.Names.pop()
 			d.Namespaces.pop()
 		}
 		pos += 1
@@ -646,14 +648,16 @@ func (d *decoderState) ReadValue(flags *jsonwire.ValueFlags) (Value, error) {
 	case 'n', 't', 'f':
 		err = d.Tokens.appendLiteral()
 	case '"':
-		if !d.Flags.Get(jsonflags.AllowDuplicateNames) && d.Tokens.Last.NeedObjectName() {
-			if !d.Tokens.Last.isValidNamespace() {
-				err = errInvalidNamespace
-				break
-			}
-			if d.Tokens.Last.isActiveNamespace() && !d.Namespaces.Last().insertQuoted(d.buf[pos-n:pos], flags.IsVerbatim()) {
-				err = newDuplicateNameError(d.buf[pos-n : pos])
-				break
+		if d.Tokens.Last.NeedObjectName() {
+			if !d.Flags.Get(jsonflags.AllowDuplicateNames) {
+				if !d.Tokens.Last.isValidNamespace() {
+					err = errInvalidNamespace
+					break
+				}
+				if d.Tokens.Last.isActiveNamespace() && !d.Namespaces.Last().insertQuoted(d.buf[pos-n:pos], flags.IsVerbatim()) {
+					err = newDuplicateNameError(d.buf[pos-n : pos])
+					break
+				}
 			}
 			d.Names.ReplaceLastQuotedOffset(pos - n) // only replace if insertQuoted succeeds
 		}
diff --git a/jsontext/encode.go b/jsontext/encode.go
index 1035aa9..c9c5a5c 100644
--- a/jsontext/encode.go
+++ b/jsontext/encode.go
@@ -295,11 +295,11 @@ func (e *encoderState) UnwriteEmptyObjectMember(prevName *string) bool {
 		if e.Tokens.Last.isActiveNamespace() {
 			e.Namespaces.Last().removeLast()
 		}
-		e.Names.clearLast()
-		if prevName != nil {
-			e.Names.copyQuotedBuffer(e.Buf) // required by objectNameStack.replaceLastUnquotedName
-			e.Names.replaceLastUnquotedName(*prevName)
-		}
+	}
+	e.Names.clearLast()
+	if prevName != nil {
+		e.Names.copyQuotedBuffer(e.Buf) // required by objectNameStack.replaceLastUnquotedName
+		e.Names.replaceLastUnquotedName(*prevName)
 	}
 	return true
 }
@@ -323,8 +323,8 @@ func (e *encoderState) UnwriteOnlyObjectMemberName() string {
 		if e.Tokens.Last.isActiveNamespace() {
 			e.Namespaces.Last().removeLast()
 		}
-		e.Names.clearLast()
 	}
+	e.Names.clearLast()
 	return name
 }
 
@@ -367,14 +367,16 @@ func (e *encoderState) WriteToken(t Token) error {
 		if b, err = t.appendString(b, &e.Flags); err != nil {
 			break
 		}
-		if !e.Flags.Get(jsonflags.AllowDuplicateNames) && e.Tokens.Last.NeedObjectName() {
-			if !e.Tokens.Last.isValidNamespace() {
-				err = errInvalidNamespace
-				break
-			}
-			if e.Tokens.Last.isActiveNamespace() && !e.Namespaces.Last().insertQuoted(b[pos:], false) {
-				err = newDuplicateNameError(b[pos:])
-				break
+		if e.Tokens.Last.NeedObjectName() {
+			if !e.Flags.Get(jsonflags.AllowDuplicateNames) {
+				if !e.Tokens.Last.isValidNamespace() {
+					err = errInvalidNamespace
+					break
+				}
+				if e.Tokens.Last.isActiveNamespace() && !e.Namespaces.Last().insertQuoted(b[pos:], false) {
+					err = newDuplicateNameError(b[pos:])
+					break
+				}
 			}
 			e.Names.ReplaceLastQuotedOffset(pos) // only replace if insertQuoted succeeds
 		}
@@ -389,8 +391,8 @@ func (e *encoderState) WriteToken(t Token) error {
 		if err = e.Tokens.pushObject(); err != nil {
 			break
 		}
+		e.Names.push()
 		if !e.Flags.Get(jsonflags.AllowDuplicateNames) {
-			e.Names.push()
 			e.Namespaces.push()
 		}
 	case '}':
@@ -398,8 +400,8 @@ func (e *encoderState) WriteToken(t Token) error {
 		if err = e.Tokens.popObject(); err != nil {
 			break
 		}
+		e.Names.pop()
 		if !e.Flags.Get(jsonflags.AllowDuplicateNames) {
-			e.Names.pop()
 			e.Namespaces.pop()
 		}
 	case '[':
@@ -467,13 +469,15 @@ func (e *encoderState) AppendRaw(k Kind, safeASCII bool, appendFn func([]byte) (
 		}
 
 		// Update the state machine.
-		if !e.Flags.Get(jsonflags.AllowDuplicateNames) && e.Tokens.Last.NeedObjectName() {
-			if !e.Tokens.Last.isValidNamespace() {
-				return errInvalidNamespace
-			}
-			if e.Tokens.Last.isActiveNamespace() && !e.Namespaces.Last().insertQuoted(b[pos:], isVerbatim) {
-				err := newDuplicateNameError(b[pos:])
-				return e.injectSyntacticErrorWithPosition(err, pos)
+		if e.Tokens.Last.NeedObjectName() {
+			if !e.Flags.Get(jsonflags.AllowDuplicateNames) {
+				if !e.Tokens.Last.isValidNamespace() {
+					return errInvalidNamespace
+				}
+				if e.Tokens.Last.isActiveNamespace() && !e.Namespaces.Last().insertQuoted(b[pos:], isVerbatim) {
+					err := newDuplicateNameError(b[pos:])
+					return e.injectSyntacticErrorWithPosition(err, pos)
+				}
 			}
 			e.Names.ReplaceLastQuotedOffset(pos) // only replace if insertQuoted succeeds
 		}
@@ -546,14 +550,16 @@ func (e *encoderState) WriteValue(v Value) error {
 	case 'n', 'f', 't':
 		err = e.Tokens.appendLiteral()
 	case '"':
-		if !e.Flags.Get(jsonflags.AllowDuplicateNames) && e.Tokens.Last.NeedObjectName() {
-			if !e.Tokens.Last.isValidNamespace() {
-				err = errInvalidNamespace
-				break
-			}
-			if e.Tokens.Last.isActiveNamespace() && !e.Namespaces.Last().insertQuoted(b[pos:], false) {
-				err = newDuplicateNameError(b[pos:])
-				break
+		if e.Tokens.Last.NeedObjectName() {
+			if !e.Flags.Get(jsonflags.AllowDuplicateNames) {
+				if !e.Tokens.Last.isValidNamespace() {
+					err = errInvalidNamespace
+					break
+				}
+				if e.Tokens.Last.isActiveNamespace() && !e.Namespaces.Last().insertQuoted(b[pos:], false) {
+					err = newDuplicateNameError(b[pos:])
+					break
+				}
 			}
 			e.Names.ReplaceLastQuotedOffset(pos) // only replace if insertQuoted succeeds
 		}