diff --git a/src/Ccap/Codegen/Scala.purs b/src/Ccap/Codegen/Scala.purs
index 140b74e..7ab8767 100644
--- a/src/Ccap/Codegen/Scala.purs
+++ b/src/Ccap/Codegen/Scala.purs
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ import Ccap.Codegen.Parser.Export as Export
 import Ccap.Codegen.Shared (DelimitedLiteralDir(..), OutputSpec, delimitedLiteral, indented, modulesInScope)
 import Ccap.Codegen.Types (Annotations, Exports, Module, ModuleName, Primitive(..), RecordProp, TRef, TopType(..), Type(..), TypeDecl(..), ValidatedModule, isRecord, typeDeclName, typeDeclTopType)
 import Ccap.Codegen.Util (fromMaybeT, maybeT)
-import Control.Monad.Maybe.Trans (MaybeT(..))
+import Control.Alt (alt)
+import Control.Monad.Maybe.Trans (MaybeT(..), runMaybeT)
 import Control.Monad.Reader (Reader, ask, asks, runReader)
 import Data.Array ((:))
 import Data.Array as Array
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ modulePath mod = (Export.toPath mod.exports.scalaPkg) <> ".scala"
 oneModule :: ValidatedModule -> Box
 oneModule mod = do
   let
-    modDecl = classFileType mod
+    modDecl = primaryClass mod
 
     env =
       { defaultPrefix: Nothing
@@ -317,14 +318,14 @@ externalTypeRef importedModule importedType =
       else
         typeName
 
-classFileType :: forall r. { name :: ModuleName, types :: Array TypeDecl | r } -> Maybe TypeDecl
-classFileType { name, types } = Array.find (isClassFile name) types
+primaryClass :: forall r. { name :: ModuleName, types :: Array TypeDecl | r } -> Maybe TypeDecl
+primaryClass { name, types } = Array.find (isPrimaryClass name) types
 
-isClassFile :: ModuleName -> TypeDecl -> Boolean
-isClassFile modName typeD = modName == typeDeclName typeD && (isRecord $ typeDeclTopType typeD)
+isPrimaryClass :: ModuleName -> TypeDecl -> Boolean
+isPrimaryClass modName typeD = modName == typeDeclName typeD && (isRecord $ typeDeclTopType typeD)
 
 needsQualifier :: ModuleName -> TypeDecl -> Boolean
-needsQualifier modName = not <<< isClassFile modName
+needsQualifier modName = not <<< isPrimaryClass modName
 
 packageAnnotation :: Module -> Maybe String
 packageAnnotation = Annotations.field "scala" "package" <<< _.annots
@@ -347,17 +348,29 @@ decoder annots = case _ of
   Primitive p -> pure $ (text $ "Decoder" <> jsonPrimitive p) <<>> decoderValidations annots
 
 jsonRef :: String -> String -> String
-jsonRef which typ = "json" <> which <> typ
+jsonRef which typ = "json" <> which <> typ -- should be blank if it is the primary class
 
 jsonTypeRef :: String -> TRef -> Codegen String
 jsonTypeRef which { mod, typ } =
-  fromMaybeT (jsonRef which typ) do
-    modName <- maybeT mod
-    extMod <- MaybeT $ askModule modName
-    extTypeDecl <- maybeT $ lookupTypeDecl typ extMod
-    let
-      path = Array.snoc (Array.fromFoldable $ packageAnnotation extMod) modName
-    pure $ prefix path $ jsonRef which $ guard (needsQualifier modName extTypeDecl) typ
+  let
+    externalJson =
+      runMaybeT do
+        modName <- maybeT mod
+        extMod <- MaybeT $ askModule modName
+        extTypeDecl <- maybeT $ lookupTypeDecl typ extMod
+        let
+          path = Array.snoc (Array.fromFoldable $ packageAnnotation extMod) modName
+        pure $ prefix path $ jsonRef which $ guard (needsQualifier modName extTypeDecl) typ
+
+    internalJson =
+      runMaybeT do
+        thisMod <- MaybeT $ Just <$> asks _.currentModule
+        decl <- maybeT $ lookupTypeDecl typ thisMod
+        pure $ jsonRef which $ guard (needsQualifier thisMod.name decl) typ
+
+    default = jsonRef which typ
+  in
+    alt <$> internalJson <*> externalJson <#> fromMaybe default
 
 jsonList :: Box -> Box
 jsonList json = json <<>> text ".list"
diff --git a/test/Ccap/Codegen/Prefix.purs b/test/Ccap/Codegen/Prefix.purs
index 3151c7f..4975a57 100644
--- a/test/Ccap/Codegen/Prefix.purs
+++ b/test/Ccap/Codegen/Prefix.purs
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ specs =
           $ check "prefixInternalRef:" "  prefixInternalRef: Prefix.CustomType,"
         it "Don't need prefixes if defined in the companion object"
           $ check "customInternalRef:" "    customInternalRef: CustomType,"
+        it "Don't use the type suffix for encoders if they are the file's class"
+          $ check "\"prefix\" ->" "      \"prefix\" -> jsonEncoder.encode(x.prefix),"
       describe "type references" do
         it "Are defined in the companion object and don't need prefixes"
           $ check "type InternalRef" "  type InternalRef = CustomType"
diff --git a/test/resources/prefix/Prefix.tmpl b/test/resources/prefix/Prefix.tmpl
index 0b03976..bbb5c60 100644
--- a/test/resources/prefix/Prefix.tmpl
+++ b/test/resources/prefix/Prefix.tmpl
@@ -20,3 +20,7 @@ type CustomRec: {
 type Prefix: {
   prefixInternalRef: CustomType
 }
+
+type SelfRef: {
+  prefix: Prefix
+}