diff --git a/cmd/protoc-gen-go/internal_gengo/main.go b/cmd/protoc-gen-go/internal_gengo/main.go
index 6a48126..397467a 100644
--- a/cmd/protoc-gen-go/internal_gengo/main.go
+++ b/cmd/protoc-gen-go/internal_gengo/main.go
@@ -266,14 +266,17 @@
 	}
 
 	// Enum method.
-	if enum.Desc.Syntax() != protoreflect.Proto3 {
-		g.P("func (x ", enum.GoIdent, ") Enum() *", enum.GoIdent, " {")
-		g.P("p := new(", enum.GoIdent, ")")
-		g.P("*p = x")
-		g.P("return p")
-		g.P("}")
-		g.P()
-	}
+	//
+	// NOTE: A pointer value is needed to represent presence in proto2.
+	// Since a proto2 message can reference a proto3 enum, it is useful to
+	// always generate this method (even on proto3 enums) to support that case.
+	g.P("func (x ", enum.GoIdent, ") Enum() *", enum.GoIdent, " {")
+	g.P("p := new(", enum.GoIdent, ")")
+	g.P("*p = x")
+	g.P("return p")
+	g.P("}")
+	g.P()
+
 	// String method.
 	g.P("func (x ", enum.GoIdent, ") String() string {")
 	g.P("return ", protoimplPackage.Ident("X"), ".EnumStringOf(x.Descriptor(), ", protoreflectPackage.Ident("EnumNumber"), "(x))")
diff --git a/cmd/protoc-gen-go/testdata/comments/deprecated.pb.go b/cmd/protoc-gen-go/testdata/comments/deprecated.pb.go
index df129a2..cf55c78 100644
--- a/cmd/protoc-gen-go/testdata/comments/deprecated.pb.go
+++ b/cmd/protoc-gen-go/testdata/comments/deprecated.pb.go
@@ -28,6 +28,12 @@
 	"DEPRECATED": 0,
 }
 
+func (x DeprecatedEnum) Enum() *DeprecatedEnum {
+	p := new(DeprecatedEnum)
+	*p = x
+	return p
+}
+
 func (x DeprecatedEnum) String() string {
 	return protoimpl.X.EnumStringOf(x.Descriptor(), protoreflect.EnumNumber(x))
 }
diff --git a/cmd/protoc-gen-go/testdata/extensions/proto3/ext3.pb.go b/cmd/protoc-gen-go/testdata/extensions/proto3/ext3.pb.go
index 61fda36..e8cf547 100644
--- a/cmd/protoc-gen-go/testdata/extensions/proto3/ext3.pb.go
+++ b/cmd/protoc-gen-go/testdata/extensions/proto3/ext3.pb.go
@@ -30,6 +30,12 @@
 	"ZERO": 0,
 }
 
+func (x Enum) Enum() *Enum {
+	p := new(Enum)
+	*p = x
+	return p
+}
+
 func (x Enum) String() string {
 	return protoimpl.X.EnumStringOf(x.Descriptor(), protoreflect.EnumNumber(x))
 }
diff --git a/cmd/protoc-gen-go/testdata/imports/test_a_1/m1.pb.go b/cmd/protoc-gen-go/testdata/imports/test_a_1/m1.pb.go
index 36ac2d6..1e13347 100644
--- a/cmd/protoc-gen-go/testdata/imports/test_a_1/m1.pb.go
+++ b/cmd/protoc-gen-go/testdata/imports/test_a_1/m1.pb.go
@@ -29,6 +29,12 @@
 	"E1_ZERO": 0,
 }
 
+func (x E1) Enum() *E1 {
+	p := new(E1)
+	*p = x
+	return p
+}
+
 func (x E1) String() string {
 	return protoimpl.X.EnumStringOf(x.Descriptor(), protoreflect.EnumNumber(x))
 }
diff --git a/cmd/protoc-gen-go/testdata/proto3/enum.pb.go b/cmd/protoc-gen-go/testdata/proto3/enum.pb.go
index 84de309..a98ab85 100644
--- a/cmd/protoc-gen-go/testdata/proto3/enum.pb.go
+++ b/cmd/protoc-gen-go/testdata/proto3/enum.pb.go
@@ -34,6 +34,12 @@
 	"TWO":  2,
 }
 
+func (x Enum) Enum() *Enum {
+	p := new(Enum)
+	*p = x
+	return p
+}
+
 func (x Enum) String() string {
 	return protoimpl.X.EnumStringOf(x.Descriptor(), protoreflect.EnumNumber(x))
 }
diff --git a/cmd/protoc-gen-go/testdata/proto3/fields.pb.go b/cmd/protoc-gen-go/testdata/proto3/fields.pb.go
index be06063..97a38f8 100644
--- a/cmd/protoc-gen-go/testdata/proto3/fields.pb.go
+++ b/cmd/protoc-gen-go/testdata/proto3/fields.pb.go
@@ -29,6 +29,12 @@
 	"ZERO": 0,
 }
 
+func (x FieldTestMessage_Enum) Enum() *FieldTestMessage_Enum {
+	p := new(FieldTestMessage_Enum)
+	*p = x
+	return p
+}
+
 func (x FieldTestMessage_Enum) String() string {
 	return protoimpl.X.EnumStringOf(x.Descriptor(), protoreflect.EnumNumber(x))
 }
diff --git a/encoding/testprotos/pb3/test.pb.go b/encoding/testprotos/pb3/test.pb.go
index 992de19..1df06ec 100644
--- a/encoding/testprotos/pb3/test.pb.go
+++ b/encoding/testprotos/pb3/test.pb.go
@@ -38,6 +38,12 @@
 	"TEN":  10,
 }
 
+func (x Enum) Enum() *Enum {
+	p := new(Enum)
+	*p = x
+	return p
+}
+
 func (x Enum) String() string {
 	return protoimpl.X.EnumStringOf(x.Descriptor(), protoreflect.EnumNumber(x))
 }
@@ -85,6 +91,12 @@
 	"DIEZ": 10,
 }
 
+func (x Enums_NestedEnum) Enum() *Enums_NestedEnum {
+	p := new(Enums_NestedEnum)
+	*p = x
+	return p
+}
+
 func (x Enums_NestedEnum) String() string {
 	return protoimpl.X.EnumStringOf(x.Descriptor(), protoreflect.EnumNumber(x))
 }
diff --git a/internal/testprotos/conformance/conformance.pb.go b/internal/testprotos/conformance/conformance.pb.go
index 0dc0735..b54a74d 100644
--- a/internal/testprotos/conformance/conformance.pb.go
+++ b/internal/testprotos/conformance/conformance.pb.go
@@ -41,6 +41,12 @@
 	"TEXT_FORMAT": 4,
 }
 
+func (x WireFormat) Enum() *WireFormat {
+	p := new(WireFormat)
+	*p = x
+	return p
+}
+
 func (x WireFormat) String() string {
 	return protoimpl.X.EnumStringOf(x.Descriptor(), protoreflect.EnumNumber(x))
 }
@@ -102,6 +108,12 @@
 	"TEXT_FORMAT_TEST":                 5,
 }
 
+func (x TestCategory) Enum() *TestCategory {
+	p := new(TestCategory)
+	*p = x
+	return p
+}
+
 func (x TestCategory) String() string {
 	return protoimpl.X.EnumStringOf(x.Descriptor(), protoreflect.EnumNumber(x))
 }
diff --git a/internal/testprotos/conformance/test_messages_proto3.pb.go b/internal/testprotos/conformance/test_messages_proto3.pb.go
index 9cbfbe9..556efd8 100644
--- a/internal/testprotos/conformance/test_messages_proto3.pb.go
+++ b/internal/testprotos/conformance/test_messages_proto3.pb.go
@@ -41,6 +41,12 @@
 	"FOREIGN_BAZ": 2,
 }
 
+func (x ForeignEnum) Enum() *ForeignEnum {
+	p := new(ForeignEnum)
+	*p = x
+	return p
+}
+
 func (x ForeignEnum) String() string {
 	return protoimpl.X.EnumStringOf(x.Descriptor(), protoreflect.EnumNumber(x))
 }
@@ -88,6 +94,12 @@
 	"NEG": -1,
 }
 
+func (x TestAllTypesProto3_NestedEnum) Enum() *TestAllTypesProto3_NestedEnum {
+	p := new(TestAllTypesProto3_NestedEnum)
+	*p = x
+	return p
+}
+
 func (x TestAllTypesProto3_NestedEnum) String() string {
 	return protoimpl.X.EnumStringOf(x.Descriptor(), protoreflect.EnumNumber(x))
 }
@@ -141,6 +153,12 @@
 	"bAz":       2,
 }
 
+func (x TestAllTypesProto3_AliasedEnum) Enum() *TestAllTypesProto3_AliasedEnum {
+	p := new(TestAllTypesProto3_AliasedEnum)
+	*p = x
+	return p
+}
+
 func (x TestAllTypesProto3_AliasedEnum) String() string {
 	return protoimpl.X.EnumStringOf(x.Descriptor(), protoreflect.EnumNumber(x))
 }
diff --git a/internal/testprotos/test3/test.pb.go b/internal/testprotos/test3/test.pb.go
index ded5e83..31180d0 100644
--- a/internal/testprotos/test3/test.pb.go
+++ b/internal/testprotos/test3/test.pb.go
@@ -38,6 +38,12 @@
 	"FOREIGN_BAZ":  6,
 }
 
+func (x ForeignEnum) Enum() *ForeignEnum {
+	p := new(ForeignEnum)
+	*p = x
+	return p
+}
+
 func (x ForeignEnum) String() string {
 	return protoimpl.X.EnumStringOf(x.Descriptor(), protoreflect.EnumNumber(x))
 }
@@ -85,6 +91,12 @@
 	"NEG": -1,
 }
 
+func (x TestAllTypes_NestedEnum) Enum() *TestAllTypes_NestedEnum {
+	p := new(TestAllTypes_NestedEnum)
+	*p = x
+	return p
+}
+
 func (x TestAllTypes_NestedEnum) String() string {
 	return protoimpl.X.EnumStringOf(x.Descriptor(), protoreflect.EnumNumber(x))
 }
diff --git a/internal/testprotos/test3/test_import.pb.go b/internal/testprotos/test3/test_import.pb.go
index 8376505..a281989 100644
--- a/internal/testprotos/test3/test_import.pb.go
+++ b/internal/testprotos/test3/test_import.pb.go
@@ -29,6 +29,12 @@
 	"IMPORT_ZERO": 0,
 }
 
+func (x ImportEnum) Enum() *ImportEnum {
+	p := new(ImportEnum)
+	*p = x
+	return p
+}
+
 func (x ImportEnum) String() string {
 	return protoimpl.X.EnumStringOf(x.Descriptor(), protoreflect.EnumNumber(x))
 }
diff --git a/types/known/structpb/struct.pb.go b/types/known/structpb/struct.pb.go
index 08d31bf..9720ade 100644
--- a/types/known/structpb/struct.pb.go
+++ b/types/known/structpb/struct.pb.go
@@ -34,6 +34,12 @@
 	"NULL_VALUE": 0,
 }
 
+func (x NullValue) Enum() *NullValue {
+	p := new(NullValue)
+	*p = x
+	return p
+}
+
 func (x NullValue) String() string {
 	return protoimpl.X.EnumStringOf(x.Descriptor(), protoreflect.EnumNumber(x))
 }
diff --git a/types/known/typepb/type.pb.go b/types/known/typepb/type.pb.go
index 6aabc9a..6ed50ba 100644
--- a/types/known/typepb/type.pb.go
+++ b/types/known/typepb/type.pb.go
@@ -37,6 +37,12 @@
 	"SYNTAX_PROTO3": 1,
 }
 
+func (x Syntax) Enum() *Syntax {
+	p := new(Syntax)
+	*p = x
+	return p
+}
+
 func (x Syntax) String() string {
 	return protoimpl.X.EnumStringOf(x.Descriptor(), protoreflect.EnumNumber(x))
 }
@@ -149,6 +155,12 @@
 	"TYPE_SINT64":   18,
 }
 
+func (x Field_Kind) Enum() *Field_Kind {
+	p := new(Field_Kind)
+	*p = x
+	return p
+}
+
 func (x Field_Kind) String() string {
 	return protoimpl.X.EnumStringOf(x.Descriptor(), protoreflect.EnumNumber(x))
 }
@@ -201,6 +213,12 @@
 	"CARDINALITY_REPEATED": 3,
 }
 
+func (x Field_Cardinality) Enum() *Field_Cardinality {
+	p := new(Field_Cardinality)
+	*p = x
+	return p
+}
+
 func (x Field_Cardinality) String() string {
 	return protoimpl.X.EnumStringOf(x.Descriptor(), protoreflect.EnumNumber(x))
 }