diff --git a/chiselFrontend/src/main/scala/chisel3/core/Aggregate.scala b/chiselFrontend/src/main/scala/chisel3/core/Aggregate.scala
index 8700b444237..47f4b3e726c 100644
--- a/chiselFrontend/src/main/scala/chisel3/core/Aggregate.scala
+++ b/chiselFrontend/src/main/scala/chisel3/core/Aggregate.scala
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ trait VecFactory {
     if (compileOptions.declaredTypeMustBeUnbound) {
       requireIsChiselType(gen, "vec type")
     }
-    new Vec(gen.chiselCloneType, n)
+    new Vec(gen.cloneTypeFull, n)
   }
 
   /** Truncate an index to implement modulo-power-of-2 addressing. */
@@ -580,9 +580,3 @@ class Bundle(implicit compileOptions: CompileOptions) extends Record {
     */
   override def toPrintable: Printable = toPrintableHelper(elements.toList.reverse)
 }
-
-private[core] object Bundle {
-  val keywords = List("flip", "asInput", "asOutput", "cloneType", "chiselCloneType", "toBits",
-    "widthOption", "signalName", "signalPathName", "signalParent", "signalComponent")
-}
-
diff --git a/chiselFrontend/src/main/scala/chisel3/core/Data.scala b/chiselFrontend/src/main/scala/chisel3/core/Data.scala
index b5c9d319016..aa286e0d4dc 100644
--- a/chiselFrontend/src/main/scala/chisel3/core/Data.scala
+++ b/chiselFrontend/src/main/scala/chisel3/core/Data.scala
@@ -87,6 +87,10 @@ object DataMirror {
   // Internal reflection-style APIs, subject to change and removal whenever.
   object internal {
     def isSynthesizable(target: Data) = target.hasBinding
+    // For those odd cases where you need to care about object reference and uniqueness
+    def chiselTypeClone[T<:Data](target: Data): T = {
+      target.cloneTypeFull.asInstanceOf[T]
+    }
   }
 }
 
@@ -126,7 +130,7 @@ private[core] object cloneSupertype {
           throw new AssertionError(
             s"can't create $createdType with heterogeneous Bits types ${elt1.getClass} and ${elt2.getClass}")
       }).asInstanceOf[T] }
-      model.chiselCloneType
+      model.cloneTypeFull
     }
     else {
       for (elt <- elts.tail) {
@@ -135,11 +139,20 @@ private[core] object cloneSupertype {
         require(elt typeEquivalent elts.head,
           s"can't create $createdType with non-equivalent types ${elts.head} and ${elt}")
       }
-      elts.head.chiselCloneType
+      elts.head.cloneTypeFull
     }
   }
 }
 
+/** Returns the chisel type of a hardware object, allowing other hardware to be constructed from it.
+  */
+object chiselTypeOf {
+  def apply[T <: Data](target: T): T = {
+    requireIsHardware(target)
+    target.cloneTypeFull.asInstanceOf[T]
+  }
+}
+
 /**
 * Input, Output, and Flipped are used to define the directions of Module IOs.
 *
@@ -148,22 +161,31 @@ private[core] object cloneSupertype {
 * Thus, an error will be thrown if these are used on bound Data
 */
 object Input {
-  def apply[T<:Data](source: T): T = {
-    val out = source.cloneType
+  def apply[T<:Data](source: T)(implicit compileOptions: CompileOptions): T = {
+    if (compileOptions.checkSynthesizable) {
+      requireIsChiselType(source)
+    }
+    val out = source.cloneType.asInstanceOf[T]
     out.specifiedDirection = SpecifiedDirection.Input
     out
   }
 }
 object Output {
-  def apply[T<:Data](source: T): T = {
-    val out = source.cloneType
+  def apply[T<:Data](source: T)(implicit compileOptions: CompileOptions): T = {
+    if (compileOptions.checkSynthesizable) {
+      requireIsChiselType(source)
+    }
+    val out = source.cloneType.asInstanceOf[T]
     out.specifiedDirection = SpecifiedDirection.Output
     out
   }
 }
 object Flipped {
-  def apply[T<:Data](source: T): T = {
-    val out = source.cloneType
+  def apply[T<:Data](source: T)(implicit compileOptions: CompileOptions): T = {
+    if (compileOptions.checkSynthesizable) {
+      requireIsChiselType(source)
+    }
+    val out = source.cloneType.asInstanceOf[T]
     out.specifiedDirection = SpecifiedDirection.flip(source.specifiedDirection)
     out
   }
@@ -314,25 +336,27 @@ abstract class Data extends HasId {
   private[chisel3] def width: Width
   private[core] def legacyConnect(that: Data)(implicit sourceInfo: SourceInfo): Unit
 
-  /** cloneType must be defined for any Chisel object extending Data.
+  /** Internal API; Chisel users should look at chisel3.chiselTypeOf(...).
+    *
+    * cloneType must be defined for any Chisel object extending Data.
     * It is responsible for constructing a basic copy of the object being cloned.
-    * If cloneType needs to recursively clone elements of an object, it should call
-    * the cloneType methods on those elements.
+    *
     * @return a copy of the object.
     */
   def cloneType: this.type
 
-  /** chiselCloneType is called at the top-level of a clone chain.
-    * It calls the client's cloneType() method to construct a basic copy of the object being cloned,
-    * then performs any fixups required to reconstruct the appropriate core state of the cloned object.
-    * @return a copy of the object with appropriate core state.
+  /** Internal API; Chisel users should look at chisel3.chiselTypeOf(...).
+    *
+    * Returns a copy of this data type, with hardware bindings (if any) removed.
+    * Directionality data is still preserved.
     */
-  def chiselCloneType: this.type = {
-    val clone = this.cloneType  // get a fresh object, without bindings
+  private[chisel3] def cloneTypeFull: this.type = {
+    val clone = this.cloneType.asInstanceOf[this.type]  // get a fresh object, without bindings
     // Only the top-level direction needs to be fixed up, cloneType should do the rest
     clone.specifiedDirection = specifiedDirection
     clone
   }
+
   final def := (that: Data)(implicit sourceInfo: SourceInfo, connectionCompileOptions: CompileOptions): Unit = this.connect(that)(sourceInfo, connectionCompileOptions)
   final def <> (that: Data)(implicit sourceInfo: SourceInfo, connectionCompileOptions: CompileOptions): Unit = this.bulkConnect(that)(sourceInfo, connectionCompileOptions)
   def litArg(): Option[LitArg] = None
@@ -357,7 +381,7 @@ abstract class Data extends HasId {
   /** Does a reinterpret cast of the bits in this node into the format that provides.
     * Returns a new Wire of that type. Does not modify existing nodes.
     *
-    * x.asTypeOf(that) performs the inverse operation of x = that.toBits.
+    * x.asTypeOf(that) performs the inverse operation of x := that.toBits.
     *
     * @note bit widths are NOT checked, may pad or drop bits from input
     * @note that should have known widths
@@ -365,7 +389,7 @@ abstract class Data extends HasId {
   def asTypeOf[T <: Data](that: T): T = macro SourceInfoTransform.thatArg
 
   def do_asTypeOf[T <: Data](that: T)(implicit sourceInfo: SourceInfo, compileOptions: CompileOptions): T = {
-    val thatCloned = Wire(that.chiselCloneType)
+    val thatCloned = Wire(that.cloneTypeFull)
     thatCloned.connectFromBits(this.asUInt())
     thatCloned
   }
@@ -395,7 +419,7 @@ trait WireFactory {
     if (compileOptions.declaredTypeMustBeUnbound) {
       requireIsChiselType(t, "wire type")
     }
-    val x = t.chiselCloneType
+    val x = t.cloneTypeFull
 
     // Bind each element of x to being a Wire
     x.bind(WireBinding(Builder.forcedUserModule))
@@ -413,10 +437,10 @@ object WireInit {
   def apply[T <: Data](init: T)(implicit sourceInfo: SourceInfo, compileOptions: CompileOptions): T = {
     val model = (init.litArg match {
       // For e.g. Wire(init=0.U(k.W)), fix the Reg's width to k
-      case Some(lit) if lit.forcedWidth => init.chiselCloneType
+      case Some(lit) if lit.forcedWidth => init.cloneTypeFull
       case _ => init match {
         case init: Bits => init.cloneTypeWidth(Width())
-        case init => init.chiselCloneType
+        case init => init.cloneTypeFull
       }
     }).asInstanceOf[T]
     apply(model, init)
diff --git a/chiselFrontend/src/main/scala/chisel3/core/Mem.scala b/chiselFrontend/src/main/scala/chisel3/core/Mem.scala
index 1e7a795aba5..72d91c3c33c 100644
--- a/chiselFrontend/src/main/scala/chisel3/core/Mem.scala
+++ b/chiselFrontend/src/main/scala/chisel3/core/Mem.scala
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ object Mem {
     if (compileOptions.declaredTypeMustBeUnbound) {
       requireIsChiselType(t, "memory type")
     }
-    val mt  = t.chiselCloneType
+    val mt  = t.cloneTypeFull
     val mem = new Mem(mt, size)
     pushCommand(DefMemory(sourceInfo, mem, mt, size))
     mem
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ sealed abstract class MemBase[T <: Data](t: T, val length: Int) extends HasId {
 
     val port = pushCommand(
       DefMemPort(sourceInfo,
-       t.chiselCloneType, Node(this), dir, i.ref, Node(Builder.forcedClock))
+       t.cloneTypeFull, Node(this), dir, i.ref, Node(Builder.forcedClock))
     ).id
     // Bind each element of port to being a MemoryPort
     port.bind(MemoryPortBinding(Builder.forcedUserModule))
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ object SyncReadMem {
     if (compileOptions.declaredTypeMustBeUnbound) {
       requireIsChiselType(t, "memory type")
     }
-    val mt  = t.chiselCloneType
+    val mt  = t.cloneTypeFull
     val mem = new SyncReadMem(mt, size)
     pushCommand(DefSeqMemory(sourceInfo, mem, mt, size))
     mem
diff --git a/chiselFrontend/src/main/scala/chisel3/core/Reg.scala b/chiselFrontend/src/main/scala/chisel3/core/Reg.scala
index 19bbee1c7e8..14674b370b9 100644
--- a/chiselFrontend/src/main/scala/chisel3/core/Reg.scala
+++ b/chiselFrontend/src/main/scala/chisel3/core/Reg.scala
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ object Reg {
     if (compileOptions.declaredTypeMustBeUnbound) {
       requireIsChiselType(t, "reg type")
     }
-    val reg = t.chiselCloneType
+    val reg = t.cloneTypeFull
     val clock = Node(Builder.forcedClock)
 
     reg.bind(RegBinding(Builder.forcedUserModule))
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ object RegNext {
   def apply[T <: Data](next: T)(implicit sourceInfo: SourceInfo, compileOptions: CompileOptions): T = {
     val model = (next match {
       case next: Bits => next.cloneTypeWidth(Width())
-      case next => next.chiselCloneType
+      case next => next.cloneTypeFull
     }).asInstanceOf[T]
     val reg = Reg(model)
 
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ object RegNext {
   def apply[T <: Data](next: T, init: T)(implicit sourceInfo: SourceInfo, compileOptions: CompileOptions): T = {
     val model = (next match {
       case next: Bits => next.cloneTypeWidth(Width())
-      case next => next.chiselCloneType
+      case next => next.cloneTypeFull
     }).asInstanceOf[T]
     val reg = RegInit(model, init)  // TODO: this makes NO sense
 
@@ -71,10 +71,10 @@ object RegInit {
   def apply[T <: Data](init: T)(implicit sourceInfo: SourceInfo, compileOptions: CompileOptions): T = {
     val model = (init.litArg match {
       // For e.g. Reg(init=UInt(0, k)), fix the Reg's width to k
-      case Some(lit) if lit.forcedWidth => init.chiselCloneType
+      case Some(lit) if lit.forcedWidth => init.cloneTypeFull
       case _ => init match {
         case init: Bits => init.cloneTypeWidth(Width())
-        case init => init.chiselCloneType
+        case init => init.cloneTypeFull
       }
     }).asInstanceOf[T]
     RegInit(model, init)
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ object RegInit {
     if (compileOptions.declaredTypeMustBeUnbound) {
       requireIsChiselType(t, "reg type")
     }
-    val reg = t.chiselCloneType
+    val reg = t.cloneTypeFull
     val clock = Node(Builder.forcedClock)
     val reset = Node(Builder.forcedReset)
 
diff --git a/src/main/scala/chisel3/compatibility.scala b/src/main/scala/chisel3/compatibility.scala
index f181caba1c2..d65196d97e7 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/chisel3/compatibility.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/chisel3/compatibility.scala
@@ -42,6 +42,12 @@ package object Chisel {     // scalastyle:ignore package.object.name
       }
     }
   }
+  implicit class cloneTypeable[T <: Data](val target: T) extends AnyVal {
+    import chisel3.core.DataMirror
+    def chiselCloneType: T = {
+      DataMirror.internal.chiselTypeClone(target).asInstanceOf[T]
+    }
+  }
 
   type ChiselException = chisel3.internal.ChiselException
 
diff --git a/src/main/scala/chisel3/package.scala b/src/main/scala/chisel3/package.scala
index ee77ba230d8..d335f1f101a 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/chisel3/package.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/chisel3/package.scala
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package object chisel3 {    // scalastyle:ignore package.object.name
   val Input   = chisel3.core.Input
   val Output  = chisel3.core.Output
   val Flipped = chisel3.core.Flipped
+  val chiselTypeOf = chisel3.core.chiselTypeOf
 
   type Data = chisel3.core.Data
   object Wire extends chisel3.core.WireFactory {
@@ -56,6 +57,13 @@ package object chisel3 {    // scalastyle:ignore package.object.name
     }
   }
 
+  implicit class cloneTypeable[T <: Data](val target: T) extends AnyVal {
+    @deprecated("chiselCloneType is deprecated, use chiselTypeOf(...) to get the Chisel Type of a hardware object", "chisel3")
+    def chiselCloneType: T = {
+      target.cloneTypeFull.asInstanceOf[T]
+    }
+  }
+
   type Aggregate = chisel3.core.Aggregate
   object Vec extends chisel3.core.VecFactory {
     import scala.language.experimental.macros
diff --git a/src/main/scala/chisel3/util/Decoupled.scala b/src/main/scala/chisel3/util/Decoupled.scala
index ef09c07deed..451fd039191 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/chisel3/util/Decoupled.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/chisel3/util/Decoupled.scala
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ object Queue
       entries: Int = 2,
       pipe: Boolean = false,
       flow: Boolean = false): DecoupledIO[T] = {
-    val q = Module(new Queue(enq.bits.cloneType, entries, pipe, flow))
+    val q = Module(new Queue(chiselTypeOf(enq.bits), entries, pipe, flow))
     q.io.enq.valid := enq.valid // not using <> so that override is allowed
     q.io.enq.bits := enq.bits
     enq.ready := q.io.enq.ready
diff --git a/src/main/scala/chisel3/util/Reg.scala b/src/main/scala/chisel3/util/Reg.scala
index 34c4d6d8c04..34d22a07edb 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/chisel3/util/Reg.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/chisel3/util/Reg.scala
@@ -8,8 +8,7 @@ object RegEnable {
   /** Returns a register with the specified next, update enable gate, and no reset initialization.
     */
   def apply[T <: Data](next: T, enable: Bool): T = {
-    val clonedNext = next.chiselCloneType
-    val r = Reg(clonedNext)
+    val r = Reg(chiselTypeOf(next))
     when (enable) { r := next }
     r
   }
diff --git a/src/test/scala/chiselTests/Module.scala b/src/test/scala/chiselTests/Module.scala
index 432cd2783b7..e84e6a02f78 100644
--- a/src/test/scala/chiselTests/Module.scala
+++ b/src/test/scala/chiselTests/Module.scala
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ class ModuleVecTester(c: ModuleVec) extends Tester(c) {
 
 class ModuleWire extends Module {
   val io = IO(new SimpleIO)
-  val inc = Wire(Module(new PlusOne).io.chiselCloneType)
+  val inc = Wire(chiselTypeOf(Module(new PlusOne).io))
   inc.in := io.in
   io.out := inc.out
 }
diff --git a/src/test/scala/chiselTests/Vec.scala b/src/test/scala/chiselTests/Vec.scala
index 9b8855c45c2..6c62ab26155 100644
--- a/src/test/scala/chiselTests/Vec.scala
+++ b/src/test/scala/chiselTests/Vec.scala
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ class ZeroEntryVecTester extends BasicTester {
   require(bundleWithZeroEntryVec.asUInt.getWidth == 1)
 
   val m = Module(new Module {
-    val io = IO(Output(bundleWithZeroEntryVec.cloneType))
+    val io = IO(Output(bundleWithZeroEntryVec))
   })
   WireInit(m.io.bar)