diff --git a/selfdrive/car/structs.py b/selfdrive/car/structs.py
index dce60e99b2..f2f1e1be4f 100644
--- a/selfdrive/car/structs.py
+++ b/selfdrive/car/structs.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-from dataclasses import dataclass as _dataclass, field, is_dataclass
+import attr
+from dataclasses import field
 from enum import Enum, StrEnum as _StrEnum, auto
 from typing import dataclass_transform, get_origin
 
@@ -9,6 +10,27 @@ def auto_field():
   return auto_obj
 
 
+# @dataclass_transform()
+# def auto_dataclass(cls=None, /, **kwargs):
+#   cls_annotations = cls.__dict__.get('__annotations__', {})
+#   for name, typ in cls_annotations.items():
+#     current_value = getattr(cls, name, None)
+#     if current_value is auto_obj:
+#       origin_typ = get_origin(typ) or typ
+#       if isinstance(origin_typ, str):
+#         raise TypeError(f"Forward references are not supported for auto_field: '{origin_typ}'. Use a default_factory with lambda instead.")
+#       elif origin_typ in (int, float, str, bytes, list, tuple, set, dict, bool) or is_dataclass(origin_typ):
+#         setattr(cls, name, field(default_factory=origin_typ))
+#       elif origin_typ is None:
+#         setattr(cls, name, field(default=origin_typ))
+#       elif issubclass(origin_typ, Enum):  # first enum is the default
+#         setattr(cls, name, field(default=next(iter(origin_typ))))
+#       else:
+#         raise TypeError(f"Unsupported type for auto_field: {origin_typ}")
+#
+#   return _dataclass(cls, **kwargs)
+
+
 @dataclass_transform()
 def auto_dataclass(cls=None, /, **kwargs):
   cls_annotations = cls.__dict__.get('__annotations__', {})
@@ -18,16 +40,24 @@ def auto_dataclass(cls=None, /, **kwargs):
       origin_typ = get_origin(typ) or typ
       if isinstance(origin_typ, str):
         raise TypeError(f"Forward references are not supported for auto_field: '{origin_typ}'. Use a default_factory with lambda instead.")
-      elif origin_typ in (int, float, str, bytes, list, tuple, set, dict, bool) or is_dataclass(origin_typ):
-        setattr(cls, name, field(default_factory=origin_typ))
+      elif origin_typ in (int, float, str, bytes, list, tuple, set, dict, bool):
+        setattr(cls, name, attr.attr(factory=origin_typ))
+      elif attr.has(origin_typ):
+        def convert(data, _origin_typ=origin_typ):
+          print('got data', data)
+          if attr.has(data):# or (not any(isinstance(k, dict) for k in data) and len(data)):
+            return data
+          # print('ret cls **data', cls)
+          return _origin_typ(**data)
+        setattr(cls, name, attr.attr(factory=origin_typ, converter=convert))
       elif origin_typ is None:
-        setattr(cls, name, field(default=origin_typ))
+        setattr(cls, name, attr.attr(default=origin_typ))
       elif issubclass(origin_typ, Enum):  # first enum is the default
-        setattr(cls, name, field(default=next(iter(origin_typ))))
+        setattr(cls, name, attr.attr(default=next(iter(origin_typ))))
       else:
         raise TypeError(f"Unsupported type for auto_field: {origin_typ}")
 
-  return _dataclass(cls, **kwargs)
+  return attr.dataclass(cls, slots=True, **kwargs)
 
 
 class StrEnum(_StrEnum):
@@ -497,3 +527,15 @@ class CarParams:
   class NetworkLocation(StrEnum):
     fwdCamera = auto()  # Standard/default integration at LKAS camera
     gateway = auto()    # Integration at vehicle's CAN gateway
+
+
+# @attr.dataclass(slots=True)
+@auto_dataclass
+class Test:
+  # actuators: CarControl.Actuators = attr.attr(factory=lambda: CarControl.Actuators(), converter=lambda arg: CarControl.Actuators(**arg))
+  actuators: CarControl.Actuators = auto_field()
+  hudControl: CarControl.HUDControl = auto_field()  # attr.attr(factory=lambda: CarControl.HUDControl(), converter=lambda arg: CarControl.HUDControl(**arg))
+
+
+# Test(**{'actuators': {'gas': 1.0}})
+