diff --git a/pkg/codegen/generators.go b/pkg/codegen/generators.go
index a7b7aed83f8..11820333f7a 100644
--- a/pkg/codegen/generators.go
+++ b/pkg/codegen/generators.go
@@ -29,6 +29,29 @@ func ForGen(rt *thema.Runtime, decl *kindsys.SomeDecl) (*DeclForGen, error) {
 	}, nil
 }
 
+// RawForGen produces a [DeclForGen] from a [kindsys.Raw] kind.
+//
+// Useful for grafana-external code generators, which depend on the Kind
+// representation in registries produced by grafana core (such as
+// ["github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/registry/corekind".NewBase]).
+func RawForGen(k kindsys.Raw) *DeclForGen {
+	return &DeclForGen{
+		SomeDecl: k.Decl().Some(),
+	}
+}
+
+// StructuredForGen produces a [DeclForGen] from a [kindsys.Structured] kind.
+//
+// Useful for grafana-external code generators, which depend on the Kind
+// representation in registries produced by grafana core (such as
+// ["github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/registry/corekind".NewBase]).
+func StructuredForGen(k kindsys.Structured) *DeclForGen {
+	return &DeclForGen{
+		SomeDecl: k.Decl().Some(),
+		lin:      k.Lineage(),
+	}
+}
+
 // DeclForGen wraps [kindsys.SomeDecl] to provide trivial caching of
 // the lineage declared by the kind (nil for raw kinds).
 type DeclForGen struct {
diff --git a/pkg/codegen/tmpl/kind_corestructured.tmpl b/pkg/codegen/tmpl/kind_corestructured.tmpl
index 71fbac06074..a02a686b687 100644
--- a/pkg/codegen/tmpl/kind_corestructured.tmpl
+++ b/pkg/codegen/tmpl/kind_corestructured.tmpl
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ func (k *Kind) Maturity() kindsys.Maturity {
 }
 
 // TODO standard generated docs
-func (k *Kind) Meta() kindsys.CoreStructuredMeta {
-	return k.decl.Meta
+func (k *Kind) Decl() *kindsys.Decl[kindsys.CoreStructuredMeta] {
+	d := k.decl
+	return &d
 }
diff --git a/pkg/codegen/tmpl/kind_raw.tmpl b/pkg/codegen/tmpl/kind_raw.tmpl
index 479915c124e..a38070c67e3 100644
--- a/pkg/codegen/tmpl/kind_raw.tmpl
+++ b/pkg/codegen/tmpl/kind_raw.tmpl
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ func (k *Kind) Maturity() kindsys.Maturity {
 }
 
 // TODO standard generated docs
-func (k *Kind) Meta() kindsys.RawMeta {
-	return k.decl.Meta
+func (k *Kind) Decl() *kindsys.Decl[kindsys.RawMeta] {
+	d := k.decl
+	return &d
 }
diff --git a/pkg/kinds/dashboard/dashboard_kind_gen.go b/pkg/kinds/dashboard/dashboard_kind_gen.go
index ee275dc8426..71c47986121 100644
--- a/pkg/kinds/dashboard/dashboard_kind_gen.go
+++ b/pkg/kinds/dashboard/dashboard_kind_gen.go
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ func (k *Kind) Maturity() kindsys.Maturity {
 }
 
 // TODO standard generated docs
-func (k *Kind) Meta() kindsys.CoreStructuredMeta {
-	return k.decl.Meta
+func (k *Kind) Decl() *kindsys.Decl[kindsys.CoreStructuredMeta] {
+	d := k.decl
+	return &d
 }
diff --git a/pkg/kinds/playlist/playlist_kind_gen.go b/pkg/kinds/playlist/playlist_kind_gen.go
index eb82358c7bb..e67a4bc3dc2 100644
--- a/pkg/kinds/playlist/playlist_kind_gen.go
+++ b/pkg/kinds/playlist/playlist_kind_gen.go
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ func (k *Kind) Maturity() kindsys.Maturity {
 }
 
 // TODO standard generated docs
-func (k *Kind) Meta() kindsys.CoreStructuredMeta {
-	return k.decl.Meta
+func (k *Kind) Decl() *kindsys.Decl[kindsys.CoreStructuredMeta] {
+	d := k.decl
+	return &d
 }
diff --git a/pkg/kinds/svg/svg_kind_gen.go b/pkg/kinds/svg/svg_kind_gen.go
index 9722d91998b..b3f6a4f3150 100644
--- a/pkg/kinds/svg/svg_kind_gen.go
+++ b/pkg/kinds/svg/svg_kind_gen.go
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ func (k *Kind) Maturity() kindsys.Maturity {
 }
 
 // TODO standard generated docs
-func (k *Kind) Meta() kindsys.RawMeta {
-	return k.decl.Meta
+func (k *Kind) Decl() *kindsys.Decl[kindsys.RawMeta] {
+	d := k.decl
+	return &d
 }
diff --git a/pkg/kindsys/kind.go b/pkg/kindsys/kind.go
index ea02870ce26..9839954fb69 100644
--- a/pkg/kindsys/kind.go
+++ b/pkg/kindsys/kind.go
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ type Raw interface {
 	Interface
 
 	// TODO docs
-	Meta() RawMeta
+	Decl() *Decl[RawMeta]
 }
 
 type Structured interface {
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ type Structured interface {
 	Lineage() thema.Lineage
 
 	// TODO docs
-	Meta() CoreStructuredMeta // TODO figure out how to reconcile this interface with CustomStructuredMeta
+	Decl() *Decl[CoreStructuredMeta] // TODO figure out how to reconcile this interface with CustomStructuredMeta
 }
 
 // type Composable interface {
diff --git a/pkg/kindsys/kindmetas.go b/pkg/kindsys/kindmetas.go
index 946c07fbe76..5470d8e26d6 100644
--- a/pkg/kindsys/kindmetas.go
+++ b/pkg/kindsys/kindmetas.go
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ package kindsys
 
 import "github.com/grafana/thema"
 
-// CommonMeta contains the kind metadata common to all categories of kinds.
+// CommonMeta contains the metadata common to all categories of kinds.
 type CommonMeta struct {
 	Name              string   `json:"name"`
 	PluralName        string   `json:"pluralName"`