diff --git a/kotlin/codegen/src/main/java/com/squareup/moshi/kotlin/codegen/AdapterGenerator.kt b/kotlin/codegen/src/main/java/com/squareup/moshi/kotlin/codegen/AdapterGenerator.kt
index 6937832..587720d 100644
--- a/kotlin/codegen/src/main/java/com/squareup/moshi/kotlin/codegen/AdapterGenerator.kt
+++ b/kotlin/codegen/src/main/java/com/squareup/moshi/kotlin/codegen/AdapterGenerator.kt
@@ -258,6 +258,8 @@ internal class AdapterGenerator(
         if (property.differentiateAbsentFromNull) {
           result.addCode("%2N = if (%3N) %4N else %1N.%2N",
               resultName, property.name, property.localIsPresentName, property.localName)
+        } else if (property.isRequired) {
+          result.addCode("%1N = %2N", property.name, property.localName)
         } else {
           result.addCode("%2N = %3N ?: %1N.%2N", resultName, property.name, property.localName)
         }