diff --git a/hpb/backend/upb/interop.h b/hpb/backend/upb/interop.h
index e4fb84d..8b54213 100644
--- a/hpb/backend/upb/interop.h
+++ b/hpb/backend/upb/interop.h
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include "hpb/internal/internal.h"
 #include "hpb/ptr.h"
 #include "upb/base/string_view.h"
+#include "upb/base/upcast.h"
 #include "upb/mem/arena.h"
 #include "upb/message/message.h"
 #include "upb/mini_table/message.h"
@@ -85,11 +86,26 @@
  * TODO: b/361596328 - revisit GetArena for CHandles
  * TODO: b/362743843 - consider passing in MiniTable to ensure match
  */
+// REMARK: This overload will be deleted soon. Prefer the overloads that take in
+// the CMessageType or MiniTable.
 template <typename T>
 typename T::CProxy MakeCHandle(const upb_Message* msg, upb_Arena* arena) {
   return internal::PrivateAccess::CProxy<T>(msg, arena);
 }
 
+/* Creates a Handle from a const upb message.
+ *
+ * The supplied arena must outlive the hpb handle.
+ * All messages reachable from from the upb message must
+ * outlive the hpb handle.
+ */
+template <typename T>
+typename T::CProxy MakeCHandle(
+    const typename internal::AssociatedUpbTypes<T>::CMessageType* msg,
+    upb_Arena* arena) {
+  return internal::PrivateAccess::CProxy<T>(UPB_UPCAST(msg), arena);
+}
+
 /**
  * Creates a Handle to a mutable upb message.
  *
@@ -97,11 +113,26 @@
  * All messages reachable from from the upb message must
  * outlive the hpb handle.
  */
+// REMARK: This overload will be deleted soon. Prefer the overloads that take in
+// the CMessageType or MiniTable.
 template <typename T>
 typename T::Proxy MakeHandle(upb_Message* msg, upb_Arena* arena) {
   return typename T::Proxy(msg, arena);
 }
 
+/* Creates a Handle from a mutable upb message.
+ *
+ * The supplied arena must outlive the hpb handle.
+ * All messages reachable from from the upb message must
+ * outlive the hpb handle.
+ */
+template <typename T>
+typename T::Proxy MakeHandle(
+    typename internal::AssociatedUpbTypes<T>::CMessageType* msg,
+    upb_Arena* arena) {
+  return internal::PrivateAccess::Proxy<T>(UPB_UPCAST(msg), arena);
+}
+
 /**
  * Creates a message in the given arena and returns a handle to it.
  *
diff --git a/hpb/backend/upb/interop_test.cc b/hpb/backend/upb/interop_test.cc
index 5b72d5d..6fa67e6 100644
--- a/hpb/backend/upb/interop_test.cc
+++ b/hpb/backend/upb/interop_test.cc
@@ -32,5 +32,25 @@
   EXPECT_EQ(model.int_value_with_default(), 123);
 }
 
+TEST(CppGeneratedCode, CanCreateCProxyWithoutCasting) {
+  upb_Arena* arena = upb_Arena_New();
+  hpb_unittest_TestModel* msg = hpb_unittest_TestModel_new(arena);
+
+  hpb_unittest::protos::TestModel::CProxy const_handle =
+      hpb::interop::upb::MakeCHandle<TestModel>(msg, arena);
+  EXPECT_EQ(const_handle.value(), 0);
+  upb_Arena_Free(arena);
+}
+
+TEST(CppGeneratedCode, CanCreateProxyWithoutCasting) {
+  upb_Arena* arena = upb_Arena_New();
+  hpb_unittest_TestModel* msg = hpb_unittest_TestModel_new(arena);
+
+  hpb_unittest::protos::TestModel::Proxy handle =
+      hpb::interop::upb::MakeHandle<TestModel>(msg, arena);
+  EXPECT_EQ(handle.value(), 0);
+  upb_Arena_Free(arena);
+}
+
 }  // namespace
 }  // namespace hpb::testing
diff --git a/hpb/internal/internal.h b/hpb/internal/internal.h
index cff03ab..f4be198 100644
--- a/hpb/internal/internal.h
+++ b/hpb/internal/internal.h
@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@
   }
 };
 
+template <typename T>
+struct AssociatedUpbTypes;
+
 }  // namespace hpb::internal
 
 #endif  // GOOGLE_PROTOBUF_HPB_INTERNAL_INTERNAL_H__
diff --git a/hpb_generator/generator.cc b/hpb_generator/generator.cc
index d0f2e7d..15f463c 100644
--- a/hpb_generator/generator.cc
+++ b/hpb_generator/generator.cc
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "hpb_generator/gen_utils.h"
 #include "hpb_generator/names.h"
 #include "google/protobuf/descriptor.h"
+#include "upb_generator/c/names.h"
 
 namespace google {
 namespace protobuf {
@@ -146,6 +147,31 @@
     ctx.Emit("\n");
   });
 
+  ctx.Emit("namespace hpb::internal {\n");
+  const std::vector<const google::protobuf::Descriptor*> messages_to_emit_helpers =
+      SortedMessages(file);
+  for (auto desc : messages_to_emit_helpers) {
+    if (desc->map_key() != nullptr) {
+      continue;
+    }
+    std::string outer_namespace =
+        absl::StrCat(NamespaceFromPackageName(file->package()), "::");
+    if (file->package().empty()) {
+      outer_namespace = "";
+    }
+    ctx.Emit({{"class_name", ClassName(desc)},
+              {"outer_namespace", outer_namespace},
+              {"c_api_msg_type",
+               upb::generator::CApiMessageType(desc->full_name())}},
+             R"cc(
+               template <>
+               struct AssociatedUpbTypes<$outer_namespace$$class_name$> {
+                 using CMessageType = $c_api_msg_type$;
+               };
+             )cc");
+  }
+
+  ctx.Emit("}  // namespace hpb::internal\n");
   ctx.Emit(
       "#include \"hpb/internal/os_macros_restore.inc\"\n");
   ctx.Emit("\n#include \"upb/port/undef.inc\"\n\n");