diff --git a/pymbolic/primitives.py b/pymbolic/primitives.py
index 3d7d11bd..89448baa 100644
--- a/pymbolic/primitives.py
+++ b/pymbolic/primitives.py
@@ -33,7 +33,9 @@
     ClassVar,
     Mapping,
     NoReturn,
+    Protocol,
     TypeVar,
+    cast,
 )
 from warnings import warn
 
@@ -819,9 +821,13 @@ def __iter__(self):
 )
 
 
+class _HasMapperMethod(Protocol):
+    mapper_method: ClassVar[str]
+
+
 def _augment_expression_dataclass(
             cls: type[DataclassInstance],
-            hash: bool,
+            generate_hash: bool,
         ) -> None:
     attr_tuple = ", ".join(f"self.{fld.name}" for fld in fields(cls))
     if attr_tuple:
@@ -854,8 +860,9 @@ def {cls.__name__}_eq(self, other):
                 return True
             if self.__class__ is not other.__class__:
                 return False
-            if hash(self) != hash(other):
-                return False
+            if {generate_hash}:
+                if hash(self) != hash(other):
+                    return False
             if self.__class__ is not cls and self.init_arg_names != {fld_name_tuple}:
                 warn(f"{{self.__class__}} is derived from {cls}, which is now "
                     f"a dataclass. {{self.__class__}} should be converted to being "
@@ -890,7 +897,7 @@ def {cls.__name__}_hash(self):
             object.__setattr__(self, "_hash_value", hash_val)
             return hash_val
 
-        if {hash}:
+        if {generate_hash}:
             cls.__hash__ = {cls.__name__}_hash
 
 
@@ -956,23 +963,23 @@ def {cls.__name__}_setstate(self, state):
 
     # {{{ assign mapper_method
 
-    assert issubclass(cls, Expression)
+    mm_cls = cast(type[_HasMapperMethod], cls)
 
-    snake_clsname = _CAMEL_TO_SNAKE_RE.sub("_", cls.__name__).lower()
+    snake_clsname = _CAMEL_TO_SNAKE_RE.sub("_", mm_cls.__name__).lower()
     default_mapper_method_name = f"map_{snake_clsname}"
 
     # This covers two cases: the class does not have the attribute in the first
     # place, or it inherits a value but does not set it itself.
-    sets_mapper_method = "mapper_method" in cls.__dict__
+    sets_mapper_method = "mapper_method" in mm_cls.__dict__
 
     if sets_mapper_method:
-        if default_mapper_method_name == cls.mapper_method:
-            warn(f"Explicit mapper_method on {cls} not needed, default matches "
+        if default_mapper_method_name == mm_cls.mapper_method:
+            warn(f"Explicit mapper_method on {mm_cls} not needed, default matches "
                  "explicit assignment. Just delete the explicit assignment.",
                  stacklevel=3)
 
     if not sets_mapper_method:
-        cls.mapper_method = intern(default_mapper_method_name)
+        mm_cls.mapper_method = intern(default_mapper_method_name)
 
     # }}}
 
@@ -983,18 +990,21 @@ def {cls.__name__}_setstate(self, state):
 @dataclass_transform(frozen_default=True)
 def expr_dataclass(
             init: bool = True,
-            hash: bool = True
+            hash: bool = True,
         ) -> Callable[[type[_T]], type[_T]]:
-    """A class decorator that makes the class a :func:`~dataclasses.dataclass`
+    r"""A class decorator that makes the class a :func:`~dataclasses.dataclass`
     while also adding functionality needed for :class:`Expression` nodes.
     Specifically, it adds cached hashing, equality comparisons
     with ``self is other`` shortcuts as well as some methods/attributes
-    for backward compatibility (e.g. ``__getinitargs__``, ``init_arg_names``)
+    for backward compatibility (e.g. ``__getinitargs__``, ``init_arg_names``).
 
     It also adds a :attr:`Expression.mapper_method` based on the class name
     if not already present. If :attr:`~Expression.mapper_method` is inherited,
     it will be viewed as unset and replaced.
 
+    Note that the class to which this decorator is applied need not be
+    a subclass of :class:`~pymbolic.Expression`.
+
     .. versionadded:: 2024.1
     """
     def map_cls(cls: type[_T]) -> type[_T]:
@@ -1008,7 +1018,7 @@ def map_cls(cls: type[_T]) -> type[_T]:
         # It should just understand that?
         _augment_expression_dataclass(
                   dc_cls,  # type: ignore[arg-type]
-                  hash=hash
+                  generate_hash=hash,
                   )
         return dc_cls