diff --git a/src/plugins/type/README.md b/src/plugins/type/README.md
index 7714b24eee6..22ef56fafd4 100644
--- a/src/plugins/type/README.md
+++ b/src/plugins/type/README.md
@@ -35,6 +35,21 @@ type was valid. For example, the type `string empty` equals the type
 types specify. It is now deprecated due to a more general sum type
 facility.
 
+## Example
+
+```sh
+sudo kdb mount typetest.dump user/typetest dump type
+kdb set user/typetest/key a
+kdb setmeta user/typetest/key check/type char
+# RET:0
+
+kdb get user/typetest/key
+#> a
+
+kdb rm user/typetest/key
+kdb umount user/typetest
+```
+
 
 ## Limitations
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/type/testmod_type.cpp b/src/plugins/type/testmod_type.cpp
index e514612f96c..c5584bc49f5 100644
--- a/src/plugins/type/testmod_type.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/type/testmod_type.cpp
@@ -484,3 +484,55 @@ TEST (type, minmax)
 	k.setString ("");
 	succeed_if (tc.check (k), "should succeed (empty value)");
 }
+
+TEST (type, char)
+{
+	KeySet config;
+	TypeChecker tc (config);
+
+	Key k ("user/anything", KEY_VALUE, "a", KEY_META, "check/type", "char", KEY_END);
+	EXPECT_TRUE (tc.check (k)) << "a should check successfully as char";
+	k.setString ("b");
+	EXPECT_TRUE (tc.check (k)) << "b should check successfully as char";
+	k.setString (" ");
+	EXPECT_TRUE (tc.check (k)) << "space should check successfully as char";
+	k.setString ("");
+	EXPECT_FALSE (tc.check (k)) << "empty string should not check successfully as char";
+	k.setString ("ab");
+	EXPECT_FALSE (tc.check (k)) << "two chars should not check successfully as char";
+
+	for (int i = 1; i < 255; ++i)
+	{
+		char x[2];
+		x[0] = i;
+		x[1] = 0;
+		k.setString (x);
+		EXPECT_TRUE (tc.check (k)) << x << " should check successfully as char";
+	}
+}
+
+TEST (type, octet)
+{
+	KeySet config;
+	TypeChecker tc (config);
+
+	Key k ("user/anything", KEY_VALUE, "a", KEY_META, "check/type", "octet", KEY_END);
+	EXPECT_TRUE (tc.check (k)) << "a should check successfully as octet";
+	k.setString ("b");
+	EXPECT_TRUE (tc.check (k)) << "b should check successfully as octet";
+	k.setString (" ");
+	EXPECT_TRUE (tc.check (k)) << "space should check successfully as octet";
+	k.setString ("");
+	EXPECT_FALSE (tc.check (k)) << "empty string should not check successfully as octet";
+	k.setString ("ab");
+	EXPECT_FALSE (tc.check (k)) << "two chars should not check successfully as octet";
+
+	for (int i = 1; i < 255; ++i)
+	{
+		char x[2];
+		x[0] = i;
+		x[1] = 0;
+		k.setString (x);
+		EXPECT_TRUE (tc.check (k)) << x << " should check successfully as octet";
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/plugins/type/type_checker.hpp b/src/plugins/type/type_checker.hpp
index eacb447d471..833c1be4a07 100644
--- a/src/plugins/type/type_checker.hpp
+++ b/src/plugins/type/type_checker.hpp
@@ -49,9 +49,10 @@ class TypeChecker
 		types.insert (pair<string, Type *> ("float", new TType<kdb::float_t> ()));
 		types.insert (pair<string, Type *> ("double", new TType<kdb::double_t> ()));
 		types.insert (pair<string, Type *> ("long_double", new TType<kdb::long_double_t> ()));
-		types.insert (pair<string, Type *> ("char", new TType<kdb::char_t> ()));
 		types.insert (pair<string, Type *> ("boolean", new TType<kdb::boolean_t> ()));
-		types.insert (pair<string, Type *> ("octet", new TType<kdb::octet_t> ()));
+
+		types.insert (pair<string, Type *> ("char", new CharType ()));
+		types.insert (pair<string, Type *> ("octet", new CharType ()));
 
 		types.insert (pair<string, Type *> ("any", new AnyType ()));
 		types.insert (pair<string, Type *> ("string", new StringType ()));
diff --git a/src/plugins/type/types.hpp b/src/plugins/type/types.hpp
index 2e407443aff..1ec1b1c0b25 100644
--- a/src/plugins/type/types.hpp
+++ b/src/plugins/type/types.hpp
@@ -53,6 +53,15 @@ class EmptyType : public Type
 	}
 };
 
+class CharType : public Type
+{
+public:
+	bool check (Key k) override
+	{
+		return k.getString ().length () == 1;
+	}
+};
+
 class StringType : public Type
 {
 public:
diff --git a/tests/shell/shell_recorder/tutorial_wrapper/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/shell/shell_recorder/tutorial_wrapper/CMakeLists.txt
index 3b87797d010..e285a222d22 100644
--- a/tests/shell/shell_recorder/tutorial_wrapper/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/shell/shell_recorder/tutorial_wrapper/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ add_plugin_shell_test (mini)
 add_plugin_shell_test (mozprefs)
 add_plugin_shell_test (xerces)
 add_plugin_shell_test (range)
+add_plugin_shell_test (type)
 
 # Only works with super user privileges, since it writes to `/etc/hosts`:
 # add_s_test (tutorial_mount "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/doc/tutorials/mount.md")