diff --git a/src/counts.jl b/src/counts.jl
index 2b017e4b9..3278fce9d 100644
--- a/src/counts.jl
+++ b/src/counts.jl
@@ -255,7 +255,9 @@ raw counts.
 - `:dict`:           use `Dict`-based method which is generally slower but uses less
                      RAM and is safe for any data type.
 """
-function addcounts!(cm::Dict{T}, x::AbstractArray{T}; alg = :auto) where T
+addcounts!(cm::Dict, x; alg = :auto) = _addcounts!(eltype(x), cm, x, alg = alg)
+
+function _addcounts!(::Type{T}, cm::Dict, x; alg = :auto) where T
     # if it's safe to be sorted using radixsort then it should be faster
     # albeit using more RAM
     if radixsort_safe(T) && (alg == :auto || alg == :radixsort)
@@ -269,7 +271,7 @@ function addcounts!(cm::Dict{T}, x::AbstractArray{T}; alg = :auto) where T
 end
 
 """Dict-based addcounts method"""
-function addcounts_dict!(cm::Dict{T}, x::AbstractArray{T}) where T
+function addcounts_dict!(cm::Dict{T}, x) where T
     for v in x
         index = ht_keyindex2!(cm, v)
         if index > 0
@@ -286,14 +288,27 @@ end
 # faster results and less memory usage. However we still wish to enable others
 # to write generic algorithms, therefore the methods below still accept the 
 # `alg` argument but it is ignored.
-function addcounts!(cm::Dict{Bool}, x::AbstractArray{Bool}; alg = :ignored)
+function _addcounts!(::Type{Bool}, cm::Dict{Bool}, x::AbstractArray{Bool}; alg = :ignored)
     sumx = sum(x)
     cm[true] = get(cm, true, 0) + sumx
     cm[false] = get(cm, false, 0) + length(x) - sumx
     cm
 end
 
-function addcounts!(cm::Dict{T}, x::AbstractArray{T}; alg = :ignored) where T <: Union{UInt8, UInt16, Int8, Int16}
+# specialized for `Bool` iterator
+function _addcounts!(::Type{Bool}, cm::Dict{Bool}, x; alg = :ignored)
+    sumx = 0
+    len = 0
+    for i in x
+        sumx += i
+        len += 1
+    end
+    cm[true] = get(cm, true, 0) + sumx
+    cm[false] = get(cm, false, 0) + len - sumx
+    cm
+end
+
+function _addcounts!(::Type{T}, cm::Dict{T}, x; alg = :ignored) where T <: Union{UInt8, UInt16, Int8, Int16}
     counts = zeros(Int, 2^(8sizeof(T)))
 
     @inbounds for xi in x
@@ -318,8 +333,7 @@ const BaseRadixSortSafeTypes = Union{Int8, Int16, Int32, Int64, Int128,
                                      Float32, Float64}
 
 "Can the type be safely sorted by radixsort"
-radixsort_safe(::Type{T}) where {T<:BaseRadixSortSafeTypes} = true
-radixsort_safe(::Type) = false
+radixsort_safe(::Type{T}) where T = T<:BaseRadixSortSafeTypes
 
 function _addcounts_radix_sort_loop!(cm::Dict{T}, sx::AbstractArray{T}) where T
     last_sx = sx[1]
@@ -353,6 +367,12 @@ function addcounts_radixsort!(cm::Dict{T}, x::AbstractArray{T}) where T
     return _addcounts_radix_sort_loop!(cm, sx)
 end
 
+# fall-back for `x` an iterator
+function addcounts_radixsort!(cm::Dict{T}, x) where T 
+    sx = sort!(collect(x), alg = RadixSort)
+    return _addcounts_radix_sort_loop!(cm, sx)
+end
+
 function addcounts!(cm::Dict{T}, x::AbstractArray{T}, wv::AbstractVector{W}) where {T,W<:Real}
     n = length(x)
     length(wv) == n || throw(DimensionMismatch())
@@ -386,7 +406,7 @@ of occurrences.
 - `:dict`:           use `Dict`-based method which is generally slower but uses less
                      RAM and is safe for any data type.
 """
-countmap(x::AbstractArray{T}; alg = :auto) where {T} = addcounts!(Dict{T,Int}(), x; alg = alg)
+countmap(x; alg = :auto) = addcounts!(Dict{eltype(x),Int}(), x; alg = alg)
 countmap(x::AbstractArray{T}, wv::AbstractVector{W}) where {T,W<:Real} = addcounts!(Dict{T,W}(), x, wv)
 
 
diff --git a/test/counts.jl b/test/counts.jl
index 2fd508327..9f684df86 100644
--- a/test/counts.jl
+++ b/test/counts.jl
@@ -80,6 +80,14 @@ cm = countmap(x)
 @test cm["a"] == 3
 @test cm["b"] == 2
 @test cm["c"] == 1
+
+# iterator, non-radixsort
+cm_missing = countmap(skipmissing(x))
+cm_any_itr = countmap((i for i in x))
+@test cm_missing == cm_any_itr == cm
+@test cm_missing isa Dict{String, Int}
+@test cm_any_itr isa Dict{Any, Int}
+
 pm = proportionmap(x)
 @test pm["a"] ≈ (1/2)
 @test pm["b"] ≈ (1/3)
@@ -91,6 +99,15 @@ xx = repeat([6, 1, 3, 1], outer=100_000)
 cm = countmap(xx)
 @test cm == Dict(1 => 200_000, 3 => 100_000, 6 => 100_000)
 
+# with iterator
+cm_missing = countmap(skipmissing(xx))
+@test cm_missing isa Dict{Int, Int}
+@test cm_missing == cm
+
+cm_any_itr = countmap((i for i in xx)) 
+@test cm_any_itr isa Dict{Any,Int} # no knowledge about type
+@test cm_missing == cm
+
 # testing the radixsort-based addcounts
 xx = repeat([6, 1, 3, 1], outer=100_000)
 cm = Dict{Int, Int}()
@@ -99,11 +116,20 @@ StatsBase.addcounts_radixsort!(cm,xx)
 xx2 = repeat([7, 1, 3, 1], outer=100_000)
 StatsBase.addcounts_radixsort!(cm,xx2)
 @test cm == Dict(1 => 400_000, 3 => 200_000, 6 => 100_000, 7 => 100_000)
+# with iterator
+cm_missing = Dict{Int, Int}()
+StatsBase.addcounts_radixsort!(cm_missing,skipmissing(xx))
+@test cm_missing == Dict(1 => 200_000, 3 => 100_000, 6 => 100_000)
+StatsBase.addcounts_radixsort!(cm_missing,skipmissing(xx2))
+@test cm_missing == Dict(1 => 400_000, 3 => 200_000, 6 => 100_000, 7 => 100_000)
 
 # testing the Dict-based addcounts
 cm = Dict{Int, Int}()
+cm_itr = Dict{Int, Int}()
 StatsBase.addcounts_dict!(cm,xx)
-@test cm == Dict(1 => 200_000, 3 => 100_000, 6 => 100_000)
+StatsBase.addcounts_dict!(cm_itr,skipmissing(xx))
+@test cm_itr == cm == Dict(1 => 200_000, 3 => 100_000, 6 => 100_000)
+@test cm_itr isa Dict{Int, Int}
 
 cm = countmap(x, weights(w))
 @test cm["a"] == 5.5
@@ -119,11 +145,16 @@ pm = proportionmap(x, weights(w))
 
 # testing small bits type
 bx = [true, false, true, true, false]
-@test countmap(bx) == Dict(true => 3, false => 2)
+cm_bx_missing = countmap(skipmissing(bx))
+@test cm_bx_missing == countmap(bx) == Dict(true => 3, false => 2)
+@test cm_bx_missing isa Dict{Bool, Int}
 
 for T in [UInt8, UInt16, Int8, Int16]
     tx = T[typemin(T), 8, typemax(T), 19, 8]
-    @test countmap(tx) == Dict(typemin(T) => 1, typemax(T) => 1, 8 => 2, 19 => 1)
+    tx_missing = skipmissing(T[typemin(T), 8, typemax(T), 19, 8])
+    cm_tx_missing = countmap(tx_missing)
+    @test cm_tx_missing == countmap(tx) == Dict(typemin(T) => 1, typemax(T) => 1, 8 => 2, 19 => 1)
+    @test cm_tx_missing isa Dict{T, Int}
 end
 
 @testset "views" begin