diff --git a/Changes b/Changes
index 44c9dc3..158d989 100644
--- a/Changes
+++ b/Changes
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 Revision history for {{$dist->name}}
 
 {{$NEXT}}
+  - consistently use stringification (i.e. "" overload) of type constraint
+    objects in MooseX::Storage::Engine, instead of sometimes calling 'name'
+    method.
 
 0.43      2013-09-11 01:47:40Z (Karen Etheridge)
   - removed use of deprecated Class::MOP::load_class
diff --git a/lib/MooseX/Storage/Engine.pm b/lib/MooseX/Storage/Engine.pm
index 5f4f680..0a0fd36 100644
--- a/lib/MooseX/Storage/Engine.pm
+++ b/lib/MooseX/Storage/Engine.pm
@@ -317,8 +317,8 @@ sub find_type_handler {
     # this should handle most type usages
     # since they they are usually just
     # the standard set of built-ins
-    return $TYPES{$type_constraint->name}
-        if exists $TYPES{$type_constraint->name};
+    return $TYPES{$type_constraint}
+        if exists $TYPES{$type_constraint};
 
     # the next possibility is they are
     # a subtype of the built-in types,
@@ -327,9 +327,11 @@ sub find_type_handler {
     # 100% ideal though, but until I
     # come up with a decent test case
     # it will do for now.
-    foreach my $type (keys %TYPES) {
-        return $TYPES{$type}
-            if $type_constraint->is_subtype_of($type);
+    if ($type_constraint->can('is_a_type_of')) {
+        foreach my $type (keys %TYPES) {
+            return $TYPES{$type}
+                if $type_constraint->is_a_type_of($type);
+        }
     }
 
     # NOTE:
diff --git a/t/006_w_custom_type_handlers_specio.t b/t/006_w_custom_type_handlers_specio.t
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8681fee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/006_w_custom_type_handlers_specio.t
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+use strict;
+use warnings;
+
+use Test::More tests => 9;
+use Test::Deep;
+use Test::Fatal;
+
+use Test::Requires {
+    'Specio::Declare' => '0.08',
+};
+use Test::Requires {
+    'Moose' => '2.1000',
+};
+
+BEGIN {
+    use_ok('MooseX::Storage');
+    use_ok('MooseX::Storage::Engine');
+}
+
+use Specio::Declare 'object_isa_type';
+my $BAR = object_isa_type('Bar');
+
+=pod
+
+This is just a simple example of defining
+a custom type handler to take care of custom
+inflate and deflate needs.
+
+=cut
+
+{
+    package Bar;
+    use Moose;
+
+    has 'baz' => (is => 'rw', isa => 'Str');
+    has 'boo' => (is => 'rw', isa => 'Str');
+
+    sub encode {
+        my $self = shift;
+        $self->baz . '|' . $self->boo;
+    }
+
+    sub decode {
+        my ($class, $packed) = @_;
+        my ($baz, $boo) = split /\|/ => $packed;
+        $class->new(
+            baz => $baz,
+            boo => $boo,
+        );
+    }
+
+    MooseX::Storage::Engine->add_custom_type_handler(
+        $BAR => (
+            expand   => sub { Bar->decode(shift) },
+            collapse => sub { (shift)->encode    },
+        )
+    );
+
+    package Foo;
+    use Moose;
+    use MooseX::Storage;
+
+    with Storage;
+
+    has 'bar' => (
+        is      => 'ro',
+        isa     => $BAR,
+        default => sub {
+            Bar->new(baz => 'BAZ', boo => 'BOO')
+        }
+    );
+}
+
+my $foo = Foo->new;
+isa_ok($foo, 'Foo');
+
+isa_ok($foo->bar, 'Bar');
+
+cmp_deeply(
+$foo->pack,
+{
+    __CLASS__ => "Foo",
+    bar       => "BAZ|BOO",
+},
+'... got correct packed structure');
+
+{
+    my $foo = Foo->unpack({
+        __CLASS__ => "Foo",
+        bar       => "BAZ|BOO",
+    });
+    isa_ok($foo, 'Foo');
+
+    isa_ok($foo->bar, 'Bar');
+
+    is($foo->bar->baz, 'BAZ', '... got the right stuff');
+    is($foo->bar->boo, 'BOO', '... got the right stuff');
+}
+
+
+
+
+
diff --git a/t/006_w_custom_type_handlers_typetiny.t b/t/006_w_custom_type_handlers_typetiny.t
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..03a95a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/006_w_custom_type_handlers_typetiny.t
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+use strict;
+use warnings;
+
+use Test::More tests => 9;
+use Test::Deep;
+use Test::Fatal;
+
+use Test::Requires {
+    'Types::Standard' => '0.008',
+};
+
+BEGIN {
+    use_ok('MooseX::Storage');
+    use_ok('MooseX::Storage::Engine');
+}
+
+require Types::Standard;
+
+=pod
+
+This is just a simple example of defining
+a custom type handler to take care of custom
+inflate and deflate needs.
+
+=cut
+
+{
+    package Bar;
+    use Moose;
+
+    has 'baz' => (is => 'rw', isa => 'Str');
+    has 'boo' => (is => 'rw', isa => 'Str');
+
+    sub encode {
+        my $self = shift;
+        $self->baz . '|' . $self->boo;
+    }
+
+    sub decode {
+        my ($class, $packed) = @_;
+        my ($baz, $boo) = split /\|/ => $packed;
+        $class->new(
+            baz => $baz,
+            boo => $boo,
+        );
+    }
+
+    MooseX::Storage::Engine->add_custom_type_handler(
+        Types::Standard::InstanceOf['Bar'] => (
+            expand   => sub { Bar->decode(shift) },
+            collapse => sub { (shift)->encode    },
+        )
+    );
+
+    package Foo;
+    use Moose;
+    use MooseX::Storage;
+
+    with Storage;
+
+    has 'bar' => (
+        is      => 'ro',
+        isa     => Types::Standard::InstanceOf['Bar'],
+        default => sub {
+            Bar->new(baz => 'BAZ', boo => 'BOO')
+        }
+    );
+}
+
+my $foo = Foo->new;
+isa_ok($foo, 'Foo');
+
+isa_ok($foo->bar, 'Bar');
+
+cmp_deeply(
+$foo->pack,
+{
+    __CLASS__ => "Foo",
+    bar       => "BAZ|BOO",
+},
+'... got correct packed structure');
+
+{
+    my $foo = Foo->unpack({
+        __CLASS__ => "Foo",
+        bar       => "BAZ|BOO",
+    });
+    isa_ok($foo, 'Foo');
+
+    isa_ok($foo->bar, 'Bar');
+
+    is($foo->bar->baz, 'BAZ', '... got the right stuff');
+    is($foo->bar->boo, 'BOO', '... got the right stuff');
+}
+
+
+
+
+