diff --git a/lib/puppet/functions/assert_type.rb b/lib/puppet/functions/assert_type.rb
index 5d0a70e09..0efa576aa 100644
--- a/lib/puppet/functions/assert_type.rb
+++ b/lib/puppet/functions/assert_type.rb
@@ -1,29 +1,42 @@
 # Returns the given value if it is an instance of the given type, and raises an error otherwise.
 #
 # @example how to assert type
 #   # assert that `$b` is a non empty `String` and assign to `$a`
 #   $a = assert_type(String[1], $b)
 #
 # See the documentation for "The Puppet Type System" for more information about types.
 #
 Puppet::Functions.create_function(:assert_type) do
   dispatch :assert_type do
     param type_type(), 'type'
     param optional(object()), 'value'
   end
 
+  dispatch :assert_type_s do
+    param String, 'type_string'
+    param optional(object()), 'value'
+  end
+
   # @param type [Type] the type the value must be an instance of
   # @param value [Optional[Object]] the value to assert
   #
   def assert_type(type, value)
     unless Puppet::Pops::Types::TypeCalculator.instance?(type,value)
       inferred_type = Puppet::Pops::Types::TypeCalculator.infer(value)
       # Do not give all the details - i.e. format as Integer, instead of Integer[n, n] for exact value, which
       # is just confusing. (OTOH: may need to revisit, or provide a better "type diff" output.
       #
       actual = Puppet::Pops::Types::TypeCalculator.generalize!(inferred_type)
       raise Puppet::ParseError, "assert_type(): Expected type #{type} does not match actual: #{actual}"
     end
     value
   end
+
+  # @param type_string [String] the type the value must be an instance of given in String form
+  # @param value [Optional[Object]] the value to assert
+  #
+  def assert_type_s(type_string, value)
+    t = Puppet::Pops::Types::TypeParser.new.parse(type_string)      
+    assert_type(t, value)
+  end
 end
diff --git a/spec/unit/functions/assert_type_spec.rb b/spec/unit/functions/assert_type_spec.rb
index d274cedef..7fb84d651 100644
--- a/spec/unit/functions/assert_type_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/functions/assert_type_spec.rb
@@ -1,48 +1,52 @@
 require 'spec_helper'
 require 'puppet/pops'
 require 'puppet/loaders'
 
 describe 'the assert_type function' do
 
   after(:all) { Puppet::Pops::Loaders.clear }
   let(:func) do
     loaders = Puppet::Pops::Loaders.new()
     loaders.puppet_system_loader.load(:function, 'assert_type')
   end
+
   it 'asserts compliant type by returning the value' do
-#    loaders = Puppet::Pops::Loaders.new()
-#    func = loaders.puppet_system_loader.load(:function, 'assert_type')
     expect(func.call({}, type(String), 'hello world')).to eql('hello world')
   end
 
+  it 'accepts type given as a String' do
+    expect(func.call({}, 'String', 'hello world')).to eql('hello world')
+  end
+
   it 'asserts non compliant type by raising an error' do
     expect do
       func.call({}, type(Integer), 'hello world')
     end.to raise_error(Puppet::ParseError, /does not match actual/)
   end
 
   it 'checks that first argument is a type' do
     expect do
       func.call({}, 10, 10)
     end.to raise_error(ArgumentError, Regexp.new(Regexp.escape(
 "function 'assert_type' called with mis-matched arguments
-expected:
+expected one of:
   assert_type(Type type, Optional[Object] value) - arg count {2}
+  assert_type(String type_string, Optional[Object] value) - arg count {2}
 actual:
   assert_type(Integer, Integer) - arg count {2}")))
   end
 
   it 'allows the second arg to be undef/nil)' do
     expect do
       func.call({}, optional(String), nil)
     end.to_not raise_error(ArgumentError)
   end
 
   def optional(type_ref)
     Puppet::Pops::Types::TypeFactory.optional(type(type_ref))
   end
 
   def type(type_ref)
     Puppet::Pops::Types::TypeFactory.type_of(type_ref)
   end
 end