diff --git a/include/etl/unaligned_type.h b/include/etl/unaligned_type.h
index 4e5cb5dc..39bdc81f 100644
--- a/include/etl/unaligned_type.h
+++ b/include/etl/unaligned_type.h
@@ -58,10 +58,11 @@ namespace etl
 
       static ETL_CONSTANT size_t Size = Size_;
 
-      typedef char*                                 pointer;
-      typedef const char*                           const_pointer;
-      typedef char*                                 iterator;
-      typedef const char*                           const_iterator;
+      typedef unsigned char                         storage_type;
+      typedef storage_type*                         pointer;
+      typedef const storage_type*                   const_pointer;
+      typedef storage_type*                         iterator;
+      typedef const storage_type*                   const_iterator;
       typedef etl::reverse_iterator<iterator>       reverse_iterator;
       typedef etl::reverse_iterator<const_iterator> const_reverse_iterator;
 
@@ -196,7 +197,7 @@ namespace etl
       //*************************************************************************
       /// Index operator.
       //*************************************************************************
-      char& operator[](int i)
+      storage_type& operator[](int i)
       {
         return storage[i];
       }
@@ -204,14 +205,14 @@ namespace etl
       //*************************************************************************
       /// Const index operator.
       //*************************************************************************
-      ETL_CONSTEXPR const char& operator[](int i) const
+      ETL_CONSTEXPR const storage_type& operator[](int i) const
       {
         return storage[i];
       }
 
     protected:
 
-      char storage[Size];
+      unsigned char storage[Size];
     };
   }
 
@@ -230,6 +231,14 @@ namespace etl
 
     typedef T value_type;
 
+    typedef typename private_unaligned_type::unaligned_type_common<sizeof(T)>::storage_type           storage_type;
+    typedef typename private_unaligned_type::unaligned_type_common<sizeof(T)>::pointer                pointer;
+    typedef typename private_unaligned_type::unaligned_type_common<sizeof(T)>::const_pointer          const_pointer;
+    typedef typename private_unaligned_type::unaligned_type_common<sizeof(T)>::iterator               iterator;
+    typedef typename private_unaligned_type::unaligned_type_common<sizeof(T)>::const_iterator         const_iterator;
+    typedef typename private_unaligned_type::unaligned_type_common<sizeof(T)>::reverse_iterator       reverse_iterator;
+    typedef typename private_unaligned_type::unaligned_type_common<sizeof(T)>::const_reverse_iterator const_reverse_iterator;
+
     static ETL_CONSTANT int Endian  = Endian_;
     static ETL_CONSTANT size_t Size = private_unaligned_type::unaligned_type_common<sizeof(T)>::Size;
 
@@ -359,68 +368,70 @@ namespace etl
     struct unaligned_copy;
 
     //*******************************************
-    // Size == 1
+    /// Unaligned copy
+    /// Size == 1
     //*******************************************
     template <typename U>
     struct unaligned_copy<U, 1U>
     {
       //*******************************
-      static ETL_CONSTEXPR14 void copy(T value, char* store)
+      static ETL_CONSTEXPR14 void copy(T value, pointer store)
       {
-        store[0] = static_cast<char>(value);
+        store[0] = static_cast<storage_type>(value);
       }
 
       //*******************************
-      static ETL_CONSTEXPR14 void copy(const char* store, T& value)
+      static ETL_CONSTEXPR14 void copy(const_pointer store, T& value)
       {
         value = static_cast<T>(store[0]);
       }
 
       //*******************************
-      static ETL_CONSTEXPR14 void copy(const char* src, int /*endian_src*/, char* dst)
+      static ETL_CONSTEXPR14 void copy(const_pointer src, int /*endian_src*/, pointer dst)
       {
         dst[0] = src[0];
       }
     };
 
     //*******************************************
-    // Size == 2
+    /// Unaligned copy
+    /// Size == 2
     //*******************************************
     template <typename U>
     struct unaligned_copy<U, 2U>
     {
       //*******************************
-      static ETL_CONSTEXPR14 void copy(T value, char* store)
+      static ETL_CONSTEXPR14 void copy(T value, pointer store)
       {
         if (Endian == etl::endianness::value())
         {
-          store[0] = static_cast<char>(value);
-          store[1] = static_cast<char>(value >> (1U * CHAR_BIT));
+          store[0] = static_cast<storage_type>(value);
+          store[1] = static_cast<storage_type>(value >> (1U * CHAR_BIT));
         }
         else
         {
-          store[1] = static_cast<char>(value);
-          store[0] = static_cast<char>(value >> (1U * CHAR_BIT));
+          store[1] = static_cast<storage_type>(value);
+          store[0] = static_cast<storage_type>(value >> (1U * CHAR_BIT));
         }
       }
 
       //*******************************
-      static ETL_CONSTEXPR14 void copy(const char* store, T& value)
+      static ETL_CONSTEXPR14 void copy(const_pointer store, T& value)
       {
         if (Endian == etl::endianness::value())
         {
-          value  = static_cast<T>(static_cast<unsigned char>(store[0]));
-          value |= static_cast<T>(static_cast<unsigned char>(store[1])) << (1U * CHAR_BIT);
+          value  = static_cast<T>(store[0]);
+          value |= static_cast<T>(store[1]) << (1U * CHAR_BIT);
         }
         else
         {
-          value  = static_cast<T>(static_cast<unsigned char>(store[1]));
-          value |= static_cast<T>(static_cast<unsigned char>(store[0])) << (1U * CHAR_BIT);
+          value  = static_cast<T>(store[1]);
+          value |= static_cast<T>(store[0]) << (1U * CHAR_BIT);
         }
       }
 
       //*******************************
-      static ETL_CONSTEXPR14 void copy(const char* src, int endian_src, char* dst)
+      static ETL_CONSTEXPR14 void copy(const_pointer src, int endian_src, pointer dst)
       {
         if (Endian == endian_src)
         {
@@ -436,50 +447,51 @@ namespace etl
     };
 
     //*******************************************
-    // Size == 4
+    /// Unaligned copy
+    /// Size == 4
     //*******************************************
     template <typename U>
     struct unaligned_copy<U, 4U>
     {
-      static ETL_CONSTEXPR14 void copy(T value, char* store)
+      static ETL_CONSTEXPR14 void copy(T value, pointer store)
       {
         if (Endian == etl::endianness::value())
         {
-          store[0] = static_cast<char>(value);
-          store[1] = static_cast<char>(value >> (1U * CHAR_BIT));
-          store[2] = static_cast<char>(value >> (2U * CHAR_BIT));
-          store[3] = static_cast<char>(value >> (3U * CHAR_BIT));
+          store[0] = static_cast<storage_type>(value);
+          store[1] = static_cast<storage_type>(value >> (1U * CHAR_BIT));
+          store[2] = static_cast<storage_type>(value >> (2U * CHAR_BIT));
+          store[3] = static_cast<storage_type>(value >> (3U * CHAR_BIT));
         }
         else
         {
-          store[3] = static_cast<char>(value);
-          store[2] = static_cast<char>(value >> (1U * CHAR_BIT));
-          store[1] = static_cast<char>(value >> (2U * CHAR_BIT));
-          store[0] = static_cast<char>(value >> (3U * CHAR_BIT));
+          store[3] = static_cast<storage_type>(value);
+          store[2] = static_cast<storage_type>(value >> (1U * CHAR_BIT));
+          store[1] = static_cast<storage_type>(value >> (2U * CHAR_BIT));
+          store[0] = static_cast<storage_type>(value >> (3U * CHAR_BIT));
         }
       }
 
       //*******************************
-      static ETL_CONSTEXPR14 void copy(const char* store, T& value)
+      static ETL_CONSTEXPR14 void copy(const_pointer store, T& value)
       {
         if (Endian == etl::endianness::value())
         {
-          value  = static_cast<T>(static_cast<unsigned char>(store[0]));
-          value |= static_cast<T>(static_cast<unsigned char>(store[1])) << (1U * CHAR_BIT);
-          value |= static_cast<T>(static_cast<unsigned char>(store[2])) << (2U * CHAR_BIT);
-          value |= static_cast<T>(static_cast<unsigned char>(store[3])) << (3U * CHAR_BIT);
+          value  = static_cast<T>(store[0]);
+          value |= static_cast<T>(store[1]) << (1U * CHAR_BIT);
+          value |= static_cast<T>(store[2]) << (2U * CHAR_BIT);
+          value |= static_cast<T>(store[3]) << (3U * CHAR_BIT);
         }
         else
         {
-          value  = static_cast<T>(static_cast<unsigned char>(store[3]));
-          value |= static_cast<T>(static_cast<unsigned char>(store[2])) << (1U * CHAR_BIT);
-          value |= static_cast<T>(static_cast<unsigned char>(store[1])) << (2U * CHAR_BIT);
-          value |= static_cast<T>(static_cast<unsigned char>(store[0])) << (3U * CHAR_BIT);
+          value  = static_cast<T>(store[3]);
+          value |= static_cast<T>(store[2]) << (1U * CHAR_BIT);
+          value |= static_cast<T>(store[1]) << (2U * CHAR_BIT);
+          value |= static_cast<T>(store[0]) << (3U * CHAR_BIT);
         }
       }
 
       //*******************************
-      static ETL_CONSTEXPR14 void copy(const char* src, int endian_src, char* dst)
+      static ETL_CONSTEXPR14 void copy(const_pointer src, int endian_src, pointer dst)
       {
         if (Endian == endian_src)
         {
@@ -499,66 +511,67 @@ namespace etl
     };
 
     //*******************************************
-    // Size == 8
+    /// Unaligned copy
+    /// Size == 8
     //*******************************************
     template <typename U>
     struct unaligned_copy<U, 8U>
     {
-      static ETL_CONSTEXPR14 void copy(T value, char* store)
+      static ETL_CONSTEXPR14 void copy(T value, pointer store)
       {
         if (Endian == etl::endianness::value())
         {
-          store[0] = static_cast<char>(value);
-          store[1] = static_cast<char>(value >> (1U * CHAR_BIT));
-          store[2] = static_cast<char>(value >> (2U * CHAR_BIT));
-          store[3] = static_cast<char>(value >> (3U * CHAR_BIT));
-          store[4] = static_cast<char>(value >> (4U * CHAR_BIT));
-          store[5] = static_cast<char>(value >> (5U * CHAR_BIT));
-          store[6] = static_cast<char>(value >> (6U * CHAR_BIT));
-          store[7] = static_cast<char>(value >> (7U * CHAR_BIT));
+          store[0] = static_cast<storage_type>(value);
+          store[1] = static_cast<storage_type>(value >> (1U * CHAR_BIT));
+          store[2] = static_cast<storage_type>(value >> (2U * CHAR_BIT));
+          store[3] = static_cast<storage_type>(value >> (3U * CHAR_BIT));
+          store[4] = static_cast<storage_type>(value >> (4U * CHAR_BIT));
+          store[5] = static_cast<storage_type>(value >> (5U * CHAR_BIT));
+          store[6] = static_cast<storage_type>(value >> (6U * CHAR_BIT));
+          store[7] = static_cast<storage_type>(value >> (7U * CHAR_BIT));
         }
         else
         {
-          store[7] = static_cast<char>(value);
-          store[6] = static_cast<char>(value >> (1U * CHAR_BIT));
-          store[5] = static_cast<char>(value >> (2U * CHAR_BIT));
-          store[4] = static_cast<char>(value >> (3U * CHAR_BIT));
-          store[3] = static_cast<char>(value >> (4U * CHAR_BIT));
-          store[2] = static_cast<char>(value >> (5U * CHAR_BIT));
-          store[1] = static_cast<char>(value >> (6U * CHAR_BIT));
-          store[0] = static_cast<char>(value >> (7U * CHAR_BIT));
+          store[7] = static_cast<storage_type>(value);
+          store[6] = static_cast<storage_type>(value >> (1U * CHAR_BIT));
+          store[5] = static_cast<storage_type>(value >> (2U * CHAR_BIT));
+          store[4] = static_cast<storage_type>(value >> (3U * CHAR_BIT));
+          store[3] = static_cast<storage_type>(value >> (4U * CHAR_BIT));
+          store[2] = static_cast<storage_type>(value >> (5U * CHAR_BIT));
+          store[1] = static_cast<storage_type>(value >> (6U * CHAR_BIT));
+          store[0] = static_cast<storage_type>(value >> (7U * CHAR_BIT));
         }
       }
 
       //*******************************
-      static ETL_CONSTEXPR14 void copy(const char* store, T& value)
+      static ETL_CONSTEXPR14 void copy(const_pointer store, T& value)
       {
         if (Endian == etl::endianness::value())
         {
-          value  = static_cast<T>(static_cast<unsigned char>(store[0]));
-          value |= static_cast<T>(static_cast<unsigned char>(store[1])) << (1U * CHAR_BIT);
-          value |= static_cast<T>(static_cast<unsigned char>(store[2])) << (2U * CHAR_BIT);
-          value |= static_cast<T>(static_cast<unsigned char>(store[3])) << (3U * CHAR_BIT);
-          value |= static_cast<T>(static_cast<unsigned char>(store[4])) << (4U * CHAR_BIT);
-          value |= static_cast<T>(static_cast<unsigned char>(store[5])) << (5U * CHAR_BIT);
-          value |= static_cast<T>(static_cast<unsigned char>(store[6])) << (6U * CHAR_BIT);
-          value |= static_cast<T>(static_cast<unsigned char>(store[7])) << (7U * CHAR_BIT);
+          value  = static_cast<T>(store[0]);
+          value |= static_cast<T>(store[1]) << (1U * CHAR_BIT);
+          value |= static_cast<T>(store[2]) << (2U * CHAR_BIT);
+          value |= static_cast<T>(store[3]) << (3U * CHAR_BIT);
+          value |= static_cast<T>(store[4]) << (4U * CHAR_BIT);
+          value |= static_cast<T>(store[5]) << (5U * CHAR_BIT);
+          value |= static_cast<T>(store[6]) << (6U * CHAR_BIT);
+          value |= static_cast<T>(store[7]) << (7U * CHAR_BIT);
         }
         else
         {
-          value  = static_cast<T>(static_cast<unsigned char>(store[7]));
-          value |= static_cast<T>(static_cast<unsigned char>(store[6])) << (1U * CHAR_BIT);
-          value |= static_cast<T>(static_cast<unsigned char>(store[5])) << (2U * CHAR_BIT);
-          value |= static_cast<T>(static_cast<unsigned char>(store[4])) << (3U * CHAR_BIT);
-          value |= static_cast<T>(static_cast<unsigned char>(store[3])) << (4U * CHAR_BIT);
-          value |= static_cast<T>(static_cast<unsigned char>(store[2])) << (5U * CHAR_BIT);
-          value |= static_cast<T>(static_cast<unsigned char>(store[1])) << (6U * CHAR_BIT);
-          value |= static_cast<T>(static_cast<unsigned char>(store[0])) << (7U * CHAR_BIT);
+          value  = static_cast<T>(store[7]);
+          value |= static_cast<T>(store[6]) << (1U * CHAR_BIT);
+          value |= static_cast<T>(store[5]) << (2U * CHAR_BIT);
+          value |= static_cast<T>(store[4]) << (3U * CHAR_BIT);
+          value |= static_cast<T>(store[3]) << (4U * CHAR_BIT);
+          value |= static_cast<T>(store[2]) << (5U * CHAR_BIT);
+          value |= static_cast<T>(store[1]) << (6U * CHAR_BIT);
+          value |= static_cast<T>(store[0]) << (7U * CHAR_BIT);
         }
       }
 
       //*******************************
-      static ETL_CONSTEXPR14 void copy(const char* src, int endian_src, char* dst)
+      static ETL_CONSTEXPR14 void copy(const_pointer src, int endian_src, pointer dst)
       {
         if (Endian == endian_src)
         {
diff --git a/test/test_unaligned_type.cpp b/test/test_unaligned_type.cpp
index 0bfe70d0..26b41697 100644
--- a/test/test_unaligned_type.cpp
+++ b/test/test_unaligned_type.cpp
@@ -760,5 +760,23 @@ namespace
       CHECK_EQUAL(0x1234, test_le.value());
       CHECK_EQUAL(0x1234, test_be.value());
     }
+
+    //*************************************************************************
+    TEST(test_storage_bytes)
+    {
+      etl::le_uint16_t test_le(0x1234);
+      etl::be_uint16_t test_be(0x1234);
+
+      int lev0 = test_le[0];
+      int lev1 = test_le[1];
+
+      int bev0 = test_be[0];
+      int bev1 = test_be[1];
+
+      CHECK_EQUAL(0x34, lev0);
+      CHECK_EQUAL(0x12, lev1);
+      CHECK_EQUAL(0x12, bev0);
+      CHECK_EQUAL(0x34, bev1);
+    }
   };
 }
diff --git a/test/test_unaligned_type_constexpr.cpp b/test/test_unaligned_type_constexpr.cpp
index e77ad269..ddf65fa1 100644
--- a/test/test_unaligned_type_constexpr.cpp
+++ b/test/test_unaligned_type_constexpr.cpp
@@ -544,8 +544,8 @@ namespace
     {
       static constexpr etl::be_uint16_t test(0x1234);
       
-      constexpr const char* p1 = test.data();
-      constexpr const char* p2 = test.data() + 1U;
+      constexpr etl::be_uint16_t::const_pointer p1 = test.data();
+      constexpr etl::be_uint16_t::const_pointer p2 = test.data() + 1U;
 
       CHECK_EQUAL(0x12, *p1);
       CHECK_EQUAL(0x34, *p2);
@@ -618,5 +618,23 @@ namespace
       CHECK_EQUAL(0x1234, lev);
       CHECK_EQUAL(0x1234, bev);
     }
+
+    //*************************************************************************
+    TEST(test_storage_bytes)
+    {
+      constexpr etl::le_uint16_t test_le(0x1234);
+      constexpr etl::be_uint16_t test_be(0x1234);
+
+      constexpr int lev0 = test_le[0];
+      constexpr int lev1 = test_le[1];
+      
+      constexpr int bev0 = test_be[0];
+      constexpr int bev1 = test_be[1];
+
+      CHECK_EQUAL(0x34, lev0);
+      CHECK_EQUAL(0x12, lev1);
+      CHECK_EQUAL(0x12, bev0);
+      CHECK_EQUAL(0x34, bev1);
+    }
   };
 }