diff --git a/basis/io/ports/ports-tests.factor b/basis/io/ports/ports-tests.factor
index 7f198fdedf..b2acabc329 100644
--- a/basis/io/ports/ports-tests.factor
+++ b/basis/io/ports/ports-tests.factor
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-USING: alien.c-types alien.data destructors io io.directories
-io.encodings.binary io.files io.files.temp kernel libc math
-sequences tools.test ;
+USING: accessors alien.c-types alien.data destructors io
+io.directories io.encodings.ascii io.encodings.binary io.files
+io.files.temp io.pipes kernel libc math sequences tools.test ;
 IN: io.ports.tests
 
 ! Make sure that writing malloced storage to a file works, and
@@ -23,3 +23,9 @@ IN: io.ports.tests
 ] unit-test
 
 [ ] [ "test.txt" temp-file delete-file ] unit-test
+
+! Getting the stream-element-type of an output-port was broken
+[ +byte+ ] [ binary <pipe> [ stream-element-type ] [ dispose ] bi ] unit-test
+[ +byte+ ] [ binary <pipe> [ out>> stream-element-type ] [ dispose ] bi ] unit-test
+[ +character+ ] [ ascii <pipe> [ stream-element-type ] [ dispose ] bi ] unit-test
+[ +character+ ] [ ascii <pipe> [ out>> stream-element-type ] [ dispose ] bi ] unit-test
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/basis/io/ports/ports.factor b/basis/io/ports/ports.factor
index ee09deb511..3acb9bff64 100644
--- a/basis/io/ports/ports.factor
+++ b/basis/io/ports/ports.factor
@@ -111,8 +111,7 @@ TUPLE: output-port < buffered-port ;
     [ nip ] [ buffer>> buffer-capacity <= ] 2bi
     [ drop ] [ stream-flush ] if ; inline
 
-M: output-port stream-element-type
-    stream>> stream-element-type ; inline
+M: output-port stream-element-type drop +byte+ ; inline
 
 M: output-port stream-write1
     dup check-disposed