diff --git a/src/main/java/net/openhft/chronicle/map/SerializationBuilder.java b/src/main/java/net/openhft/chronicle/map/SerializationBuilder.java
index fa7e05961..22bca8eaa 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/openhft/chronicle/map/SerializationBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/openhft/chronicle/map/SerializationBuilder.java
@@ -99,6 +99,9 @@ final class SerializationBuilder<E> implements Cloneable {
         } else if (eClass == byte[].class) {
             reader((BytesReader<E>) ByteArrayMarshaller.INSTANCE, factory);
             interop((BytesInterop<E>) ByteArrayMarshaller.INSTANCE);
+        } else if (eClass == char[].class) {
+            reader((BytesReader<E>) CharArrayMarshaller.INSTANCE, factory);
+            interop((BytesInterop<E>) CharArrayMarshaller.INSTANCE);
         } else if (concreteClass(eClass)) {
             BytesMarshaller<E> marshaller = chooseMarshaller(eClass, eClass);
             if (marshaller != null)
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/openhft/chronicle/serialization/impl/CharArrayMarshaller.java b/src/main/java/net/openhft/chronicle/serialization/impl/CharArrayMarshaller.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d995b106e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/net/openhft/chronicle/serialization/impl/CharArrayMarshaller.java
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2014 Higher Frequency Trading http://www.higherfrequencytrading.com
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package net.openhft.chronicle.serialization.impl;
+
+import net.openhft.chronicle.serialization.BytesInterop;
+import net.openhft.chronicle.serialization.BytesReader;
+import net.openhft.chronicle.serialization.Hasher;
+import net.openhft.lang.io.Bytes;
+
+public enum CharArrayMarshaller implements BytesInterop<char[]>, BytesReader<char[]> {
+    INSTANCE;
+
+    @Override
+    public boolean startsWith(Bytes bytes, char[] chars) {
+        long pos = bytes.position();
+        for (int i = 0; i < chars.length; i++) {
+            if (bytes.readChar(pos + (i * 2L)) != chars[i])
+                return false;
+        }
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public long hash(char[] chars) {
+        return Hasher.hash(chars, chars.length);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public char[] read(Bytes bytes, long size) {
+        char[] chars = new char[(int) size];
+        bytes.readFully(chars);
+        return chars;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public char[] read(Bytes bytes, long size, char[] chars) {
+        if (chars == null || chars.length != size)
+            chars = new char[(int) size];
+        bytes.readFully(chars);
+        return chars;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public long size(char[] chars) {
+        return chars.length * 2L;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void write(Bytes bytes, char[] chars) {
+        bytes.write(chars);
+    }
+}