diff --git a/magnum/tests/db/sqlalchemy/__init__.py b/magnum/tests/db/sqlalchemy/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e69de29bb2
diff --git a/magnum/tests/db/sqlalchemy/test_types.py b/magnum/tests/db/sqlalchemy/test_types.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..82dd9452d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/magnum/tests/db/sqlalchemy/test_types.py
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+#    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.
+
+"""Tests for custom SQLAlchemy types via Magnum DB."""
+
+from oslo.db import exception as db_exc
+
+from magnum.common import utils as magnum_utils
+from magnum.db import api as dbapi
+import magnum.db.sqlalchemy.api as sa_api
+from magnum.db.sqlalchemy import models
+from magnum.tests.db import base
+
+
+class SqlAlchemyCustomTypesTestCase(base.DbTestCase):
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        super(SqlAlchemyCustomTypesTestCase, self).setUp()
+        self.dbapi = dbapi.get_instance()
+
+    def test_JSONEncodedDict_default_value(self):
+        # Create pod w/o labels
+        pod1_id = magnum_utils.generate_uuid()
+        self.dbapi.create_pod({'uuid': pod1_id})
+        pod1 = sa_api.model_query(models.Pod).filter_by(uuid=pod1_id).one()
+        self.assertEqual({}, pod1.labels)
+
+        # Create pod with labels
+        pod2_id = magnum_utils.generate_uuid()
+        self.dbapi.create_pod({'uuid': pod2_id, 'labels': {'bar': 'foo'}})
+        pod2 = sa_api.model_query(models.Pod).filter_by(uuid=pod2_id).one()
+        self.assertEqual('foo', pod2.labels['bar'])
+
+    def test_JSONEncodedDict_type_check(self):
+        self.assertRaises(db_exc.DBError,
+                          self.dbapi.create_pod,
+                          {'labels':
+                               ['this is not a dict']})
+
+    def test_JSONEncodedList_default_value(self):
+        # Create pod w/o images
+        pod1_id = magnum_utils.generate_uuid()
+        self.dbapi.create_pod({'uuid': pod1_id})
+        pod1 = sa_api.model_query(models.Pod).filter_by(uuid=pod1_id).one()
+        self.assertEqual([], pod1.images)
+
+        # Create pod with images
+        pod2_id = magnum_utils.generate_uuid()
+        self.dbapi.create_pod({'uuid': pod2_id,
+                               'images': ['myimage1', 'myimage2']})
+        pod2 = sa_api.model_query(models.Pod).filter_by(uuid=pod2_id).one()
+        self.assertEqual(['myimage1', 'myimage2'], pod2.images)
+
+    def test_JSONEncodedList_type_check(self):
+        self.assertRaises(db_exc.DBError,
+                          self.dbapi.create_pod,
+                          {'images':
+                               {'this is not a list': 'test'}})