diff --git a/matlab/mdstest.m b/matlab/mdstest.m
index 673d56a10c..83933014b5 100644
--- a/matlab/mdstest.m
+++ b/matlab/mdstest.m
@@ -5,15 +5,15 @@
 %   mdstest()   % tests current bridge
 %   mdstest(0)  % tests java bridge
 %   mdstest(1)  % tests python bridge
+%   mdstest(1,1)  % tests mdsthin bridge
 
-    mdsInfo(varargin{:}); % update MDSINFO
+    info = mdsInfo(varargin{:}); % update MDSINFO
     result = mdscheck('1BU', 'uint8', [1, 1]);
     result = result && mdscheck('1WU', 'uint16', [1, 1]);
     result = result && mdscheck('1LU', 'uint32', [1, 1]);
     result = result && mdscheck('100000000000QU', 'uint64', [1, 1]);
     result = result && mdscheck('1.', 'single', [1, 1]);
     result = result && mdscheck('1D0', 'double', [1, 1]);
-    result = result && mdscheck('"string test"', 'char', [1, 11]);
     result = result && mdscheck('BYTE_UNSIGNED(1:100)', 'uint8', [100, 1]);
     result = result && mdscheck('WORD_UNSIGNED(1:100)', 'uint16', [100, 1]);
     result = result && mdscheck('LONG_UNSIGNED(1:100)', 'uint32', [100, 1]);
@@ -28,8 +28,19 @@
     result = result && mdscheck('$ : $', 'int32', [100, 1], int32(1), int32(100));
     result = result && mdscheck('$ == $', 'uint8', [1, 1], 1, 2);
     result = result && mdscheck('QUADWORD_UNSIGNED(1:100)', 'uint64', [100, 1]);
-    result = result && mdscheck('["a","b","c","d"]', 'cell', [4, 1]);
-    result = result && mdscheck('set_range(2,3,["a","b","c long string","d","e","f"])', 'cell', [2, 3]);
+    if info.usePython
+        if ismac || ispc
+            result = result && mdscheck('"string test"', 'py.str', [1, 11]);
+        else 
+            result = result && mdscheck('"string test"', 'char', [1, 11]);
+        end
+        result = result && mdscheck('["a","b","c","d"]', 'cell', [4, 1]);
+        result = result && mdscheck('set_range(2,3,["a","b","c long string","d","e","f"])', 'cell', [2, 3]);
+    else
+        result = result && mdscheck('"string test"', 'string', [1, 1]);
+        result = result && mdscheck('["a","b","c","d"]', 'string', [4, 1]);
+        result = result && mdscheck('set_range(2,3,["a","b","c long string","d","e","f"])', 'string', [2, 3]);
+    end
 end
 
 function result = mdscheck(exp, result_class, result_size, varargin)
@@ -50,6 +61,9 @@
         result = 0;
         return
     end
+    if strcmp(class(x), 'py.str')
+        x = string(x);
+    end
     y = mdsvalue('$', x);
     if isa(x, 'cell')
         try
diff --git a/matlab/mdsvalue.m b/matlab/mdsvalue.m
index d8f5ca3dbb..19a5ab9180 100755
--- a/matlab/mdsvalue.m
+++ b/matlab/mdsvalue.m
@@ -15,7 +15,9 @@
 end
 for k = 1 : n
     argin = varargin(k);
-    if iscell(argin{1})
+    if iscell(argin) && isa(argin{1}, 'string')
+        argout = mdsFromMatlab(argin{1});
+    elseif iscell(argin{1})
         argout = mdsFromMatlab(argin{1});
     else
         argout = mdsFromMatlab(cell2mat(argin));
diff --git a/matlab/private/pythonFromMatlab.m b/matlab/private/pythonFromMatlab.m
index 630dfec249..845911b260 100644
--- a/matlab/private/pythonFromMatlab.m
+++ b/matlab/private/pythonFromMatlab.m
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 switch dtype
     case 'char'
         result = value;
+    case 'string'
+        result = value;
     otherwise
         switch dtype
             case 'single'