diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3ae238916..aa88642d9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1123,6 +1123,36 @@ class { 'collectd::plugin::zfs_arc':
 }
 ```
 
+types.db
+--------
+
+Collectd needs to know how to handle each collected datapoint.
+For this it uses a database file called [`types.db`](https://collectd.org/documentation/manpages/types.db.5.shtml)
+
+Those files can be created using the `collectd::typesdb` and `collectd::type`
+define resources.
+
+```puppet
+$db = '/etc/collectd/types.db'
+collectd::typesdb { $db: }
+
+collectd::type { "response_size:${db}":
+  target  => $db,
+  ds_type => 'ABSOLUTE',
+  min     => 0,
+  max     => 10000000,
+  ds_name => 'value',
+}
+
+class { 'collectd':
+  typesdb      => [
+    '/usr/share/collectd/types.db',
+    $typesdb,
+  ],
+}
+```
+
+
 ##Limitations
 
 See metadata.json for supported platforms
diff --git a/manifests/type.pp b/manifests/type.pp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c81e4a196
--- /dev/null
+++ b/manifests/type.pp
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+define collectd::type (
+  $target,
+  $ds_type,
+  $ds = $title,
+  $min = 'U',
+  $max = 'U',
+  $ds_name = 'value',
+) {
+  validate_string($ds_name)
+  $upper_ds_type = upcase($ds_type)
+
+  validate_re($upper_ds_type,
+              ['^ABSOLUTE$', '^COUNTER$', '^DERIVE$', '^GAUGE$'])
+
+  if $min != 'U' {
+    validate_numeric($min)
+  }
+
+  if $max != 'U' {
+    validate_numeric($max)
+  }
+
+  $content = "${ds}\t${ds_name}:${upper_ds_type}:${min}:${max}"
+
+  concat::fragment { "${target}/${ds}":
+    content => $content,
+    target  => $target,
+    order   => $ds,
+  }
+}
diff --git a/manifests/typesdb.pp b/manifests/typesdb.pp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7022c2eb9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/manifests/typesdb.pp
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+define collectd::typesdb (
+  $path = $title,
+) {
+  include collectd::params
+
+
+  concat { $path:
+    ensure         => present,
+    owner          => 'root',
+    group          => $collectd::params::root_group,
+    mode           => '0640',
+    ensure_newline => true,
+    force          => true,
+    notify         => Service['collectd'],
+  }
+}
diff --git a/spec/defines/collectd_type_spec.rb b/spec/defines/collectd_type_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ec9813122
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/defines/collectd_type_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+describe 'collectd::type', :type => :define do
+  let :facts do
+    {
+      :osfamily       => 'Debian',
+      :id             => 'root',
+      :concat_basedir => tmpfilename('collectd-type'),
+      :path           => '/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin',
+    }
+  end
+
+  context 'define a type' do
+    let(:title) { 'index' }
+    let :params do
+      {
+        :target => '/etc/collectd/types.db',
+        :ds_type => 'ABSOLUTE',
+        :min => 4,
+        :max => 5,
+        :ds_name => 'some_name',
+      }
+    end
+
+    it 'creates an entry' do
+      should contain_concat__fragment('/etc/collectd/types.db/index').with({
+        :target => '/etc/collectd/types.db',
+        :content => "index\tsome_name:ABSOLUTE:4:5",
+      })
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/defines/collectd_typesdb_spec.rb b/spec/defines/collectd_typesdb_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..33b8a5e7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/defines/collectd_typesdb_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+describe 'collectd::typesdb', :type => :define do
+  let :facts do
+    {
+      :osfamily       => 'Debian',
+      :id             => 'root',
+      :concat_basedir => tmpfilename('collectd-typesdb'),
+      :path           => '/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin',
+    }
+  end
+
+  context 'without any types' do
+    let(:title) { '/etc/collectd/types.db' }
+
+    it 'should contain empty types.db' do
+      should contain_concat('/etc/collectd/types.db')
+      should contain_file('/etc/collectd/types.db')
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/tests/typesdb.pp b/tests/typesdb.pp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..278ae7505
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/typesdb.pp
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+$typesdb = '/etc/collectd/types.db'
+
+class { 'collectd':
+  typesdb => [
+    $typesdb,
+  ],
+}
+
+collectd::typesdb { $typesdb: }
+collectd::type {
+  'bytes':
+    target  => $typesdb,
+    ds_type => 'GAUGE',
+    min     => 0;
+  'absolute':
+    target  => $typesdb,
+    ds      => 'absolute',
+    ds_type => 'ABSOLUTE',
+    ds_name => 'value',
+    min     => '0',
+    max     => 'U';
+}