diff --git a/src/databases/documents.js b/src/databases/documents.js
index c45457a..61b3625 100644
--- a/src/databases/documents.js
+++ b/src/databases/documents.js
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
  */
 import Database from '../database.js'
 
+const type = 'documents'
+
 const DefaultOptions = { indexBy: '_id' }
 
 /**
@@ -145,7 +147,7 @@ const Documents = ({ indexBy } = DefaultOptions) => async ({ ipfs, identity, add
 
   return {
     ...database,
-    type: 'documents',
+    type,
     put,
     del,
     get,
@@ -156,4 +158,6 @@ const Documents = ({ indexBy } = DefaultOptions) => async ({ ipfs, identity, add
   }
 }
 
+Documents.type = type
+
 export default Documents
diff --git a/src/databases/events.js b/src/databases/events.js
index cd1bcc5..1ddfe87 100644
--- a/src/databases/events.js
+++ b/src/databases/events.js
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
  */
 import Database from '../database.js'
 
+const type = 'events'
+
 /**
  * Defines an Events database.
  * @return {module:Databases.Databases-Events} A Events function.
@@ -86,7 +88,7 @@ const Events = () => async ({ ipfs, identity, address, name, access, directory,
 
   return {
     ...database,
-    type: 'events',
+    type,
     add,
     get,
     iterator,
@@ -94,4 +96,6 @@ const Events = () => async ({ ipfs, identity, address, name, access, directory,
   }
 }
 
+Events.type = type
+
 export default Events
diff --git a/src/databases/index.js b/src/databases/index.js
index 7415cb6..acb521e 100644
--- a/src/databases/index.js
+++ b/src/databases/index.js
@@ -15,12 +15,7 @@ import KeyValueIndexed from './keyvalue-indexed.js'
  * @return [] An array of database types.
  * @memberof module:Databases
  */
-const databaseTypes = {
-  events: Events,
-  documents: Documents,
-  keyvalue: KeyValue,
-  keyvalueindexed: KeyValueIndexed
-}
+const databaseTypes = {}
 
 /**
  * Add a new database type.
@@ -30,17 +25,23 @@ const databaseTypes = {
  *   const database = await Database(...params)
  *   ...
  * }
- * addDatabaseType('customDBType', CustomDBTypeModule)
+ * addDatabaseType(CustomDBTypeModule)
  * @function addDatabaseType
- * @param {string} type The database type.
- * @param {module:Databases} store A Database-compatible module.
+ * @param {module:Databases} database A Database-compatible module.
+ * @throws Database type does not contain required field \'type\'.
+ * @throws Database type '${store.type}' already added.
  * @memberof module:Databases
  */
-const addDatabaseType = (type, store) => {
-  if (databaseTypes[type]) {
-    throw new Error(`Type already exists: ${type}`)
+const addDatabaseType = (database) => {
+  if (!database.type) {
+    throw new Error('Database type does not contain required field \'type\'.')
   }
-  databaseTypes[type] = store
+  
+  if (databaseTypes[database.type]) {
+    throw new Error(`Database type '${database.type}' already added.`)
+  }
+  
+  databaseTypes[database.type] = database
 }
 
 const getDatabaseType = (type) => {
@@ -55,4 +56,9 @@ const getDatabaseType = (type) => {
   return databaseTypes[type]
 }
 
+addDatabaseType(Events)
+addDatabaseType(Documents)
+addDatabaseType(KeyValue)
+addDatabaseType(KeyValueIndexed)
+
 export { addDatabaseType, getDatabaseType, Documents, Events, KeyValue, KeyValueIndexed }
diff --git a/src/databases/keyvalue-indexed.js b/src/databases/keyvalue-indexed.js
index 28c3078..a66009a 100644
--- a/src/databases/keyvalue-indexed.js
+++ b/src/databases/keyvalue-indexed.js
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import KeyValue from './keyvalue.js'
 import LevelStorage from '../storage/level.js'
 import pathJoin from '../utils/path-join.js'
 
+const type = 'keyvalueindexed'
 const valueEncoding = 'json'
 
 /**
@@ -119,4 +120,6 @@ const KeyValueIndexed = ({ storage } = {}) => async ({ ipfs, identity, address,
   }
 }
 
+KeyValueIndexed.type = type
+
 export default KeyValueIndexed
diff --git a/src/databases/keyvalue.js b/src/databases/keyvalue.js
index ae85bbd..e6ab4c0 100644
--- a/src/databases/keyvalue.js
+++ b/src/databases/keyvalue.js
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
  */
 import Database from '../database.js'
 
+const type = 'keyvalue'
+
 /**
  * Defines an KeyValue database.
  * @return {module:Databases.Databases-KeyValue} A KeyValue function.
@@ -107,7 +109,7 @@ const KeyValue = () => async ({ ipfs, identity, address, name, access, directory
 
   return {
     ...database,
-    type: 'keyvalue',
+    type,
     put,
     set: put, // Alias for put()
     del,
@@ -117,4 +119,6 @@ const KeyValue = () => async ({ ipfs, identity, address, name, access, directory
   }
 }
 
+KeyValue.type = type
+
 export default KeyValue
diff --git a/test/orbitdb-custom-database-types.test.js b/test/orbitdb-custom-database-types.test.js
index 76cb686..2773ad2 100644
--- a/test/orbitdb-custom-database-types.test.js
+++ b/test/orbitdb-custom-database-types.test.js
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ const CustomStore = () => async ({ ipfs, identity, address, name, access, direct
   }
 }
 
+CustomStore.type = type
+
 describe('Add a custom database type', function () {
   this.timeout(5000)
 
@@ -55,7 +57,7 @@ describe('Add a custom database type', function () {
 
   describe('Custom database type', function () {
     before(() => {
-      addDatabaseType(type, CustomStore)
+      addDatabaseType(CustomStore)
     })
 
     it('create a database with the custom database type', async () => {
@@ -68,13 +70,13 @@ describe('Add a custom database type', function () {
     it('throws and error if custom database type already exists', async () => {
       let err
       try {
-        addDatabaseType(type, CustomStore)
+        addDatabaseType(CustomStore)
         throw new Error('This should not run.')
       } catch (e) {
-        err = e
+        err = e.toString()
       }
-      notStrictEqual(err, undefined)
-      strictEqual(err.message.indexOf('already exists') !== -1, true)
+
+      strictEqual(err, 'Error: Database type \'custom!\' already added.')
     })
 
     it('returns custom database type after adding it', async () => {