diff --git a/lib/PDL/MatrixOps.pd b/lib/PDL/MatrixOps.pd
index 464ea0fbe..337159d88 100644
--- a/lib/PDL/MatrixOps.pd
+++ b/lib/PDL/MatrixOps.pd
@@ -175,13 +175,15 @@ pp_addpm(<<'EOD');
 
 =for ref
 
-Return a diagonal matrix with the specified diagonal elements
+Return a diagonal matrix with the specified diagonal elements.
+Preserves higher dimensions.
+As of 2.096, it will also have the same datatype.
 
 =cut
 
 sub stretcher {
   my $in = shift;
-  my $out = zeroes($in->dim(0),$in->dims);
+  my $out = zeroes($in->type, $in->dim(0), $in->dims);
   $out->diagonal(0,1) += $in;
   $out;
 }
diff --git a/t/matrixops.t b/t/matrixops.t
index d43efc022..94b2f9cc1 100644
--- a/t/matrixops.t
+++ b/t/matrixops.t
@@ -171,6 +171,7 @@ is_pdl identity(zeroes 2, 3), pdl('1 0; 0 1'), "identity matrix with dimensioned
 is_pdl identity(zeroes 2, 3, 4)->shape, indx([2,2,4]), "identity matrix with multi-dimensioned ndarray";
 is_pdl stretcher(pdl(2,3)), pdl('2 0;0 3'), "stretcher 2x2";
 is_pdl stretcher(pdl('2 3;3 4')), pdl('[2 0;0 3][3 0;0 4]'), "stretcher 2x2x2";
+is_pdl stretcher(ldouble('0.14142135623731 0.14142135623731')), ldouble('0.14142135623731 0;0 0.14142135623731'), "stretcher ldouble 2x2";
 }
 
 {