diff --git a/src/bscPlugin/validation/ScopeValidator.spec.ts b/src/bscPlugin/validation/ScopeValidator.spec.ts
index 777693978..67ad1e97a 100644
--- a/src/bscPlugin/validation/ScopeValidator.spec.ts
+++ b/src/bscPlugin/validation/ScopeValidator.spec.ts
@@ -128,6 +128,68 @@ describe('ScopeValidator', () => {
     });
 
     describe('argumentTypeMismatch', () => {
+
+        it('treats string enums as strings when assigned to string vars', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/file.bs', `
+                sub main()
+                    printDirection(Direction.up)
+                end sub
+
+                sub printDirection(theDirection as string)
+                    print theDirection
+                end sub
+
+                enum Direction
+                    up = "up"
+                    down = "down"
+                end enum
+            `);
+            program.validate();
+            expectZeroDiagnostics(program);
+        });
+
+        it('does not treat strings as a string enum', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/file.bs', `
+                sub main()
+                    printDirection("up")
+                end sub
+
+                sub printDirection(theDirection as Direction)
+                    print theDirection
+                end sub
+
+                enum Direction
+                    up = "up"
+                    down = "down"
+                end enum
+
+            `);
+            program.validate();
+            expectDiagnostics(program, [
+                DiagnosticMessages.argumentTypeMismatch('string', 'Direction')
+            ]);
+        });
+
+        it('supports passing enum type as enum type', () => {
+            program.setFile('source/file.bs', `
+                sub test(theDirection as Direction)
+                    printDirection(theDirection)
+                end sub
+
+                sub printDirection(theDirection as Direction)
+                    print theDirection
+                end sub
+
+                enum Direction
+                    up = "up"
+                    down = "down"
+                end enum
+            `);
+            program.validate();
+            expectDiagnostics(program, [
+            ]);
+        });
+
         it('Catches argument type mismatches on function calls', () => {
             program.setFile('source/file.brs', `
                     sub a(age as integer)
diff --git a/src/parser/Statement.ts b/src/parser/Statement.ts
index 48fc2d28b..bb89a3060 100644
--- a/src/parser/Statement.ts
+++ b/src/parser/Statement.ts
@@ -2640,9 +2640,14 @@ export class EnumStatement extends Statement implements TypedefProvider {
     }
 
     getType(options: GetTypeOptions) {
-        const resultType = new EnumType(this.fullName);
+        const members = this.getMembers();
+
+        const resultType = new EnumType(
+            this.fullName,
+            members[0]?.getType(options)
+        );
         resultType.pushMemberProvider(() => this.getSymbolTable());
-        for (const statement of this.getMembers()) {
+        for (const statement of members) {
             resultType.addMember(statement?.tokens?.name?.text, statement?.range, statement.getType(options), SymbolTypeFlag.runtime);
         }
 
@@ -2704,7 +2709,11 @@ export class EnumMemberStatement extends Statement implements TypedefProvider {
     }
 
     getType(options: GetTypeOptions) {
-        return new EnumMemberType((this.parent as EnumStatement)?.fullName, this.tokens?.name?.text);
+        return new EnumMemberType(
+            (this.parent as EnumStatement)?.fullName,
+            this.tokens?.name?.text,
+            this.value?.getType(options)
+        );
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/types/EnumType.ts b/src/types/EnumType.ts
index 20e4bcad6..2f8657180 100644
--- a/src/types/EnumType.ts
+++ b/src/types/EnumType.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,15 @@
 import { isDynamicType, isEnumMemberType, isEnumType } from '../astUtils/reflection';
 import { BscType } from './BscType';
 import { BscTypeKind } from './BscTypeKind';
+import { DynamicType } from './DynamicType';
 
 export class EnumType extends BscType {
     constructor(
-        public name: string
+        public name: string,
+        /**
+         * The runtime type for this enum (i.e. what type the value will be transpiled into)
+         */
+        public underlyingType: BscType = DynamicType.instance
     ) {
         super(name);
     }
@@ -36,7 +41,11 @@ export class EnumType extends BscType {
 export class EnumMemberType extends BscType {
     constructor(
         public enumName: string,
-        public memberName: string
+        public memberName: string,
+        /**
+         * The runtime type for this enum (i.e. what type the value will be transpiled into)
+         */
+        public underlyingType: BscType = DynamicType.instance
     ) {
         super(`${enumName}.${memberName}`);
     }
diff --git a/src/types/StringType.ts b/src/types/StringType.ts
index d15eb94cc..1b6f843b3 100644
--- a/src/types/StringType.ts
+++ b/src/types/StringType.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { isDynamicType, isStringType } from '../astUtils/reflection';
+import { isDynamicType, isEnumMemberType, isEnumType, isStringType } from '../astUtils/reflection';
 import { BscType } from './BscType';
 import { BscTypeKind } from './BscTypeKind';
 
@@ -19,7 +19,11 @@ export class StringType extends BscType {
     public isTypeCompatible(targetType: BscType) {
         return (
             isStringType(targetType) ||
-            isDynamicType(targetType)
+            isDynamicType(targetType) ||
+            //string enums are compatible with strings
+            (
+                (isEnumType(targetType) || isEnumMemberType(targetType)) && isStringType(targetType.underlyingType)
+            )
         );
     }