diff --git a/src/sqlite3.erl b/src/sqlite3.erl
index 038aa1d..0d8c01c 100644
--- a/src/sqlite3.erl
+++ b/src/sqlite3.erl
@@ -863,10 +863,10 @@ handle_call(close, _From, State) ->
     Reply = ok,
     {stop, normal, Reply, State};
 handle_call(list_tables, _From, State) ->
-    SQL = "select name from sqlite_master where type='table';",
+    SQL = "select name, sql from sqlite_master where type='table';",
     Data = do_sql_exec(SQL, State),
     TableList = proplists:get_value(rows, Data),
-    TableNames = [erlang:list_to_atom(erlang:binary_to_list(Name)) || {Name} <- TableList],
+    TableNames = [cast_table_name(Name, SQLx) || {Name,SQLx} <- TableList],
     {reply, TableNames, State};
 handle_call({table_info, Tbl}, _From, State) when is_atom(Tbl) ->
     % make sure we only get table info.
@@ -1242,6 +1242,20 @@ build_primary_key_constraint(Tail, []) ->
 build_primary_key_constraint(Tail, Acc) ->
     {{primary_key, lists:reverse(Acc)}, Tail}.
 
+cast_table_name(Bin, SQL) ->
+    case re:run(SQL,<<"CHECK\\((.*)=(.*)\\)\\)">>,[{capture,all_but_first,binary}]) of
+	{match, [<<"'bin'">>, <<"'bin'">>]} ->
+	    Bin;
+	{match, [<<"'lst'">>, <<"'lst'">>]} ->
+	    binary_to_atom(Bin, latin1);
+	{match, [<<"'am'">>, <<"'am'">>]} ->
+	    binary_to_atom(Bin, latin1);
+	_ ->
+	    %% backwards compatible
+	    binary_to_atom(Bin, latin1)
+    end.
+
+
 %% conflict_clause(["ON", "CONFLICT", ResolutionString | Tail]) ->
 %%     Resolution = case ResolutionString of
 %%                      "ROLLBACK" -> rollback;
diff --git a/src/sqlite3_lib.erl b/src/sqlite3_lib.erl
index 9695fa2..b0bb2b7 100644
--- a/src/sqlite3_lib.erl
+++ b/src/sqlite3_lib.erl
@@ -205,8 +205,10 @@ read_cols_sql(Columns) ->
 %%--------------------------------------------------------------------
 -spec create_table_sql(table(), table_info()) -> iolist().
 create_table_sql(Tbl, Columns) ->
-    ["CREATE TABLE ", to_iolist(Tbl), " (",
-     map_intersperse(fun column_sql_for_create_table/1, Columns, ", "), ");"].
+    {Type, TName} = encode_tbl(Tbl),
+    ["CREATE TABLE ", TName, " (",
+     map_intersperse(fun column_sql_for_create_table/1, Columns, ", "),
+     " CHECK('", Type, "'='", Type, "'));"].
 
 %%--------------------------------------------------------------------
 %% @spec create_table_sql(Tbl :: table(), ColumnData, TableConstraints) -> iolist()
@@ -221,10 +223,11 @@ create_table_sql(Tbl, Columns) ->
 %%--------------------------------------------------------------------
 -spec create_table_sql(table(), table_info(), table_constraints()) -> iolist().
 create_table_sql(Tbl, Columns, TblConstraints) ->
-    ["CREATE TABLE ", to_iolist(Tbl), " (",
+    {Type, TName} = encode_tbl(Tbl),
+    ["CREATE TABLE ", TName, " (",
      map_intersperse(fun column_sql_for_create_table/1, Columns, ", "), ", ",
      table_constraint_sql(TblConstraints), 
-     ");"].
+     " CHECK('", Type, "'='", Type, "'));"].
 
 %%--------------------------------------------------------------------
 %% @spec update_sql(Tbl, Key, Value, Data) -> iolist()
@@ -240,7 +243,8 @@ create_table_sql(Tbl, Columns, TblConstraints) ->
 %%--------------------------------------------------------------------
 -spec update_sql(table(), atom(), sql_value(), [{atom(), sql_value()}]) -> iolist().
 update_sql(Tbl, Key, Value, Data) ->
-    ["UPDATE ", to_iolist(Tbl), " SET ", update_set_sql(Data), 
+    {_, TName} = encode_tbl(Tbl),
+    ["UPDATE ", TName, " SET ", update_set_sql(Data), 
      " WHERE ", atom_to_list(Key), " = ", value_to_sql(Value), ";"].
 
 %%--------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -420,6 +424,14 @@ indexed_column_sql({ColumnName, asc}) -> [atom_to_list(ColumnName), " ASC"];
 indexed_column_sql({ColumnName, desc}) -> [atom_to_list(ColumnName), " DESC"];
 indexed_column_sql(ColumnName) -> atom_to_list(ColumnName).
 
+
+encode_tbl(A) when is_atom(A) ->
+    {"am", atom_to_list(A)};
+encode_tbl(B) when is_binary(B) ->
+    {"bin", B};
+encode_tbl(L) when is_list(L) ->
+    {"lst", list_to_binary(L)}.
+
 to_iolist(A) when is_atom(A) ->
     atom_to_list(A);
 to_iolist(L) when is_list(L) ->