diff --git a/src/main/java/io/ebean/dbmigration/model/build/ModelBuildBeanVisitor.java b/src/main/java/io/ebean/dbmigration/model/build/ModelBuildBeanVisitor.java
index dc9f09b5b..ec8bc69fb 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/ebean/dbmigration/model/build/ModelBuildBeanVisitor.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/ebean/dbmigration/model/build/ModelBuildBeanVisitor.java
@@ -53,10 +53,12 @@ public class ModelBuildBeanVisitor implements BeanVisitor {
     if (inheritInfo != null && inheritInfo.isRoot()) {
       // add the discriminator column
       String discColumn = inheritInfo.getDiscriminatorColumn();
-      DbPlatformType dbType = ctx.getDbTypeMap().get(inheritInfo.getDiscriminatorType());
-      String discDbType = dbType.renderType(inheritInfo.getDiscriminatorLength(), 0);
-
-      table.addColumn(new MColumn(discColumn, discDbType, true));
+      String columnDefn = inheritInfo.getColumnDefn();
+      if (columnDefn == null || columnDefn.isEmpty()) {
+        DbPlatformType dbType = ctx.getDbTypeMap().get(inheritInfo.getDiscriminatorType());
+        columnDefn = dbType.renderType(inheritInfo.getDiscriminatorLength(), 0);
+      }
+      table.addColumn(new MColumn(discColumn, columnDefn, true));
     }
 
     return new ModelBuildPropertyVisitor(ctx, table, descriptor);
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/InheritInfo.java b/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/InheritInfo.java
index b518e0319..78fe24a47 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/InheritInfo.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/InheritInfo.java
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ public class InheritInfo {
 
   private final int discriminatorLength;
 
+  private final String columnDefn;
+
   private final String where;
 
   private final Class<?> type;
@@ -58,6 +60,7 @@ public class InheritInfo {
 
     this.discriminatorType = deploy.getDiscriminatorType(parent);
     this.discriminatorLength = deploy.getDiscriminatorLength(parent);
+    this.columnDefn = deploy.getColumnDefn();
     this.where = InternString.intern(deploy.getWhere());
 
     if (r == null) {
@@ -164,14 +167,14 @@ public class InheritInfo {
   public BeanProperty[] localProperties() {
     return descriptor.propertiesLocal();
   }
-  
+
   /**
    * Return the children.
    */
   public ArrayList<InheritInfo> getChildren() {
     return children;
   }
-  
+
   /**
    * Get the bean property additionally looking in the sub types.
    */
@@ -342,6 +345,13 @@ public class InheritInfo {
     return discriminatorLength;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Return the explicit column definition.
+   */
+  public String getColumnDefn() {
+    return columnDefn;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Return the discriminator value for this node.
    */
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/parse/DeployInherit.java b/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/parse/DeployInherit.java
index a4a4f5539..517c38724 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/parse/DeployInherit.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/parse/DeployInherit.java
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ public class DeployInherit {
         info.setDiscriminatorType(Types.VARCHAR);
       }
       info.setDiscriminatorLength(da.length());
+      info.setColumnDefn(da.columnDefinition());
     }
 
     DiscriminatorValue dv = AnnotationBase.findAnnotation(cls, DiscriminatorValue.class);
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/parse/DeployInheritInfo.java b/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/parse/DeployInheritInfo.java
index 052a304b6..a53bb847f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/parse/DeployInheritInfo.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/deploy/parse/DeployInheritInfo.java
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ public class DeployInheritInfo {
 
   private String discriminatorColumn;
 
+  private String columnDefn;
+
   private String discriminatorWhere;
 
   private final Class<?> type;
@@ -157,6 +159,20 @@ public class DeployInheritInfo {
     this.discriminatorType = discriminatorType;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Set explicit column definition (ddl).
+   */
+  public void setColumnDefn(String columnDefn) {
+    this.columnDefn = columnDefn;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Return the explicit column definition.
+   */
+  public String getColumnDefn() {
+    return columnDefn;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Return the length of the discriminator column.
    */
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/ebean/dbmigration/model/build/ModelBuildBeanVisitorTest.java b/src/test/java/io/ebean/dbmigration/model/build/ModelBuildBeanVisitorTest.java
index d3379c65b..83f7da9c4 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/ebean/dbmigration/model/build/ModelBuildBeanVisitorTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/ebean/dbmigration/model/build/ModelBuildBeanVisitorTest.java
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import io.ebean.BaseTestCase;
 import io.ebean.Ebean;
 import io.ebean.config.DbConstraintNaming;
 import io.ebean.dbmigration.ddlgeneration.platform.DefaultConstraintMaxLength;
+import io.ebean.dbmigration.model.MColumn;
 import io.ebean.dbmigration.model.MTable;
 import io.ebean.dbmigration.model.ModelContainer;
 import io.ebean.dbmigration.model.visitor.VisitAllUsing;
@@ -31,12 +32,41 @@ public class ModelBuildBeanVisitorTest extends BaseTestCase {
 
     new VisitAllUsing(addTable, defaultServer).visitAllBeans();
 
+    assert_compound_pk(model);
+
+    assert_discriminatorColumn_explicit(model);
+    assert_discriminatorColumn_implied(model);
+    assert_discriminatorColumn_length(model);
+  }
+
+  private void assert_compound_pk(ModelContainer model) {
     MTable item = model.getTable("item");
 
     assertThat(item).isNotNull();
     assertThat(item.primaryKeyColumns()).hasSize(2);
+  }
 
-    MTable customer = model.getTable("o_customer");
-    assertThat(customer).isNotNull();
+  private void assert_discriminatorColumn_explicit(ModelContainer model) {
+
+    MTable configuration = model.getTable("configuration");
+    MColumn discTypeColumn = configuration.getColumn("type");
+    assertThat(discTypeColumn.getType()).isEqualTo("varchar(21)");
+    assertThat(discTypeColumn.isNotnull()).isTrue();
+  }
+
+  private void assert_discriminatorColumn_implied(ModelContainer model) {
+
+    MTable configuration = model.getTable("bar");
+    MColumn discTypeColumn = configuration.getColumn("bar_type");
+    assertThat(discTypeColumn.getType()).isEqualTo("varchar(31)");
+    assertThat(discTypeColumn.isNotnull()).isTrue();
+  }
+
+  private void assert_discriminatorColumn_length(ModelContainer model) {
+
+    MTable configuration = model.getTable("vehicle");
+    MColumn discTypeColumn = configuration.getColumn("dtype");
+    assertThat(discTypeColumn.getType()).isEqualTo("varchar(3)");
+    assertThat(discTypeColumn.isNotnull()).isTrue();
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/tests/inheritance/model/Configuration.java b/src/test/java/org/tests/inheritance/model/Configuration.java
index 2eeacdfa6..c58afe6c1 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/tests/inheritance/model/Configuration.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/tests/inheritance/model/Configuration.java
@@ -9,8 +9,9 @@ import javax.persistence.*;
 @Entity
 @Cache(enableQueryCache = true)
 @Inheritance(strategy = InheritanceType.SINGLE_TABLE)
-@DiscriminatorColumn(name = "type", discriminatorType = DiscriminatorType.STRING)
+@DiscriminatorColumn(name = "type", discriminatorType = DiscriminatorType.STRING, columnDefinition = "varchar(21)")
 public class Configuration extends AbstractBaseClass {
+  
   @Id
   @Column(name = "id")
   private Integer id;