diff --git a/api/internal/generators/secret.go b/api/internal/generators/secret.go
index ef253fa45..d8e14f88f 100644
--- a/api/internal/generators/secret.go
+++ b/api/internal/generators/secret.go
@@ -37,10 +37,14 @@ func MakeSecret(
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	t := "Opaque"
+	if args.Type != "" {
+		t = args.Type
+	}
 	if _, err := rn.Pipe(
 		yaml.FieldSetter{
 			Name:  "type",
-			Value: yaml.NewStringRNode("Opaque")}); err != nil {
+			Value: yaml.NewStringRNode(t)}); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	m, err := makeValidatedDataMap(ldr, args.Name, args.KvPairSources)
diff --git a/api/internal/generators/secret_test.go b/api/internal/generators/secret_test.go
index c585c8ae2..51097b57d 100644
--- a/api/internal/generators/secret_test.go
+++ b/api/internal/generators/secret_test.go
@@ -122,6 +122,34 @@ data:
   b: eQ==
   c: SGVsbG8gV29ybGQ=
   d: dHJ1ZQ==
+`,
+			},
+		},
+		"construct secret with type": {
+			args: types.SecretArgs{
+				GeneratorArgs: types.GeneratorArgs{
+					Name: "literalSecret1",
+					KvPairSources: types.KvPairSources{
+						LiteralSources: []string{"a=x"},
+					},
+					Options: &types.GeneratorOptions{
+						Labels: map[string]string{
+							"foo": "bar",
+						},
+					},
+				},
+				Type: "foobar",
+			},
+			exp: expected{
+				out: `apiVersion: v1
+kind: Secret
+metadata:
+  name: literalSecret1
+  labels:
+    foo: 'bar'
+type: foobar
+data:
+  a: eA==
 `,
 			},
 		},