diff --git a/vlib/builtin/int.v b/vlib/builtin/int.v
index f790a507d4..9c769d999f 100644
--- a/vlib/builtin/int.v
+++ b/vlib/builtin/int.v
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ module builtin
 // ----- value to string functions -----
 //
 
+type u8 = byte
+
 // ptr_str returns the address of `ptr` as a `string`.
 pub fn ptr_str(ptr voidptr) string {
 	buf1 := u64(ptr).hex()
diff --git a/vlib/v/ast/types.v b/vlib/v/ast/types.v
index aab47f53e7..a816030cfd 100644
--- a/vlib/v/ast/types.v
+++ b/vlib/v/ast/types.v
@@ -670,7 +670,7 @@ pub fn (mut t Table) register_builtin_type_symbols() {
 		}
 	)
 	t.register_type_symbol(kind: .interface_, name: 'IError', cname: 'IError', mod: 'builtin')
-	t.register_type_symbol(kind: .u8, name: 'u8', cname: 'u8', mod: 'builtin')
+	t.register_type_symbol(kind: .u8, name: 'uu8', cname: 'uu8', mod: 'builtin')
 }
 
 [inline]
@@ -925,8 +925,8 @@ pub fn (t &Table) type_to_str_using_aliases(typ Type, import_aliases map[string]
 		.int_literal, .float_literal {
 			res = sym.name
 		}
-		.i8, .i16, .int, .i64, .byte, .u8, .u16, .u32, .u64, .f32, .f64, .char, .rune, .string, .bool,
-		.none_, .byteptr, .voidptr, .charptr {
+		.i8, .i16, .int, .i64, .byte, .u8, .u16, .u32, .u64, .f32, .f64, .char, .rune, .string,
+		.bool, .none_, .byteptr, .voidptr, .charptr {
 			// primitive types
 			if sym.kind == .byteptr {
 				res = '&byte'