diff --git a/base/abstractarray.jl b/base/abstractarray.jl
index a2ce7b4f95c9b..be546320e833d 100644
--- a/base/abstractarray.jl
+++ b/base/abstractarray.jl
@@ -2582,7 +2582,7 @@ function _vstack_plus(itr)
     len = length(val)
     n = haslength(itr) ? len*length(itr) : nothing
 
-    v = similar(val isa Tuple ? (1:0) : val, something(n, len))
+    v = similar(val isa Tuple ? (1:0) : val, eltype(val), something(n, len))
     copyto!(v, 1, val, firstindex(val), len)
 
     w = _stack_rest!(v, 0, n, axe, itr, state)
diff --git a/test/abstractarray.jl b/test/abstractarray.jl
index ecffe0f9d7312..5409253b258b8 100644
--- a/test/abstractarray.jl
+++ b/test/abstractarray.jl
@@ -1575,6 +1575,7 @@ end
     @test stack([(1,2), (3,4)]) == [1 3; 2 4]
     @test stack(((1,2), (3,4))) == [1 3; 2 4]
     @test size(stack(Iterators.product(1:3, 1:4))) == (2,3,4)
+    @test stack([('a', 'b'), ('c', 'd')]) == ['a' 'c'; 'b' 'd']
 
     # Mismatched sizes
     @test_throws DimensionMismatch stack([1:2, 1:3])