diff --git a/src/caffe/test/test_data/generate_sample_data.py b/src/caffe/test/test_data/generate_sample_data.py
index 3703b41823b..8349dbbc8e6 100644
--- a/src/caffe/test/test_data/generate_sample_data.py
+++ b/src/caffe/test/test_data/generate_sample_data.py
@@ -36,23 +36,25 @@
     f['label'] = label
     f['label2'] = label2
 
-with h5py.File(script_dir + '/sample_data_2_gzip.h5', 'w') as f:
+with h5py.File(script_dir + '/sample_data_uint8_gzip.h5', 'w') as f:
     f.create_dataset(
         'data', data=data + total_size,
         compression='gzip', compression_opts=1
     )
     f.create_dataset(
         'label', data=label,
-        compression='gzip', compression_opts=1
+        compression='gzip', compression_opts=1,
+        dtype='uint8',
     )
     f.create_dataset(
         'label2', data=label2,
-        compression='gzip', compression_opts=1
+        compression='gzip', compression_opts=1,
+        dtype='uint8',
     )
 
 with open(script_dir + '/sample_data_list.txt', 'w') as f:
-    f.write(script_dir + '/sample_data.h5\n')
-    f.write(script_dir + '/sample_data_2_gzip.h5\n')
+    f.write('src/caffe/test/test_data/sample_data.h5\n')
+    f.write('src/caffe/test/test_data/sample_uint8_gzip.h5\n')
 
 # Generate GradientBasedSolver solver_data.h5
 
@@ -76,4 +78,4 @@
     f['targets'] = targets
 
 with open(script_dir + '/solver_data_list.txt', 'w') as f:
-    f.write(script_dir + '/solver_data.h5\n')
+    f.write('src/caffe/test/test_data/solver_data.h5\n')
diff --git a/src/caffe/test/test_data/sample_data_2_gzip.h5 b/src/caffe/test/test_data/sample_data_2_gzip.h5
index a138e0367be..0cb9ef92241 100644
Binary files a/src/caffe/test/test_data/sample_data_2_gzip.h5 and b/src/caffe/test/test_data/sample_data_2_gzip.h5 differ
diff --git a/src/caffe/util/hdf5.cpp b/src/caffe/util/hdf5.cpp
index d0d05f70f8f..7730e76ab87 100644
--- a/src/caffe/util/hdf5.cpp
+++ b/src/caffe/util/hdf5.cpp
@@ -27,7 +27,34 @@ void hdf5_load_nd_dataset_helper(
   status = H5LTget_dataset_info(
       file_id, dataset_name_, dims.data(), &class_, NULL);
   CHECK_GE(status, 0) << "Failed to get dataset info for " << dataset_name_;
-  CHECK_EQ(class_, H5T_FLOAT) << "Expected float or double data";
+  switch (class_) {
+  case H5T_FLOAT:
+    LOG_FIRST_N(INFO, 1) << "Datatype class: H5T_FLOAT";
+    break;
+  case H5T_INTEGER:
+    LOG_FIRST_N(INFO, 1) << "Datatype class: H5T_INTEGER";
+    break;
+  case H5T_TIME:
+    LOG(FATAL) << "Unsupported datatype class: H5T_TIME";
+  case H5T_STRING:
+    LOG(FATAL) << "Unsupported datatype class: H5T_STRING";
+  case H5T_BITFIELD:
+    LOG(FATAL) << "Unsupported datatype class: H5T_BITFIELD";
+  case H5T_OPAQUE:
+    LOG(FATAL) << "Unsupported datatype class: H5T_OPAQUE";
+  case H5T_COMPOUND:
+    LOG(FATAL) << "Unsupported datatype class: H5T_COMPOUND";
+  case H5T_REFERENCE:
+    LOG(FATAL) << "Unsupported datatype class: H5T_REFERENCE";
+  case H5T_ENUM:
+    LOG(FATAL) << "Unsupported datatype class: H5T_ENUM";
+  case H5T_VLEN:
+    LOG(FATAL) << "Unsupported datatype class: H5T_VLEN";
+  case H5T_ARRAY:
+    LOG(FATAL) << "Unsupported datatype class: H5T_ARRAY";
+  default:
+    LOG(FATAL) << "Datatype class unknown";
+  }
 
   vector<int> blob_dims(dims.size());
   for (int i = 0; i < dims.size(); ++i) {