diff --git a/src/datatypes.jl b/src/datatypes.jl
index 9dd721fcc..cefe5aa92 100644
--- a/src/datatypes.jl
+++ b/src/datatypes.jl
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ end
 
 function Datatype(::Type{T}) where {T}
     global created_datatypes
-    get!(created_datatypes, T) do
+    datatype = get!(created_datatypes, T) do
         datatype = Datatype()
         # lazily initialize so that it can be safely precompiled
         function init()
@@ -162,6 +162,15 @@ function Datatype(::Type{T}) where {T}
         init()
         datatype
     end
+
+    # Make sure the "aligned" size of the type matches the MPI "extent".
+    sz = sizeof(T)
+    al = Base.datatype_alignment(T)
+    mpi_extent = Types.extent(datatype)
+    aligned_size = (0, cld(sz,al)*al)
+    @assert mpi_extent == aligned_size "The MPI extent of type $(T) ($(mpi_extent[2])) does not match the size expected by Julia ($(aligned_size[2]))"
+
+    return datatype
 end
 
 function Base.show(io::IO, datatype::Datatype)
@@ -437,8 +446,10 @@ function create!(newtype::Datatype, ::Type{T}) where {T}
     types = Datatype[]
 
     if isprimitivetype(T)
-        # primitive type
-        szrem = sz = sizeof(T)
+        # This is a primitive type.  Create a type which has size an integer multiple of its
+        # alignment on the Julia side: <https://github.com/JuliaParallel/MPI.jl/issues/853>.
+        al = Base.datatype_alignment(T)
+        szrem = sz = cld(sizeof(T), al) * al
         disp = 0
         for (i,basetype) in (8 => Datatype(UInt64), 4 => Datatype(UInt32), 2 => Datatype(UInt16), 1 => Datatype(UInt8))
             if sz == i
diff --git a/test/test_datatype.jl b/test/test_datatype.jl
index c966a9678..ab8385d75 100644
--- a/test/test_datatype.jl
+++ b/test/test_datatype.jl
@@ -87,18 +87,17 @@ end
 primitive type Primitive16 16 end
 primitive type Primitive24 24 end
 primitive type Primitive80 80 end
+primitive type Primitive104 104 end
+primitive type Primitive136 136 end
 
-@testset for PrimitiveType in (Primitive16, Primitive24, Primitive80)
+@testset for PrimitiveType in (Primitive16, Primitive24, Primitive80, Primitive104, Primitive136)
     sz = sizeof(PrimitiveType)
     al = Base.datatype_alignment(PrimitiveType)
     @test MPI.Types.extent(MPI.Datatype(PrimitiveType)) == (0, cld(sz,al)*al)
 
-    if VERSION < v"1.3" && PrimitiveType == Primitive80
-        # alignment is broken on earlier Julia versions
-        continue
-    end
+    conv = sizeof(PrimitiveType) <= sizeof(UInt128) ? Core.Intrinsics.trunc_int : Core.Intrinsics.sext_int
 
-    arr = [Core.Intrinsics.trunc_int(PrimitiveType, UInt128(comm_rank + i)) for i = 1:4]
+    arr = [conv(PrimitiveType, UInt128(comm_rank + i)) for i = 1:4]
     arr_recv = Array{PrimitiveType}(undef,4)
 
     recv_req = MPI.Irecv!(arr_recv, src, 2, MPI.COMM_WORLD)
@@ -106,7 +105,7 @@ primitive type Primitive80 80 end
 
     MPI.Waitall([recv_req, send_req])
 
-    @test arr_recv == [Core.Intrinsics.trunc_int(PrimitiveType, UInt128(src + i)) for i = 1:4]
+    @test arr_recv == [conv(PrimitiveType, UInt128(src + i)) for i = 1:4]
 end
 
 @testset "packed non-aligned tuples" begin