diff --git a/hamcrest/src/main/java/org/hamcrest/BaseDescription.java b/hamcrest/src/main/java/org/hamcrest/BaseDescription.java
index 7b540c50..d0c8fc41 100644
--- a/hamcrest/src/main/java/org/hamcrest/BaseDescription.java
+++ b/hamcrest/src/main/java/org/hamcrest/BaseDescription.java
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@ public Description appendValue(Object value) {
             append('"');
             toJavaSyntax((Character) value);
             append('"');
+        } else if (value instanceof Byte) {
+            append('<');
+            append(descriptionOf(value));
+            append("b>");
         } else if (value instanceof Short) {
             append('<');
             append(descriptionOf(value));
diff --git a/hamcrest/src/test/java/org/hamcrest/BaseDescriptionTest.java b/hamcrest/src/test/java/org/hamcrest/BaseDescriptionTest.java
index 7a35e0b4..afbdd65f 100644
--- a/hamcrest/src/test/java/org/hamcrest/BaseDescriptionTest.java
+++ b/hamcrest/src/test/java/org/hamcrest/BaseDescriptionTest.java
@@ -62,6 +62,12 @@ public final class BaseDescriptionTest {
         assertEquals("\"\\\"\"", result.toString());
     }
 
+    @Test public void
+    bracketsAppendedByteValue() {
+        baseDescription.appendValue(Byte.valueOf("2"));
+        assertEquals("<2b>", result.toString());
+    }
+
     @Test public void
     bracketsAppendedShortValue() {
         baseDescription.appendValue(Short.valueOf("2"));