diff --git a/src/array.js b/src/array.js
index 0749b2bc0..27ebae5e5 100644
--- a/src/array.js
+++ b/src/array.js
@@ -14,14 +14,14 @@ let hasLength = value => !isAbsent(value) && value.length > 0;
 
 module.exports = ArraySchema
 
-function ArraySchema(){
+function ArraySchema(type) {
   if (!(this instanceof ArraySchema))
-    return new ArraySchema()
+    return new ArraySchema(type)
 
   MixedSchema.call(this, { type: 'array'})
 
   this._subType = null;
-  
+
   this.withMutation(() => {
     this.transform(function(values) {
       if (typeof values === 'string')
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ function ArraySchema(){
 
       return this.isType(values) ? values : null
     })
+
+    if (type)
+      this.of(type)
   })
 }
 
@@ -130,6 +133,12 @@ inherits(ArraySchema, MixedSchema, {
     })
   },
 
+  ensure() {
+    return this
+      .default([])
+      .transform(val => val != null ? [] : [].concat(val))
+  },
+
   compact(rejector){
     let reject = !rejector
       ? v => !!v
diff --git a/test/array.js b/test/array.js
index 6b5d3390b..572e8da4d 100644
--- a/test/array.js
+++ b/test/array.js
@@ -60,10 +60,11 @@ describe('Array types', function(){
   })
 
   it('should pass options to children', function(){
-    array()
-      .of(object({ name: string() }))
-      .cast([{ id: 1, name: 'john' }], { stripUnknown: true })
-      .should.eql([{name: 'john'}])
+    array(
+      object({ name: string() })
+    )
+    .cast([{ id: 1, name: 'john' }], { stripUnknown: true })
+    .should.eql([{name: 'john'}])
   })
 
   it('should VALIDATE correctly', function(){