diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -772,6 +772,14 @@
  [ AC_MSG_RESULT(no)]
 )
 
+AC_MSG_CHECKING(for if type char equals int8_t)
+AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[#include <stdint.h>
+  #include <type_traits>]],
+ [[ static_assert(std::is_same<int8_t, char>::value, ""); ]])],
+ [ AC_MSG_RESULT(yes); AC_DEFINE(CHAR_EQUALS_INT8, 1,[Define this symbol if type char equals int8_t]) ],
+ [ AC_MSG_RESULT(no)]
+)
+
 # Check for reduced exports
 if test x$use_reduce_exports = xyes; then
   AX_CHECK_COMPILE_FLAG([-fvisibility=hidden],[RE_CXXFLAGS="-fvisibility=hidden"],
diff --git a/src/config/CMakeLists.txt b/src/config/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/src/config/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/config/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -146,6 +146,15 @@
 	}
 " HAVE_SYSCTL_ARND)
 
+check_cxx_source_compiles("
+    #include <cstdint>
+    #include <type_traits>
+    int main() {
+        static_assert(std::is_same<int8_t, char>::value, \"\");
+        return 0;
+    }
+" CHAR_EQUALS_INT8)
+
 # OpenSSL functionality
 set(CMAKE_REQUIRED_INCLUDES ${OPENSSL_CRYPTO_INCLUDES})
 set(CMAKE_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES ${OPENSSL_CRYPTO_LIBRARY})
diff --git a/src/config/bitcoin-config.h.cmake.in b/src/config/bitcoin-config.h.cmake.in
--- a/src/config/bitcoin-config.h.cmake.in
+++ b/src/config/bitcoin-config.h.cmake.in
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@
 #cmakedefine HAVE_SYS_GETRANDOM 1
 #cmakedefine HAVE_SYSCTL_ARND 1
 
+#cmakedefine CHAR_EQUALS_INT8 0
+
 #cmakedefine HAVE_DECL_EVP_MD_CTX_NEW 1
 
 #cmakedefine ENABLE_WALLET 1
diff --git a/src/serialize.h b/src/serialize.h
--- a/src/serialize.h
+++ b/src/serialize.h
@@ -179,9 +179,12 @@
         SerializationOp(s, CSerActionUnserialize());                           \
     }
 
+#ifndef CHAR_EQUALS_INT8
+// TODO Get rid of bare char
 template <typename Stream> inline void Serialize(Stream &s, char a) {
     ser_writedata8(s, a);
-} // TODO Get rid of bare char
+}
+#endif
 template <typename Stream> inline void Serialize(Stream &s, int8_t a) {
     ser_writedata8(s, a);
 }
@@ -212,10 +215,12 @@
 template <typename Stream> inline void Serialize(Stream &s, double a) {
     ser_writedata64(s, ser_double_to_uint64(a));
 }
+#ifndef CHAR_EQUALS_INT8
 // TODO Get rid of bare char
 template <typename Stream> inline void Unserialize(Stream &s, char &a) {
     a = ser_readdata8(s);
 }
+#endif
 template <typename Stream> inline void Unserialize(Stream &s, int8_t &a) {
     a = ser_readdata8(s);
 }