diff --git a/wpilibc/src/main/native/cpp/smartdashboard/SendableBuilderImpl.cpp b/wpilibc/src/main/native/cpp/smartdashboard/SendableBuilderImpl.cpp
index c0638504119..a49689b81dc 100644
--- a/wpilibc/src/main/native/cpp/smartdashboard/SendableBuilderImpl.cpp
+++ b/wpilibc/src/main/native/cpp/smartdashboard/SendableBuilderImpl.cpp
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include <networktables/StringArrayTopic.h>
 #include <ntcore_cpp.h>
 #include <wpi/SmallVector.h>
+#include <wpi/json.h>
 
 #include "frc/smartdashboard/SmartDashboard.h"
 
@@ -94,7 +95,8 @@ void SendableBuilderImpl::ClearProperties() {
 
 void SendableBuilderImpl::SetSmartDashboardType(std::string_view type) {
   if (!m_typePublisher) {
-    m_typePublisher = m_table->GetStringTopic(".type").Publish();
+    m_typePublisher = m_table->GetStringTopic(".type").PublishEx(
+        nt::StringTopic::kTypeString, {{"SmartDashboard", type}});
   }
   m_typePublisher.Set(type);
 }
diff --git a/wpilibj/src/main/java/edu/wpi/first/wpilibj/smartdashboard/SendableBuilderImpl.java b/wpilibj/src/main/java/edu/wpi/first/wpilibj/smartdashboard/SendableBuilderImpl.java
index 2f288910744..99a28624bd3 100644
--- a/wpilibj/src/main/java/edu/wpi/first/wpilibj/smartdashboard/SendableBuilderImpl.java
+++ b/wpilibj/src/main/java/edu/wpi/first/wpilibj/smartdashboard/SendableBuilderImpl.java
@@ -251,7 +251,10 @@ public void addCloseable(AutoCloseable closeable) {
   @Override
   public void setSmartDashboardType(String type) {
     if (m_typePub == null) {
-      m_typePub = m_table.getStringTopic(".type").publish();
+      m_typePub =
+          m_table
+              .getStringTopic(".type")
+              .publishEx(StringTopic.kTypeString, "{\"SmartDashboard\":\"" + type + "\"}");
     }
     m_typePub.set(type);
   }