diff --git a/test/package/browser/template/src/ably.config.d.ts b/test/package/browser/template/src/ably.config.d.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1684f5831
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/package/browser/template/src/ably.config.d.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import { LiveCounter, LiveMap } from 'ably';
+
+declare global {
+  export interface LiveObjectsTypes {
+    root: {
+      numberKey: number;
+      stringKey: string;
+      booleanKey: boolean;
+      couldBeUndefined?: string;
+      mapKey?: LiveMap<{
+        foo: 'bar';
+        nestedMap?: LiveMap<{
+          baz: 'qux';
+        }>;
+      }>;
+      counterKey?: LiveCounter;
+    };
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test/package/browser/template/src/index-liveobjects.ts b/test/package/browser/template/src/index-liveobjects.ts
index f1eb2601b..0f76eaf73 100644
--- a/test/package/browser/template/src/index-liveobjects.ts
+++ b/test/package/browser/template/src/index-liveobjects.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ import * as Ably from 'ably';
 import LiveObjects from 'ably/liveobjects';
 import { createSandboxAblyAPIKey } from './sandbox';
 
+// TODO: check we can refer to types exported by LiveObjects plugin.
+
 globalThis.testAblyPackage = async function () {
   const key = await createSandboxAblyAPIKey({ featureFlags: ['enableChannelState'] });
 
@@ -13,9 +15,23 @@ globalThis.testAblyPackage = async function () {
   const root = await liveObjects.getRoot();
 
   // check root is recognized as LiveMap TypeScript type
-  root.get('someKey');
   root.size();
 
+  // check custom user provided typings from ably.config.d.ts are working:
+  // keys on a root:
+  const aNumber: number = root.get('numberKey');
+  const aString: string = root.get('stringKey');
+  const aBoolean: boolean = root.get('booleanKey');
+  const couldBeUndefined: string | undefined = root.get('couldBeUndefined');
+  // live objects on a root:
+  const counter: Ably.LiveCounter | undefined = root.get('counterKey');
+  const map: LiveObjectsTypes['root']['mapKey'] = root.get('mapKey');
+  // check string literal types works
+  // need to use nullish coalescing as we didn't actually create any data on the root,
+  // so the next calls would fail. we only need to check that TypeScript types work
+  const foo: 'bar' = map?.get('foo')!;
+  const baz: 'qux' = map?.get('nestedMap')?.get('baz')!;
+
   // check LiveMap subscription callback has correct TypeScript types
   const { unsubscribe } = root.subscribe(({ update }) => {
     switch (update.someKey) {
@@ -29,10 +45,8 @@ globalThis.testAblyPackage = async function () {
   });
   unsubscribe();
 
-  // check LiveCounter types also behave as expected
-  const counter = root.get('randomKey') as Ably.LiveCounter | undefined;
-  // use nullish coalescing as we didn't actually create a counter object on the root,
-  // so the next calls would fail. we only need to check that TypeScript types work
+  // check LiveCounter type also behaves as expected
+  // same deal with nullish coalescing
   counter?.value();
   const counterSubscribeResponse = counter?.subscribe(({ update }) => {
     const shouldBeANumber: number = update.inc;
diff --git a/test/package/browser/template/src/tsconfig.json b/test/package/browser/template/src/tsconfig.json
index e280baa6d..d950958b4 100644
--- a/test/package/browser/template/src/tsconfig.json
+++ b/test/package/browser/template/src/tsconfig.json
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 {
   "include": ["**/*.ts", "**/*.tsx"],
   "compilerOptions": {
+    "strictNullChecks": true,
     "resolveJsonModule": true,
     "esModuleInterop": true,
     "module": "esnext",