diff --git a/tests/test_preprocessing/test_pandas_feature_selector.py b/tests/test_preprocessing/test_pandas_feature_selector.py
index d6195e0..3504ae2 100644
--- a/tests/test_preprocessing/test_pandas_feature_selector.py
+++ b/tests/test_preprocessing/test_pandas_feature_selector.py
@@ -5,13 +5,13 @@
 import timeserio.ini as ini
 from timeserio.data.mock import mock_fit_data
 from timeserio.preprocessing import (
-    PandasColumnSelector, PandasValueSelector,
-    PandasIndexValueSelector, PandasSequenceSplitter
+    PandasColumnSelector, PandasValueSelector, PandasIndexValueSelector,
+    PandasSequenceSplitter
 )
 
-
 datetime_column = ini.Columns.datetime
 usage_column = ini.Columns.target
+id_column = ini.Columns.id
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
@@ -66,6 +66,12 @@ def test_value_selector(df, columns, shape1):
     assert subarray.shape == expected_shape
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("dtype", ["uint8", "int8"])
+def test_value_selector_dtype(df, dtype):
+    subarray = PandasValueSelector(columns="id", dtype=dtype).transform(df)
+    assert subarray.dtype == dtype
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     'levels, shape1', [
         (None, 0),
@@ -83,6 +89,13 @@ def test_index_value_selector(indexed_df, levels, shape1):
     assert subarray.shape == expected_shape
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("dtype", ["uint8", "int8"])
+def test_index_value_selector_dtype(indexed_df, dtype):
+    subarray = PandasIndexValueSelector(levels="id",
+                                        dtype=dtype).transform(indexed_df)
+    assert subarray.dtype == dtype
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     'transformer, required_columns', [
         (PandasColumnSelector('col1'), {'col1'}),
diff --git a/timeserio/preprocessing/pandas.py b/timeserio/preprocessing/pandas.py
index e9fd786..f7eab49 100644
--- a/timeserio/preprocessing/pandas.py
+++ b/timeserio/preprocessing/pandas.py
@@ -82,10 +82,14 @@ def _get_column_as_tensor(s: pd.Series):
 
 
 class PandasValueSelector(BaseEstimator, TransformerMixin):
-    """Select scalar - or vector-valued feature cols, and return np.array."""
+    """Select scalar - or vector-valued feature cols, and return np.array.
 
-    def __init__(self, columns=None):
+    Optionally, cast the resulting arry to dtype.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, columns=None, dtype=None):
         self.columns = columns
+        self.dtype = dtype
 
     def fit(self, df, y=None, **fit_params):
         return self
@@ -98,6 +102,8 @@ def transform(self, df):
         else:  # support a mix of compatible tensors and regular columns
             blocks = [_get_column_as_tensor(df[col]) for col in columns]
             subarray = np.hstack(blocks)
+        if self.dtype:
+            subarray = subarray.astype(self.dtype)
         return subarray
 
     @property
@@ -112,10 +118,14 @@ def transformed_columns(self, input_columns):
 
 
 class PandasIndexValueSelector(BaseEstimator, TransformerMixin):
-    """Select index levels as feature cols, and return np.array."""
+    """Select index levels as feature cols, and return np.array.
+
+    Optionally, cast the resulting arry to dtype.
+    """
 
-    def __init__(self, levels=None):
+    def __init__(self, levels=None, dtype=None):
         self.levels = levels
+        self.dtype = dtype
 
     def fit(self, df, y=None, **fit_params):
         return self
@@ -133,6 +143,8 @@ def transform(self, df):
             for level in levels
         ]
         subarray = np.hstack(blocks) if blocks else np.empty((len(df), 0))
+        if self.dtype:
+            subarray = subarray.astype(self.dtype)
         return subarray