diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 094f0de0..ccb9a6a0 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ dist: "bionic"
 
 services:
   - mysql
+  - redis-server
 
 python:
   - '2.7'
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ install:
 before_script:
   - pip install coverage
   - pip install codecov
+  - pip install redis
 
 before_install:
   - mysql -e 'create database pydal;'
diff --git a/appveyor.yml b/appveyor.yml
index c90f027e..a8918b2f 100644
--- a/appveyor.yml
+++ b/appveyor.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
 build: false
+before_build:
+  - choco install redis-64
+  - redis-server --service-install
+  - redis-server --service-start
 
 environment:
   matrix:
@@ -26,7 +30,7 @@ init:
 
 install:
   - python -m ensurepip
-  - pip install codecov
+  - pip install codecov redis
   - git submodule update --init --recursive
   # Check that we have the expected version and architecture for Python
   - "python --version"
diff --git a/gluon/contrib/redis_session.py b/gluon/contrib/redis_session.py
index 4ea11442..6413b52a 100644
--- a/gluon/contrib/redis_session.py
+++ b/gluon/contrib/redis_session.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ from gluon.storage import Storage
 from gluon.contrib.redis_utils import acquire_lock, release_lock
 from gluon.contrib.redis_utils import register_release_lock
 from gluon._compat import to_native
+from datetime import datetime
 
 logger = logging.getLogger("web2py.session.redis")
 
@@ -65,13 +66,13 @@ class RedisClient(object):
 
     def Field(self, fieldname, type='string', length=None, default=None,
               required=False, requires=None):
-        return None
+        return fieldname, type
 
     def define_table(self, tablename, *fields, **args):
         if not self.tablename:
             self.tablename = MockTable(
                 self, self.r_server, tablename, self.session_expiry,
-                self.with_lock)
+                with_lock=self.with_lock, fields=fields)
         return self.tablename
 
     def __getitem__(self, key):
@@ -85,10 +86,26 @@ class RedisClient(object):
         # this is only called by session2trash.py
         pass
 
+    def convert_dict_string(self, dict_string):
+        fields = self.tablename.fields
+        typed_dict = dict()
+        converters = {
+            'boolean': lambda x: 1 if x.decode() == '1' else 0,
+            'blob': lambda x: x,
+        }
+        for field, ftype in fields:
+            if field not in dict_string:
+                continue
+            if ftype in converters:
+                typed_dict[field] = converters[ftype](dict_string[field])
+            else:
+                typed_dict[field] = dict_string[field].decode()
+        return typed_dict
+
 
 class MockTable(object):
 
-    def __init__(self, db, r_server, tablename, session_expiry, with_lock=False):
+    def __init__(self, db, r_server, tablename, session_expiry, with_lock=False, fields=None):
         # here self.db is the RedisClient instance
         self.db = db
         self.tablename = tablename
@@ -101,6 +118,7 @@ class MockTable(object):
         # remember the session_expiry setting
         self.session_expiry = session_expiry
         self.with_lock = with_lock
+        self.fields = fields if fields is not None else []
 
     def __call__(self, record_id, unique_key=None):
         # Support DAL shortcut query: table(record_id)
@@ -172,7 +190,11 @@ class MockQuery(object):
         self.value = value
         self.op = op
 
-    def __gt__(self, value, op='ge'):
+    def __ge__(self, value, op='ge'):
+        self.value = value
+        self.op = op
+
+    def __gt__(self, value, op='gt'):
         self.value = value
         self.op = op
 
@@ -182,7 +204,7 @@ class MockQuery(object):
             key = self.keyprefix + ':' + str(self.value)
             if self.with_lock:
                 acquire_lock(self.db.r_server, key + ':lock', self.value, 2)
-            rtn = {to_native(k.decode): v for k, v in self.db.r_server.hgetall(key).items()}
+            rtn = {to_native(k): v for k, v in self.db.r_server.hgetall(key).items()}
             if rtn:
                 if self.unique_key:
                     # make sure the id and unique_key are correct
@@ -190,8 +212,8 @@ class MockQuery(object):
                         rtn['update_record'] = self.update  # update record support
                     else:
                         rtn = None
-            return [Storage(rtn)] if rtn else []
-        elif self.op == 'ge' and self.field == 'id' and self.value == 0:
+            return [Storage(self.db.convert_dict_string(rtn))] if rtn else []
+        elif self.op in ('ge', 'gt') and self.field == 'id' and self.value == 0:
             # means that someone wants the complete list
             rtn = []
             id_idx = "%s:id_idx" % self.keyprefix
@@ -204,7 +226,7 @@ class MockQuery(object):
                         # clean up the idx, because the key expired
                         self.db.r_server.srem(id_idx, sess)
                     continue
-                val = Storage(val)
+                val = Storage(self.db.convert_dict_string(val))
                 # add a delete_record method (necessary for sessions2trash.py)
                 val.delete_record = RecordDeleter(
                     self.db, sess, self.keyprefix)
diff --git a/gluon/tests/__init__.py b/gluon/tests/__init__.py
index 6b3c5480..97aa6595 100644
--- a/gluon/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/gluon/tests/__init__.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ from .test_dal import *
 from .test_cache import *
 from .test_html import *
 from .test_contribs import *
+from .test_redis import *
 from .test_routes import *
 from .test_router import *
 from .test_authapi import *
diff --git a/gluon/tests/test_redis.py b/gluon/tests/test_redis.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..201cab1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gluon/tests/test_redis.py
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+""" Unit tests for redis """
+
+import unittest
+from datetime import datetime
+
+from gluon._compat import to_bytes, pickle
+from gluon.storage import Storage
+from gluon.utils import web2py_uuid
+from gluon.globals import Request, Response, Session, current
+from gluon.contrib.redis_utils import RConn
+from gluon.contrib.redis_session import RedisSession
+from gluon.contrib.redis_cache import RedisCache
+
+
+class TestRedis(unittest.TestCase):
+    """ Tests the Redis contrib packages """
+    def setUp(self):
+        request = Request(env={})
+        request.application = 'a'
+        request.controller = 'c'
+        request.function = 'f'
+        request.folder = 'applications/admin'
+        response = Response()
+        session = Session()
+        session.connect(request, response)
+        from gluon.globals import current
+        current.request = request
+        current.response = response
+        current.session = session
+        self.current = current
+        rconn = RConn(host='localhost')
+        self.db = RedisSession(redis_conn=rconn, session_expiry=False)
+        self.tname = 'testtablename'
+        return current
+
+    def test_0_redis_session(self):
+        """ Basic redis read-write """
+        db = self.db
+        response = self.current.response
+        Field = db.Field
+        db.define_table(
+            self.tname,
+            Field('locked', 'boolean', default=False),
+            Field('client_ip', length=64),
+            Field('created_datetime', 'datetime',
+                  default=datetime.now().isoformat()),
+            Field('modified_datetime', 'datetime'),
+            Field('unique_key', length=64),
+            Field('session_data', 'blob'),
+        )
+        table = db[self.tname]
+        unique_key = web2py_uuid()
+        dd = dict(
+            locked=0,
+            client_ip=response.session_client,
+            modified_datetime=datetime.now().isoformat(),
+            unique_key=unique_key,
+            session_data=pickle.dumps({'test': 123, 'me': 112312312}, pickle.HIGHEST_PROTOCOL)
+        )
+        record_id = table.insert(**dd)
+        data_from_db = db(table.id == record_id).select()[0]
+        self.assertDictEqual(Storage(dd), data_from_db, 'get inserted dict')
+
+        dd['locked'] = 1
+        table._db(table.id == record_id).update(**dd)
+        data_from_db = db(table.id == record_id).select()[0]
+        self.assertDictEqual(Storage(dd), data_from_db, 'get the updated value')
+
+    def test_1_redis_delete(self):
+        """ Redis session get and delete sessions """
+        db = self.db
+        table = db[self.tname]
+        all_sessions = db(table.id > 0).select()
+        self.assertIsNotNone(all_sessions, 'we must have some keys in db')
+
+        for entry in all_sessions:
+            res = entry.delete_record()
+            self.assertIsNone(res, 'delete should return None')
+
+        empty_sessions = db(table.id > 0).select()
+        self.assertEqual(empty_sessions, [], 'no sessions left')
+