diff --git a/pgtype/bit.go b/pgtype/bit.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f892cee5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pgtype/bit.go
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+package pgtype
+
+import (
+	"database/sql/driver"
+)
+
+type Bit Varbit
+
+func (dst *Bit) Set(src interface{}) error {
+	return (*Varbit)(dst).Set(src)
+}
+
+func (dst *Bit) Get() interface{} {
+	return (*Varbit)(dst).Get()
+}
+
+func (src *Bit) AssignTo(dst interface{}) error {
+	return (*Varbit)(src).AssignTo(dst)
+}
+
+func (dst *Bit) DecodeBinary(ci *ConnInfo, src []byte) error {
+	return (*Varbit)(dst).DecodeBinary(ci, src)
+}
+
+func (src *Bit) EncodeBinary(ci *ConnInfo, buf []byte) ([]byte, error) {
+	return (*Varbit)(src).EncodeBinary(ci, buf)
+}
+
+// Scan implements the database/sql Scanner interface.
+func (dst *Bit) Scan(src interface{}) error {
+	return (*Varbit)(dst).Scan(src)
+}
+
+// Value implements the database/sql/driver Valuer interface.
+func (src *Bit) Value() (driver.Value, error) {
+	return (*Varbit)(src).Value()
+}
diff --git a/pgtype/bit_test.go b/pgtype/bit_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..19492bc9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pgtype/bit_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+package pgtype_test
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/jackc/pgx/pgtype"
+	"github.com/jackc/pgx/pgtype/testutil"
+)
+
+func TestBitTranscode(t *testing.T) {
+	testutil.TestSuccessfulTranscode(t, "bit(40)", []interface{}{
+		&pgtype.Varbit{Bytes: []byte{0, 0, 0, 0, 0}, Len: 40, Status: pgtype.Present},
+		&pgtype.Varbit{Bytes: []byte{0, 1, 128, 254, 255}, Len: 40, Status: pgtype.Present},
+		&pgtype.Varbit{Status: pgtype.Null},
+	})
+}
+
+func TestBitNormalize(t *testing.T) {
+	testutil.TestSuccessfulNormalize(t, []testutil.NormalizeTest{
+		{
+			SQL:   "select B'111111111'",
+			Value: &pgtype.Bit{Bytes: []byte{255, 128}, Len: 9, Status: pgtype.Present},
+		},
+	})
+}
diff --git a/pgtype/pgtype.go b/pgtype/pgtype.go
index 83311cf4..f7a1a300 100644
--- a/pgtype/pgtype.go
+++ b/pgtype/pgtype.go
@@ -227,6 +227,7 @@ func init() {
 		"_uuid":        &UUIDArray{},
 		"_varchar":     &VarcharArray{},
 		"aclitem":      &ACLItem{},
+		"bit":          &Bit{},
 		"bool":         &Bool{},
 		"box":          &Box{},
 		"bytea":        &Bytea{},