diff --git a/include/highfive/H5DataType.hpp b/include/highfive/H5DataType.hpp
index 5f66a749e..23f246c6f 100644
--- a/include/highfive/H5DataType.hpp
+++ b/include/highfive/H5DataType.hpp
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #include "H5Object.hpp"
 #include "bits/H5Utils.hpp"
 
+#include "bits/string_padding.hpp"
 #include "H5PropertyList.hpp"
 
 namespace HighFive {
@@ -115,12 +116,6 @@ class DataType: public Object {
 };
 
 
-enum class StringPadding : std::underlying_type<H5T_str_t>::type {
-    NullTerminated = H5T_STR_NULLTERM,
-    NullPadded = H5T_STR_NULLPAD,
-    SpacePadded = H5T_STR_SPACEPAD
-};
-
 enum class CharacterSet : std::underlying_type<H5T_cset_t>::type {
     Ascii = H5T_CSET_ASCII,
     Utf8 = H5T_CSET_UTF8,
diff --git a/include/highfive/bits/H5Inspector_misc.hpp b/include/highfive/bits/H5Inspector_misc.hpp
index 5bd7c8843..33f6cb66e 100644
--- a/include/highfive/bits/H5Inspector_misc.hpp
+++ b/include/highfive/bits/H5Inspector_misc.hpp
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@
 #include <numeric>
 
 #include "../H5Reference.hpp"
+
+#include "string_padding.hpp"
+
 #ifdef H5_USE_BOOST
 #include <boost/multi_array.hpp>
 // starting Boost 1.64, serialization header must come before ublas
diff --git a/include/highfive/bits/string_padding.hpp b/include/highfive/bits/string_padding.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..984549e24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/highfive/bits/string_padding.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#pragma once
+
+namespace HighFive {
+
+enum class StringPadding : std::underlying_type<H5T_str_t>::type {
+    NullTerminated = H5T_STR_NULLTERM,
+    NullPadded = H5T_STR_NULLPAD,
+    SpacePadded = H5T_STR_SPACEPAD
+};
+
+
+}