diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 1acce80c4f..d61836f7c7 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ git-annex (10.20250926) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
 
   * Remove the Servant build flag; always build with support for
     annex+http urls and git-annex p2phttp.
+  * enableremote: Allow type= to be provided when it does not change the
+    type of the special remote.
 
  -- Joey Hess <id@joeyh.name>  Thu, 25 Sep 2025 13:36:21 -0400
 
diff --git a/Command/EnableRemote.hs b/Command/EnableRemote.hs
index 875231d458..f5fc2c6733 100644
--- a/Command/EnableRemote.hs
+++ b/Command/EnableRemote.hs
@@ -59,11 +59,9 @@ start _ [] = unknownNameError "Specify the remote to enable."
 start o (name:rest) = go =<< filter matchingname <$> Annex.getGitRemotes
   where
 	matchingname r = Git.remoteName r == Just name
-	go [] = deadLast name $
-		let config = Logs.Remote.keyValToConfig Proposed rest
-		in case M.lookup SpecialRemote.typeField config of
-			Nothing -> startSpecialRemote o name config
-			Just _ -> giveup "Cannot change type= of existing special remote. Instead, use: git-annex initremote --sameas"
+	go [] = deadLast name $ 
+		startSpecialRemote o name $
+			Logs.Remote.keyValToConfig Proposed rest
 	go (r:_)
 		| not (null rest) = go []
 		| otherwise = do
@@ -105,6 +103,10 @@ startSpecialRemote' cname perform name config ((u, c, mcu):[]) =
 	starting cname ai si $ do
 		let fullconfig = config `M.union` c	
 		t <- either giveup return (SpecialRemote.findType fullconfig)
+		case SpecialRemote.findType c of
+			Right t' | t' /= t ->
+				giveup "Cannot change type= of existing special remote. Instead, use: git-annex initremote --sameas"
+			_ -> noop
 		gc <- maybe (liftIO dummyRemoteGitConfig) 
 			(return . Remote.gitconfig)
 			=<< Remote.byUUID u
diff --git a/Test.hs b/Test.hs
index 4d8bebaa8d..90e9afd29d 100644
--- a/Test.hs
+++ b/Test.hs
@@ -1918,19 +1918,19 @@ test_gpg_crypto = do
   where
 	testscheme scheme = intmpclonerepo $ test_with_gpg $ \gpgcmd environ -> do
 		createDirectory (literalOsPath "dir")
-		let ps =
+		let initps =
 			[ "foo"
+			, "type=directory"
 			, "encryption=" ++ scheme
 			, "directory=dir"
 			, "highRandomQuality=false"
 			] ++ if scheme `elem` ["hybrid","pubkey"]
 				then ["keyid=" ++ Utility.Gpg.testKeyId]
 				else []
-		let initps = ps ++ [ "type=directory" ]
 		git_annex' "initremote" initps (Just environ) "initremote"
 		git_annex_shouldfail' "initremote" initps (Just environ) "initremote should not work when run twice in a row"
-		git_annex' "enableremote" ps (Just environ) "enableremote"
-		git_annex' "enableremote" ps (Just environ) "enableremote when run twice in a row"
+		git_annex' "enableremote" initps (Just environ) "enableremote"
+		git_annex' "enableremote" initps (Just environ) "enableremote when run twice in a row"
 		git_annex' "get" [annexedfile] (Just environ) "get of file"
 		annexed_present annexedfile
 		git_annex' "copy" [annexedfile, "--to", "foo"] (Just environ) "copy --to encrypted remote"