diff --git a/src/cholesky.jl b/src/cholesky.jl
index 4d9977f0..d960ce57 100644
--- a/src/cholesky.jl
+++ b/src/cholesky.jl
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@ end
 # cholesky!. Destructive methods for computing Cholesky factorization of real symmetric
 # or Hermitian matrix
 ## No pivoting (default)
-function cholesky!(A::SelfAdjoint, ::NoPivot = NoPivot(); check::Bool = true)
+function cholesky!(A::RealSymHermitian, ::NoPivot = NoPivot(); check::Bool = true)
     C, info = _chol!(A.data, A.uplo == 'U' ? UpperTriangular : LowerTriangular)
     check && checkpositivedefinite(info)
     return Cholesky(C.data, A.uplo, info)
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ end
 
 ## With pivoting
 ### Non BLAS/LAPACK element types (generic).
-function cholesky!(A::SelfAdjoint, ::RowMaximum; tol = 0.0, check::Bool = true)
+function cholesky!(A::RealSymHermitian, ::RowMaximum; tol = 0.0, check::Bool = true)
     AA, piv, rank, info = _cholpivoted!(A.data, A.uplo == 'U' ? UpperTriangular : LowerTriangular, tol, check)
     C = CholeskyPivoted(AA, A.uplo, piv, rank, tol, info)
     check && chkfullrank(C)
diff --git a/src/symmetric.jl b/src/symmetric.jl
index 51a1d94b..5eb3fe51 100644
--- a/src/symmetric.jl
+++ b/src/symmetric.jl
@@ -224,6 +224,7 @@ const RealHermSymSymTri{T<:Real} = Union{RealHermSym{T}, SymTridiagonal{T}}
 const RealHermSymComplexHerm{T<:Real,S} = Union{Hermitian{T,S}, Symmetric{T,S}, Hermitian{Complex{T},S}}
 const RealHermSymComplexSym{T<:Real,S} = Union{Hermitian{T,S}, Symmetric{T,S}, Symmetric{Complex{T},S}}
 const RealHermSymSymTriComplexHerm{T<:Real} = Union{RealHermSymComplexSym{T}, SymTridiagonal{T}}
+const RealSymHermitian{S} = Union{Symmetric{<:Real,S}, Hermitian{<:Any,S}}
 const SelfAdjoint = Union{SymTridiagonal{<:Real}, Symmetric{<:Real}, Hermitian}
 
 wrappertype(::Union{Symmetric, SymTridiagonal}) = Symmetric