diff --git a/tine20/Tinebase/js/widgets/form/FieldManager.js b/tine20/Tinebase/js/widgets/form/FieldManager.js
index ca407c649dd..4a4e789eb09 100644
--- a/tine20/Tinebase/js/widgets/form/FieldManager.js
+++ b/tine20/Tinebase/js/widgets/form/FieldManager.js
@@ -365,8 +365,9 @@ Tine.widgets.form.FieldManager = function() {
                     field.xtype = 'label';
                     break;
                 default:
-                    field.xtype = this.specialTypeMap[fieldDefinition.specialType] || 'textfield';
+                    field.xtype = field.xtype || this.specialTypeMap[fieldDefinition.specialType] || 'textfield';
                     field.emptyValue = field.emptyValue || (fieldDefinition.nullable ? null : '');
+
                     if (fieldDefinition.length) {
                         field.maxLength = fieldDefinition.length;
                     }