diff --git a/src/pygama/evt/aggregators.py b/src/pygama/evt/aggregators.py
index 6a50549bf..3d1bc2eb0 100644
--- a/src/pygama/evt/aggregators.py
+++ b/src/pygama/evt/aggregators.py
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ def evaluate_to_first_or_last(
                 (t0 > outt[evt_ids_ch]) & (limarr), t0, outt[evt_ids_ch]
             )
 
-    return types.Array(nda=out, dtype=type(default_value))
+    return types.Array(nda=out)
 
 
 def evaluate_to_scalar(
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ def evaluate_to_scalar(
                 res = res.astype(bool)
             out[evt_ids_ch] = out[evt_ids_ch] & res & limarr
 
-    return types.Array(nda=out, dtype=type(default_value))
+    return types.Array(nda=out)
 
 
 def evaluate_at_channel(
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ def evaluate_at_channel(
 
         out[evt_ids_ch] = np.where(ch == ch_comp.nda[idx_ch], res, out[evt_ids_ch])
 
-    return types.Array(nda=out, dtype=type(default_value))
+    return types.Array(nda=out)
 
 
 def evaluate_at_channel_vov(
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ def evaluate_at_channel_vov(
         if ch == channels[0]:
             type_name = res.dtype
 
-    return types.VectorOfVectors(ak.values_astype(out, type_name), dtype=type_name)
+    return types.VectorOfVectors(ak.values_astype(out, type_name))
 
 
 def evaluate_to_aoesa(
@@ -526,5 +526,4 @@ def evaluate_to_vector(
         ak.values_astype(
             ak.drop_none(ak.nan_to_none(ak.Array(out))), type(default_value)
         ),
-        dtype=type(default_value),
     )
diff --git a/src/pygama/evt/build_evt.py b/src/pygama/evt/build_evt.py
index d2a426550..70f175b84 100644
--- a/src/pygama/evt/build_evt.py
+++ b/src/pygama/evt/build_evt.py
@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@ def build_evt(
           (see :func:`evaluate_expression`),
         - ``query`` defines an expression to mask the aggregation.
         - ``parameters`` defines any other parameter used in expression.
+        - ``dtype` defines the NumPy data type of the resulting data.
+        - ``initial`` defines the initial/default value. Useful with some types
+          of aggregators.
 
         For example:
 
@@ -259,6 +262,20 @@ def build_evt(
             if "lgdo_attrs" in v.keys():
                 obj.attrs |= v["lgdo_attrs"]
 
+        # cast to type, if required
+        # hijack the poor LGDO
+        if "dtype" in v:
+            type_ = v["dtype"]
+
+            if isinstance(obj, Array):
+                obj.nda = obj.nda.astype(type_)
+            if isinstance(obj, VectorOfVectors):
+                fldata_ptr = obj.flattened_data
+                while isinstance(fldata_ptr, VectorOfVectors):
+                    fldata_ptr = fldata_ptr.flattened_data
+
+                fldata_ptr.nda = fldata_ptr.nda.astype(type_)
+
         log.debug(f"new column {k!s} = {obj!r}")
         table.add_field(k, obj)
 
diff --git a/tests/evt/configs/vov-test-evt-config.json b/tests/evt/configs/vov-test-evt-config.json
index 31334101e..6de44075b 100644
--- a/tests/evt/configs/vov-test-evt-config.json
+++ b/tests/evt/configs/vov-test-evt-config.json
@@ -28,14 +28,15 @@
       "channels": "geds_on",
       "aggregation_mode": "gather",
       "query": "hit.cuspEmax_ctc_cal>25",
-      "expression": "hit.cuspEmax_ctc_cal"
+      "expression": "hit.cuspEmax_ctc_cal",
+      "dtype": "float32"
     },
     "energy_sum": {
       "channels": "geds_on",
       "aggregation_mode": "sum",
       "query": "hit.cuspEmax_ctc_cal>25",
       "expression": "hit.cuspEmax_ctc_cal",
-      "initial": 0.0
+      "initial": 0
     },
     "energy_idx": {
       "channels": "geds_on",
@@ -66,7 +67,8 @@
       "aggregation_mode": "sum",
       "expression": "hit.cuspEmax_ctc_cal > a",
       "parameters": { "a": 25 },
-      "initial": 0
+      "initial": 0,
+      "dtype": "int16"
     },
     "is_saturated": {
       "aggregation_mode": "keep_at_ch:evt.energy_id",
diff --git a/tests/evt/test_build_evt.py b/tests/evt/test_build_evt.py
index cb6abbdb5..127086cd8 100644
--- a/tests/evt/test_build_evt.py
+++ b/tests/evt/test_build_evt.py
@@ -123,18 +123,25 @@ def test_vov(lgnd_test_data, files_config):
 
     assert os.path.exists(outfile)
     assert len(lh5.ls(outfile, "/evt/")) == 12
+
     vov_ene, _ = store.read("/evt/energy", outfile)
     vov_aoe, _ = store.read("/evt/aoe", outfile)
     arr_ac, _ = store.read("/evt/multiplicity", outfile)
     vov_aoeene, _ = store.read("/evt/energy_times_aoe", outfile)
     vov_eneac, _ = store.read("/evt/energy_times_multiplicity", outfile)
     arr_ac2, _ = store.read("/evt/multiplicity_squared", outfile)
+
     assert isinstance(vov_ene, VectorOfVectors)
     assert isinstance(vov_aoe, VectorOfVectors)
     assert isinstance(arr_ac, Array)
     assert isinstance(vov_aoeene, VectorOfVectors)
     assert isinstance(vov_eneac, VectorOfVectors)
     assert isinstance(arr_ac2, Array)
+
+    assert vov_ene.dtype == "float32"
+    assert vov_aoe.dtype == "float64"
+    assert arr_ac.dtype == "int16"
+
     assert (np.diff(vov_ene.cumulative_length.nda, prepend=[0]) == arr_ac.nda).all()
 
     vov_eid = store.read("/evt/energy_id", outfile)[0].view_as("ak")
@@ -146,7 +153,9 @@ def test_vov(lgnd_test_data, files_config):
     assert ak.all(ids == vov_eid)
 
     arr_ene = store.read("/evt/energy_sum", outfile)[0].view_as("ak")
-    assert ak.all(arr_ene == ak.nansum(vov_ene.view_as("ak"), axis=-1))
+    assert ak.all(
+        ak.isclose(arr_ene, ak.nansum(vov_ene.view_as("ak"), axis=-1), rtol=1e-3)
+    )
     assert ak.all(vov_aoe.view_as("ak") == vov_aoe_idx)