diff --git a/Lib/ctypes/test/test_pickling.py b/Lib/ctypes/test/test_pickling.py
index c7925c7ac78..28868f43d2a 100644
--- a/Lib/ctypes/test/test_pickling.py
+++ b/Lib/ctypes/test/test_pickling.py
@@ -66,6 +66,11 @@ class PickleTest(unittest.TestCase):
             ]:
             self.assertRaises(ValueError, lambda: self.dumps(item))
 
+    def test_wchar(self):
+        pickle.dumps(c_char("x"))
+        # Issue 5049
+        pickle.dumps(c_wchar(u"x"))
+
 class PickleTest_1(PickleTest):
     def dumps(self, item):
         return pickle.dumps(item, 1)
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index e1f2630da9d..546c7c1e138 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -17,9 +17,11 @@ Core and Builtins
 
 - Issue #5759: float() didn't call __float__ on str subclasses.
 
-Librar
+Library
 -------
 
+- Issue #5041: ctypes does now allow pickling wide character.
+
 - Issue #5768: Fixed bug in Unicode output logic and test case for same.
 
 - Issue #1161031: fix readwrite select flag handling: POLLPRI now
diff --git a/Modules/_ctypes/_ctypes.c b/Modules/_ctypes/_ctypes.c
index 43da2095cdf..7caef2902d1 100644
--- a/Modules/_ctypes/_ctypes.c
+++ b/Modules/_ctypes/_ctypes.c
@@ -1952,7 +1952,7 @@ SimpleType_new(PyTypeObject *type, PyObject *args, PyObject *kwds)
 			ml = &c_void_p_method;
 			stgdict->flags |= TYPEFLAG_ISPOINTER;
 			break;
-		case 'u':
+		case 's':
 		case 'X':
 		case 'O':
 			ml = NULL;