diff --git a/assemblyline/common/str_utils.py b/assemblyline/common/str_utils.py
index 94b205cf0..cea1dd30e 100644
--- a/assemblyline/common/str_utils.py
+++ b/assemblyline/common/str_utils.py
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
-import chardet
 import re
 from copy import copy
-from typing import Union
+from typing import Literal, Union, overload
+
+import chardet
 
 
 def remove_bidir_unicode_controls(in_str):
@@ -108,6 +109,14 @@ def escape_str_strict(s: bytes, reversible=True) -> str:
     return escaped.decode('utf-8')
 
 
+@overload
+def safe_str(s: object, force_str: Literal[True]) -> str: ...
+
+
+@overload
+def safe_str(s: Union[str, bytes], force_str: Literal[False] = False) -> str: ...
+
+
 def safe_str(s, force_str=False):
     return escape_str(s, reversible=False, force_str=force_str)
 
@@ -117,7 +126,7 @@ def is_safe_str(s) -> bool:
 
 
 # noinspection PyBroadException
-def translate_str(s, min_confidence=0.7) -> dict:
+def translate_str(s: Union[str, bytes], min_confidence=0.7) -> dict:
     if not isinstance(s, (str, bytes)):
         raise TypeError(f'Expected str or bytes got {type(s)}')
 
@@ -131,7 +140,7 @@ def translate_str(s, min_confidence=0.7) -> dict:
 
     if r['confidence'] > 0 and r['confidence'] >= min_confidence:
         try:
-            t = s.decode(r['encoding'])
+            t: Union[bytes, str] = s.decode(r['encoding'])
         except Exception:
             t = s
     else:
diff --git a/assemblyline/py.typed b/assemblyline/py.typed
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 7f62e2f3e..73ed7a7bc 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import os
 
-from setuptools import setup, find_packages, Extension
+from setuptools import Extension, find_packages, setup
 
 try:
     # noinspection PyUnresolvedReferences,PyPackageRequirements
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@
             "*.pxd",
             "*.lark",
             "VERSION",
-        ]
+        ],
+        "assemblyline": ["py.typed"]
     }
 )