diff --git a/.github/workflows/pythonpackage.yml b/.github/workflows/pythonpackage.yml
index eb5c894e9..3c7215cbe 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pythonpackage.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pythonpackage.yml
@@ -47,6 +47,11 @@ jobs:
         pip install flake8
         # stop the build if there are Python syntax errors or undefined names
         flake8 --ignore=W293,E265,E266,W503,W504,E731 --count  --show-source --statistics
+    - name: Check types with mypy
+      run: |
+        set -x
+        pip install tox
+        tox -e type
     - name: Test with nose
       run: |
         set -x
diff --git a/MANIFEST.in b/MANIFEST.in
index 5fd771db3..f02721fc6 100644
--- a/MANIFEST.in
+++ b/MANIFEST.in
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
-include VERSION
-include LICENSE
-include CHANGES
 include AUTHORS
+include CHANGES
 include CONTRIBUTING.md
+include LICENSE
 include README.md
+include VERSION
 include requirements.txt
+include test-requirements.txt
 
 recursive-include doc *
 recursive-exclude test *
diff --git a/git/cmd.py b/git/cmd.py
index e38261a07..ac3ca2ec1 100644
--- a/git/cmd.py
+++ b/git/cmd.py
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ def dict_to_slots_and__excluded_are_none(self, d, excluded=()):
 
 ## CREATE_NEW_PROCESS_GROUP is needed to allow killing it afterwards,
 # see https://docs.python.org/3/library/subprocess.html#subprocess.Popen.send_signal
-PROC_CREATIONFLAGS = (CREATE_NO_WINDOW | subprocess.CREATE_NEW_PROCESS_GROUP
+PROC_CREATIONFLAGS = (CREATE_NO_WINDOW | subprocess.CREATE_NEW_PROCESS_GROUP  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
                       if is_win else 0)
 
 
diff --git a/git/compat.py b/git/compat.py
index c9b83ba46..c4bd2aa36 100644
--- a/git/compat.py
+++ b/git/compat.py
@@ -18,7 +18,16 @@
 
 # typing --------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-from typing import IO, Any, AnyStr, Dict, Optional, Type, Union
+from typing import (
+    Any,
+    AnyStr,
+    Dict,
+    IO,
+    Optional,
+    Type,
+    Union,
+    overload,
+)
 from git.types import TBD
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -30,6 +39,12 @@
 defenc = sys.getfilesystemencoding()
 
 
+@overload
+def safe_decode(s: None) -> None: ...
+
+@overload
+def safe_decode(s: Union[IO[str], AnyStr]) -> str: ...
+
 def safe_decode(s: Union[IO[str], AnyStr, None]) -> Optional[str]:
     """Safely decodes a binary string to unicode"""
     if isinstance(s, str):
@@ -42,6 +57,12 @@ def safe_decode(s: Union[IO[str], AnyStr, None]) -> Optional[str]:
         raise TypeError('Expected bytes or text, but got %r' % (s,))
 
 
+@overload
+def safe_encode(s: None) -> None: ...
+
+@overload
+def safe_encode(s: AnyStr) -> bytes: ...
+
 def safe_encode(s: Optional[AnyStr]) -> Optional[bytes]:
     """Safely encodes a binary string to unicode"""
     if isinstance(s, str):
@@ -54,6 +75,12 @@ def safe_encode(s: Optional[AnyStr]) -> Optional[bytes]:
         raise TypeError('Expected bytes or text, but got %r' % (s,))
 
 
+@overload
+def win_encode(s: None) -> None: ...
+
+@overload
+def win_encode(s: AnyStr) -> bytes: ...
+
 def win_encode(s: Optional[AnyStr]) -> Optional[bytes]:
     """Encode unicodes for process arguments on Windows."""
     if isinstance(s, str):
@@ -65,7 +92,6 @@ def win_encode(s: Optional[AnyStr]) -> Optional[bytes]:
     return None
 
 
-
 def with_metaclass(meta: Type[Any], *bases: Any) -> 'metaclass': # type: ignore ## mypy cannot understand dynamic class creation
     """copied from https://github.com/Byron/bcore/blob/master/src/python/butility/future.py#L15"""
 
diff --git a/git/config.py b/git/config.py
index aadb0aac0..1cb80475c 100644
--- a/git/config.py
+++ b/git/config.py
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ def get_config_path(config_level: Literal['system', 'global', 'user', 'repositor
     raise ValueError("Invalid configuration level: %r" % config_level)
 
 
-class GitConfigParser(with_metaclass(MetaParserBuilder, cp.RawConfigParser, object)):
+class GitConfigParser(with_metaclass(MetaParserBuilder, cp.RawConfigParser, object)):  # type: ignore ## mypy does not understand dynamic class creation # noqa: E501
 
     """Implements specifics required to read git style configuration files.
 
diff --git a/git/exc.py b/git/exc.py
index 358e7ae46..6e646921c 100644
--- a/git/exc.py
+++ b/git/exc.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 # the BSD License: http://www.opensource.org/licenses/bsd-license.php
 """ Module containing all exceptions thrown throughout the git package, """
 
+from gitdb.exc import BadName  # NOQA @UnusedWildImport skipcq: PYL-W0401, PYL-W0614
 from gitdb.exc import *     # NOQA @UnusedWildImport skipcq: PYL-W0401, PYL-W0614
 from git.compat import safe_decode
 
diff --git a/git/objects/__init__.py b/git/objects/__init__.py
index 23b2416ae..897eb98fa 100644
--- a/git/objects/__init__.py
+++ b/git/objects/__init__.py
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@
 from .tree import *
 # Fix import dependency - add IndexObject to the util module, so that it can be
 # imported by the submodule.base
-smutil.IndexObject = IndexObject
-smutil.Object = Object
+smutil.IndexObject = IndexObject  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+smutil.Object = Object  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
 del(smutil)
 
 # must come after submodule was made available
diff --git a/git/objects/base.py b/git/objects/base.py
index cccb5ec66..59f0e8368 100644
--- a/git/objects/base.py
+++ b/git/objects/base.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 import gitdb.typ as dbtyp
 import os.path as osp
+from typing import Optional  # noqa: F401 unused import
 
 from .util import get_object_type_by_name
 
@@ -24,7 +25,7 @@ class Object(LazyMixin):
 
     TYPES = (dbtyp.str_blob_type, dbtyp.str_tree_type, dbtyp.str_commit_type, dbtyp.str_tag_type)
     __slots__ = ("repo", "binsha", "size")
-    type = None         # to be set by subclass
+    type = None  # type: Optional[str] # to be set by subclass
 
     def __init__(self, repo, binsha):
         """Initialize an object by identifying it by its binary sha.
diff --git a/git/refs/reference.py b/git/refs/reference.py
index aaa9b63fe..9014f5558 100644
--- a/git/refs/reference.py
+++ b/git/refs/reference.py
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ def iter_items(cls, repo, common_path=None):
 
     #{ Remote Interface
 
-    @property
+    @property  # type: ignore ## mypy cannot deal with properties with an extra decorator (2021-04-21)
     @require_remote_ref_path
     def remote_name(self):
         """
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ def remote_name(self):
         # /refs/remotes/<remote name>/<branch_name>
         return tokens[2]
 
-    @property
+    @property  # type: ignore ## mypy cannot deal with properties with an extra decorator (2021-04-21)
     @require_remote_ref_path
     def remote_head(self):
         """:return: Name of the remote head itself, i.e. master.
diff --git a/mypy.ini b/mypy.ini
index 349266b77..b63d68fd3 100644
--- a/mypy.ini
+++ b/mypy.ini
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
 
 [mypy]
 
-disallow_untyped_defs = True
+# TODO: enable when we've fully annotated everything
+#disallow_untyped_defs = True
+
+# TODO: remove when 'gitdb' is fully annotated
+[mypy-gitdb.*]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index d9d1594d4..a0cb1c9f1 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -14,6 +14,14 @@ commands = coverage run --omit="git/test/*" -m unittest --buffer {posargs}
 [testenv:flake8]
 commands = flake8 --ignore=W293,E265,E266,W503,W504,E731 {posargs}
 
+[testenv:type]
+description = type check ourselves
+deps =
+    {[testenv]deps}
+    mypy
+commands =
+    mypy -p git
+
 [testenv:venv]
 commands = {posargs}