diff --git a/cwltool/schemas/v1.0/salad/schema_salad/metaschema/metaschema_base.yml b/cwltool/schemas/v1.0/salad/schema_salad/metaschema/metaschema_base.yml
index d8bf0a3c3..454bff850 100644
--- a/cwltool/schemas/v1.0/salad/schema_salad/metaschema/metaschema_base.yml
+++ b/cwltool/schemas/v1.0/salad/schema_salad/metaschema/metaschema_base.yml
@@ -168,4 +168,5 @@ $graph:
         _id: "sld:items"
         _type: "@vocab"
         refScope: 2
+        typeDSL: true
       doc: "Defines the type of the array elements."
diff --git a/cwltool/schemas/v1.1/salad/schema_salad/metaschema/metaschema_base.yml b/cwltool/schemas/v1.1/salad/schema_salad/metaschema/metaschema_base.yml
index 67008b683..4369bf85d 100644
--- a/cwltool/schemas/v1.1/salad/schema_salad/metaschema/metaschema_base.yml
+++ b/cwltool/schemas/v1.1/salad/schema_salad/metaschema/metaschema_base.yml
@@ -173,4 +173,5 @@ $graph:
         _id: "sld:items"
         _type: "@vocab"
         refScope: 2
+        typeDSL: true
       doc: "Defines the type of the array elements."
diff --git a/cwltool/schemas/v1.2/salad/schema_salad/metaschema/metaschema_base.yml b/cwltool/schemas/v1.2/salad/schema_salad/metaschema/metaschema_base.yml
index 67008b683..4369bf85d 100644
--- a/cwltool/schemas/v1.2/salad/schema_salad/metaschema/metaschema_base.yml
+++ b/cwltool/schemas/v1.2/salad/schema_salad/metaschema/metaschema_base.yml
@@ -173,4 +173,5 @@ $graph:
         _id: "sld:items"
         _type: "@vocab"
         refScope: 2
+        typeDSL: true
       doc: "Defines the type of the array elements."
diff --git a/tests/test_examples.py b/tests/test_examples.py
index d906902a8..7a9db3255 100644
--- a/tests/test_examples.py
+++ b/tests/test_examples.py
@@ -1596,6 +1596,17 @@ def test_custom_type_in_step_process() -> None:
     assert err_code == 0
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("version", ["1_0", "1_1", "1_2"])
+def test_array_items_typedsl(version: str) -> None:
+    """Demonstrate that 'type: array, items: SomeType[]' works."""
+    err_code, _, stderr = get_main_output(
+        [
+            get_data(f"tests/wf/nested_typedsl_v{version}.cwl"),
+            get_data("tests/wf/nested_typedsl_job.yml"),
+        ]
+    )
+    assert err_code == 0
+
 def test_expression_tool_class() -> None:
     """Confirm properties of the ExpressionTool class."""
     factory = cwltool.factory.Factory()
@@ -1617,4 +1628,4 @@ def test_command_line_tool_class() -> None:
     factory = cwltool.factory.Factory()
     tool_path = get_data("tests/echo.cwl")
     expression_tool = factory.make(tool_path).t
-    assert str(expression_tool) == f"CommandLineTool: file://{tool_path}"
+    assert str(expression_tool) == f"CommandLineTool: file://{tool_path}"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/wf/nested_typedsl_job.yml b/tests/wf/nested_typedsl_job.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4c9c80a2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/wf/nested_typedsl_job.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+cat_in: 
+ - - class: File
+     location: echo.cwl
+   - class: File
+     location: cat.cwl
diff --git a/tests/wf/nested_typedsl_v1_0.cwl b/tests/wf/nested_typedsl_v1_0.cwl
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..460c977b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/wf/nested_typedsl_v1_0.cwl
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env cwl-runner
+cwlVersion: v1.0
+class: CommandLineTool
+baseCommand: cat
+inputs:
+  cat_in:
+    type:
+      type: array
+      items: File[]
+    inputBinding: {}
+stdout: all.txt
+outputs:
+  txt:
+    type: stdout
diff --git a/tests/wf/nested_typedsl_v1_1.cwl b/tests/wf/nested_typedsl_v1_1.cwl
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..460c977b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/wf/nested_typedsl_v1_1.cwl
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env cwl-runner
+cwlVersion: v1.0
+class: CommandLineTool
+baseCommand: cat
+inputs:
+  cat_in:
+    type:
+      type: array
+      items: File[]
+    inputBinding: {}
+stdout: all.txt
+outputs:
+  txt:
+    type: stdout
diff --git a/tests/wf/nested_typedsl_v1_2.cwl b/tests/wf/nested_typedsl_v1_2.cwl
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..460c977b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/wf/nested_typedsl_v1_2.cwl
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env cwl-runner
+cwlVersion: v1.0
+class: CommandLineTool
+baseCommand: cat
+inputs:
+  cat_in:
+    type:
+      type: array
+      items: File[]
+    inputBinding: {}
+stdout: all.txt
+outputs:
+  txt:
+    type: stdout