diff --git a/python/src/array.cpp b/python/src/array.cpp
index 57b867dbc..6dd2f290b 100644
--- a/python/src/array.cpp
+++ b/python/src/array.cpp
@@ -23,15 +23,15 @@ enum PyScalarT {
   pycomplex = 3,
 };
 
-template <typename T>
+template <typename T, typename U = T>
 py::list to_list(array& a, size_t index, int dim) {
   py::list pl;
   auto stride = a.strides()[dim];
   for (int i = 0; i < a.shape(dim); ++i) {
     if (dim == a.ndim() - 1) {
-      pl.append((a.data<T>()[index]));
+      pl.append(static_cast<U>(a.data<T>()[index]));
     } else {
-      pl.append(to_list<T>(a, index, dim + 1));
+      pl.append(to_list<T, U>(a, index, dim + 1));
     }
     index += stride;
   }
@@ -102,11 +102,11 @@ py::object tolist(array& a) {
     case int64:
       return to_list<int64_t>(a, 0, 0);
     case float16:
-      return to_list<float16_t>(a, 0, 0);
+      return to_list<float16_t, float>(a, 0, 0);
     case float32:
       return to_list<float>(a, 0, 0);
     case bfloat16:
-      return to_list<float16_t>(a, 0, 0);
+      return to_list<bfloat16_t, float>(a, 0, 0);
     case complex64:
       return to_list<std::complex<float>>(a, 0, 0);
   }
diff --git a/python/tests/test_array.py b/python/tests/test_array.py
index 507675d6e..7812642d3 100644
--- a/python/tests/test_array.py
+++ b/python/tests/test_array.py
@@ -431,6 +431,14 @@ class TestArray(mlx_tests.MLXTestCase):
         x = mx.array(vals)
         self.assertEqual(x.tolist(), vals)
 
+        # Half types
+        vals = [1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0]
+        x = mx.array(vals, dtype=mx.float16)
+        self.assertEqual(x.tolist(), vals)
+
+        x = mx.array(vals, dtype=mx.bfloat16)
+        self.assertEqual(x.tolist(), vals)
+
     def test_array_np_conversion(self):
         # Shape test
         a = np.array([])