diff --git a/docs/verify-docstrings.py b/docs/verify-docstrings.py
index 632b4a2b6..e5b1c12c5 100644
--- a/docs/verify-docstrings.py
+++ b/docs/verify-docstrings.py
@@ -96,6 +96,10 @@ def make_c_type(ret: str, pattern: bool, typelist: List[str]):
         ret = 'float|double' if pattern else 'float'
     elif ret == 'bytes':
         ret = '(const )?bytebuf ?[&*]?' if pattern else 'bytebuf'
+    elif ret == 'List[Tuple[str,str]]': # special case
+        ret = 'rdcstrpairs'
+    elif ret == 'Tuple[str,str]': # special case
+        ret = 'rdcstrpair'
     elif ret[0:5] == 'List[':
         inner = make_c_type(ret[5:-1], pattern, typelist)
         ret = '(const )?rdcarray<{}> ?[&*]?'.format(inner) if pattern else 'rdcarray<{}>'.format(inner)