diff --git a/python/pyspark/sql/tests.py b/python/pyspark/sql/tests.py
index 3d46b852c52e1..6dbdb3adb295d 100644
--- a/python/pyspark/sql/tests.py
+++ b/python/pyspark/sql/tests.py
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@
 import functools
 import time
 import datetime
+import array
+import math
 
 import py4j
 try:
@@ -1735,6 +1737,60 @@ def test_BinaryType_serialization(self):
         df = self.spark.createDataFrame(data, schema=schema)
         df.collect()
 
+    # test for SPARK-16542
+    def test_array_types(self):
+        int_types = set(['b', 'h', 'i', 'l'])
+        float_types = set(['f', 'd'])
+        unsupported_types = set(array.typecodes) - int_types - float_types
+
+        def collected(a):
+            row = Row(myarray=a)
+            rdd = self.sc.parallelize([row])
+            df = self.spark.createDataFrame(rdd)
+            return df.collect()[0]["myarray"][0]
+        # test whether pyspark can correctly handle int types
+        for t in int_types:
+            # test positive numbers
+            a = array.array(t, [1])
+            while True:
+                try:
+                    self.assertEqual(collected(a), a[0])
+                    a[0] *= 2
+                except OverflowError:
+                    break
+            # test negative numbers
+            a = array.array(t, [-1])
+            while True:
+                try:
+                    self.assertEqual(collected(a), a[0])
+                    a[0] *= 2
+                except OverflowError:
+                    break
+        # test whether pyspark can correctly handle float types
+        for t in float_types:
+            # test upper bound and precision
+            a = array.array(t, [1.0])
+            while not math.isinf(a[0]):
+                self.assertEqual(collected(a), a[0])
+                a[0] *= 2
+                a[0] += 1
+            # test lower bound
+            a = array.array(t, [1.0])
+            while a[0] != 0:
+                self.assertEqual(collected(a), a[0])
+                a[0] /= 2
+        # test whether pyspark can correctly handle unsupported types
+        for t in unsupported_types:
+            try:
+                a = array.array(t)
+                c = collected(a)
+                self.assertTrue(False)  # if no exception thrown, fail the test
+            except TypeError:
+                pass  # catch the expected exception and do nothing
+            except:
+                # if incorrect exception thrown, fail the test
+                self.assertTrue(False)
+
 
 class HiveSparkSubmitTests(SparkSubmitTests):
 
diff --git a/python/pyspark/sql/types.py b/python/pyspark/sql/types.py
index 4a023123b6eca..e8aeef1a51b7a 100644
--- a/python/pyspark/sql/types.py
+++ b/python/pyspark/sql/types.py
@@ -929,6 +929,16 @@ def _parse_datatype_json_value(json_value):
     datetime.time: TimestampType,
 }
 
+# Mapping Python array types to Spark SQL DataType
+_array_type_mappings = {
+    'b': ByteType,
+    'h': ShortType,
+    'i': IntegerType,
+    'l': LongType,
+    'f': FloatType,
+    'd': DoubleType
+}
+
 if sys.version < "3":
     _type_mappings.update({
         unicode: StringType,
@@ -958,12 +968,17 @@ def _infer_type(obj):
                 return MapType(_infer_type(key), _infer_type(value), True)
         else:
             return MapType(NullType(), NullType(), True)
-    elif isinstance(obj, (list, array)):
+    elif isinstance(obj, list):
         for v in obj:
             if v is not None:
                 return ArrayType(_infer_type(obj[0]), True)
         else:
             return ArrayType(NullType(), True)
+    elif isinstance(obj, array):
+        if obj.typecode in _array_type_mappings:
+            return ArrayType(_array_type_mappings[obj.typecode](), True)
+        else:
+            raise TypeError("not supported type: array(%s)" % obj.typecode)
     else:
         try:
             return _infer_schema(obj)
diff --git a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/python/EvaluatePython.scala b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/python/EvaluatePython.scala
index 724025b4647f4..90726a2e01365 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/python/EvaluatePython.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/python/EvaluatePython.scala
@@ -91,20 +91,30 @@ object EvaluatePython {
 
     case (c: Boolean, BooleanType) => c
 
+    case (c: Byte, ByteType) => c
+    case (c: Short, ByteType) => c.toByte
     case (c: Int, ByteType) => c.toByte
     case (c: Long, ByteType) => c.toByte
 
+    case (c: Byte, ShortType) => c.toShort
+    case (c: Short, ShortType) => c
     case (c: Int, ShortType) => c.toShort
     case (c: Long, ShortType) => c.toShort
 
+    case (c: Byte, IntegerType) => c.toInt
+    case (c: Short, IntegerType) => c.toInt
     case (c: Int, IntegerType) => c
     case (c: Long, IntegerType) => c.toInt
 
+    case (c: Byte, LongType) => c.toLong
+    case (c: Short, LongType) => c.toLong
     case (c: Int, LongType) => c.toLong
     case (c: Long, LongType) => c
 
+    case (c: Float, FloatType) => c
     case (c: Double, FloatType) => c.toFloat
 
+    case (c: Float, DoubleType) => c.toDouble
     case (c: Double, DoubleType) => c
 
     case (c: java.math.BigDecimal, dt: DecimalType) => Decimal(c, dt.precision, dt.scale)