diff --git a/xsdgen/testdata/redundant-union.go.golden b/xsdgen/testdata/redundant-union.go.golden
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..33a37b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xsdgen/testdata/redundant-union.go.golden
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+// Code generated by xsdgen.test. DO NOT EDIT.
+
+package ws
+
+import "encoding/xml"
+
+// May be one of A, B, C
+type EnumType string
+
+const (
+	EnumType_A EnumType = "A"
+	EnumType_B EnumType = "B"
+	EnumType_C EnumType = "C"
+)
+
+type Type1 struct {
+	Elem    []EnumType `xml:"Elem,omitempty"`
+}
diff --git a/xsdgen/testdata/redundant-union.xsd b/xsdgen/testdata/redundant-union.xsd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cd28300
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xsdgen/testdata/redundant-union.xsd
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<!-- edited with XMLSpy v2008 (http://www.altova.com) by A (A) -->
+<xs:schema xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"
+    xmlns="http://example.org/" targetNamespace="http://example.org/">
+    <xs:element name="Type1">
+        <xs:complexType>
+            <xs:sequence minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="1">
+                <xs:element name="Elem" type="redundantUnionType" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
+            </xs:sequence>
+        </xs:complexType>
+    </xs:element>
+
+    <xs:simpleType name="enumType">
+        <xs:restriction base="xs:string">
+            <xs:enumeration value="A"/>
+            <xs:enumeration value="B"/>
+            <xs:enumeration value="C"/>
+        </xs:restriction>
+    </xs:simpleType>
+
+    <xs:simpleType name="redundantUnionType">
+        <xs:union memberTypes="enumType xs:string"/>
+    </xs:simpleType>
+
+</xs:schema>
diff --git a/xsdgen/xsdgen.go b/xsdgen/xsdgen.go
index 0604c4d..af41607 100644
--- a/xsdgen/xsdgen.go
+++ b/xsdgen/xsdgen.go
@@ -402,6 +402,54 @@ func dedup(types []xsd.Type) (unique []xsd.Type) {
 	return unique
 }
 
+// for now, bustUnion only resolves simple cases like a union of a builtin and an enum of the same builtin, e.g. in
+// this case redundantUnionType will be replaced with enumType
+//
+//    <xs:simpleType name="enumType">
+//        <xs:restriction base="xs:string">
+//            <xs:enumeration value="A"/>
+//            <xs:enumeration value="B"/>
+//        </xs:restriction>
+//    </xs:simpleType>
+//
+//    <xs:simpleType name="redundantUnionType">
+//        <xs:union memberTypes="enumType xs:string"/>
+//    </xs:simpleType>
+func (cfg *Config) bustUnion(t *xsd.SimpleType) xsd.Type {
+	var underlying xsd.Type
+	var actual xsd.Type
+	for _, member := range t.Union {
+		switch ut := member.(type) {
+		case xsd.Builtin:
+			if underlying != nil && underlying != ut {
+				// can't simplify
+				return t
+			}
+			underlying = ut
+		case *xsd.SimpleType:
+			base := xsd.Base(ut)
+			if underlying != nil && underlying != ut {
+				// can't simplify
+				return t
+			}
+			if actual != nil && actual != ut {
+				// TODO: can we simplify this case?
+				return t
+			}
+			underlying = base
+			actual = ut
+		default:
+			// TODO: handle more union member types
+			return t
+		}
+	}
+
+	if actual != nil {
+		return actual
+	}
+	return underlying
+}
+
 func (cfg *Config) flatten1(t xsd.Type, push func(xsd.Type), depth int) xsd.Type {
 	const maxDepth = 1000
 	if depth > maxDepth {
@@ -414,7 +462,12 @@ func (cfg *Config) flatten1(t xsd.Type, push func(xsd.Type), depth int) xsd.Type
 			base, builtin xsd.Type
 			ok            bool
 		)
-		// TODO: handle list/union types
+		// TODO: handle list types
+
+		if len(t.Union) > 0 {
+			return cfg.bustUnion(t)
+		}
+
 		for base = xsd.Base(t); base != nil; base = xsd.Base(base) {
 			if builtin, ok = base.(xsd.Builtin); ok {
 				break