diff --git a/.changeset/plenty-buckets-tan.md b/.changeset/plenty-buckets-tan.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8c88dd2e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/plenty-buckets-tan.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+'@xyflow/react': patch
+'@xyflow/system': patch
+---
+
+Allow strings and enums for existing marker types
diff --git a/packages/react/src/container/EdgeRenderer/MarkerSymbols.tsx b/packages/react/src/container/EdgeRenderer/MarkerSymbols.tsx
index 974d009e..90ef1228 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/container/EdgeRenderer/MarkerSymbols.tsx
+++ b/packages/react/src/container/EdgeRenderer/MarkerSymbols.tsx
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ export const MarkerSymbols = {
   [MarkerType.ArrowClosed]: ArrowClosedSymbol,
 };
 
-export function useMarkerSymbol(type: MarkerType) {
+export function useMarkerSymbol(type: MarkerType | `${MarkerType}`) {
   const store = useStoreApi();
 
   const symbol = useMemo(() => {
diff --git a/packages/system/src/types/edges.ts b/packages/system/src/types/edges.ts
index 143e66dd..03001d75 100644
--- a/packages/system/src/types/edges.ts
+++ b/packages/system/src/types/edges.ts
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ export enum ConnectionLineType {
  * @public
  */
 export type EdgeMarker = {
-  type: MarkerType;
+  type: MarkerType | `${MarkerType}`;
   color?: string;
   width?: number;
   height?: number;