diff --git a/arrayfire/array.py b/arrayfire/array.py
index beb7a0076..7b9fcff16 100644
--- a/arrayfire/array.py
+++ b/arrayfire/array.py
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ def _create_empty_array(numdims, idims, dtype):
                                              numdims, c_pointer(c_dims), dtype.value))
     return out_arr
 
-def constant_array(val, d0, d1=None, d2=None, d3=None, dtype=Dtype.f32):
+def constant_array(val, d0, d1=None, d2=None, d3=None, dtype=set_global_precision()):
     """
     Internal function to create a C array. Should not be used externall.
     """
diff --git a/arrayfire/data.py b/arrayfire/data.py
index 73f516073..f87142478 100644
--- a/arrayfire/data.py
+++ b/arrayfire/data.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 from .util import _is_number
 from .random import randu, randn, set_seed, get_seed
 
-def constant(val, d0, d1=None, d2=None, d3=None, dtype=Dtype.f32):
+def constant(val, d0, d1=None, d2=None, d3=None, dtype=set_global_precision()):
     """
     Create a multi dimensional array whose elements contain the same value.
 
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ def constant(val, d0, d1=None, d2=None, d3=None, dtype=Dtype.f32):
 # Store builtin range function to be used later
 _brange = range
 
-def range(d0, d1=None, d2=None, d3=None, dim=0, dtype=Dtype.f32):
+def range(d0, d1=None, d2=None, d3=None, dim=0, dtype=set_global_precision()):
     """
     Create a multi dimensional array using length of a dimension as range.
 
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ def range(d0, d1=None, d2=None, d3=None, dim=0, dtype=Dtype.f32):
     return out
 
 
-def iota(d0, d1=None, d2=None, d3=None, dim=-1, tile_dims=None, dtype=Dtype.f32):
+def iota(d0, d1=None, d2=None, d3=None, dim=-1, tile_dims=None, dtype=set_global_precision()):
     """
     Create a multi dimensional array using the number of elements in the array as the range.
 
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ def iota(d0, d1=None, d2=None, d3=None, dim=-1, tile_dims=None, dtype=Dtype.f32)
                                     4, c_pointer(tdims), dtype.value))
     return out
 
-def identity(d0, d1, d2=None, d3=None, dtype=Dtype.f32):
+def identity(d0, d1, d2=None, d3=None, dtype=set_global_precision()):
     """
     Create an identity matrix or batch of identity matrices.
 
diff --git a/arrayfire/image.py b/arrayfire/image.py
index 5fadd991a..58a9fc0eb 100644
--- a/arrayfire/image.py
+++ b/arrayfire/image.py
@@ -458,7 +458,7 @@ def dilate(image, mask = None):
 
     """
     if mask is None:
-        mask = constant(1, 3, 3, dtype=Dtype.f32)
+        mask = constant(1, 3, 3, dtype=set_global_precision())
 
     output = Array()
     safe_call(backend.get().af_dilate(c_pointer(output.arr), image.arr, mask.arr))
@@ -487,7 +487,7 @@ def dilate3(volume, mask = None):
 
     """
     if mask is None:
-        mask = constant(1, 3, 3, 3, dtype=Dtype.f32)
+        mask = constant(1, 3, 3, 3, dtype=set_global_precision())
 
     output = Array()
     safe_call(backend.get().af_dilate3(c_pointer(output.arr), volume.arr, mask.arr))
@@ -516,7 +516,7 @@ def erode(image, mask = None):
 
     """
     if mask is None:
-        mask = constant(1, 3, 3, dtype=Dtype.f32)
+        mask = constant(1, 3, 3, dtype=set_global_precision())
 
     output = Array()
     safe_call(backend.get().af_erode(c_pointer(output.arr), image.arr, mask.arr))
@@ -546,7 +546,7 @@ def erode3(volume, mask = None):
     """
 
     if mask is None:
-        mask = constant(1, 3, 3, 3, dtype=Dtype.f32)
+        mask = constant(1, 3, 3, 3, dtype=set_global_precision())
 
     output = Array()
     safe_call(backend.get().af_erode3(c_pointer(output.arr), volume.arr, mask.arr))
diff --git a/arrayfire/library.py b/arrayfire/library.py
index 970f7870f..ed36aa43a 100644
--- a/arrayfire/library.py
+++ b/arrayfire/library.py
@@ -702,4 +702,20 @@ def get_size_of(dtype):
     safe_call(backend.get().af_get_size_of(c_pointer(size), dtype.value))
     return size.value
 
+precision_setting = 'f64'
+
+def set_global_precision(precision = precision_setting):
+
+    global global_precision
+
+    if(precision == 'f64'):
+        global_precision = Dtype.f64
+    elif(precision == 'f32'):
+        global_precision = Dtype.f32
+    else:
+        print("Unrecognized precision option. Defaulting to double precision")
+        global_precision = Dtype.f64
+
+    return global_precision
+
 from .util import safe_call
diff --git a/arrayfire/random.py b/arrayfire/random.py
index 179833db8..7687b1799 100644
--- a/arrayfire/random.py
+++ b/arrayfire/random.py
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ def get_seed(self):
         safe_call(backend.get().af_random_engine_get_seed(c_pointer(seed), self.engine))
         return seed.value
 
-def randu(d0, d1=None, d2=None, d3=None, dtype=Dtype.f32, engine=None):
+def randu(d0, d1=None, d2=None, d3=None, dtype=set_global_precision(), engine=None):
     """
     Create a multi dimensional array containing values from a uniform distribution.
 
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ def randu(d0, d1=None, d2=None, d3=None, dtype=Dtype.f32, engine=None):
 
     return out
 
-def randn(d0, d1=None, d2=None, d3=None, dtype=Dtype.f32, engine=None):
+def randn(d0, d1=None, d2=None, d3=None, dtype=set_global_precision(), engine=None):
     """
     Create a multi dimensional array containing values from a normal distribution.