diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 2d607e9ba..f0184a815 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -87,6 +87,8 @@ unit = "s")
 
 6. `all.equal(DT, y)` no longer errors when `y` is not a data.table, [#4042](https://github.com/Rdatatable/data.table/issues/4042). Thanks to @d-sci for reporting and the PR.
 
+7. `rbindlist()` now correctly coerces raw to logical instead of vice-versa [#4172](https://github.com/Rdatatable/data.table/issues/4172), making it consistent with base R's coercion rules. Thanks to @sritchie73 for reporting and fixing.
+
 ## NOTES
 
 1. `as.IDate`, `as.ITime`, `second`, `minute`, and `hour` now recognize UTC equivalents for speed: GMT, GMT-0, GMT+0, GMT0, Etc/GMT, and Etc/UTC, [#4116](https://github.com/Rdatatable/data.table/issues/4116).
diff --git a/inst/tests/tests.Rraw b/inst/tests/tests.Rraw
index f6d17a076..42458c516 100644
--- a/inst/tests/tests.Rraw
+++ b/inst/tests/tests.Rraw
@@ -16770,7 +16770,13 @@ test(2132.2, fifelse(TRUE, 1, s2),       error = "S4 class objects (except nanot
 test(2132.3, fcase(TRUE, s1, FALSE, s2), error = "S4 class objects (except nanotime) are not supported. Please see https://github.com/Rdatatable/data.table/issues/4131.")
 rm(s1, s2, class2132)
 
+# Check rbindlist coercion rules for raw match base R (e.g. using c()) #4172
+DT1 = data.table(a=as.raw(1), b=as.raw(2), c=as.raw(3), d=as.raw(4), e=as.raw(5), f=as.raw(6), g=as.raw(7), h=as.raw(8))
+DT2 = data.table(a=as.raw(1), b=TRUE, c=1L, d=1.5, e=complex(real=3, imaginary=1), f="a", g=list(3:5), h=expression(1+1))
+DT3 = setDT(lapply(names(DT1), function(j) c(DT1[[j]], DT2[[j]])))
+setnames(DT3, names(DT1))
+test(2133, rbind(DT1, DT2), DT3, warning="Column 2 of item 1: 2 (type 'raw') at RHS position 1 taken as TRUE when assigning to type 'logical' (column 2 named 'b')") # warning expected due to loss of precision when coercing raw to logical
 
 ########################
 #  Add new tests here  #
-########################
+########################
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/init.c b/src/init.c
index aed2da3db..d89c6cb92 100644
--- a/src/init.c
+++ b/src/init.c
@@ -223,8 +223,8 @@ R_ExternalMethodDef externalMethods[] = {
 static void setSizes() {
   for (int i=0; i<100; ++i) { sizes[i]=0; typeorder[i]=0; }
   // only these types are currently allowed as column types :
-  sizes[LGLSXP] =  sizeof(int);       typeorder[LGLSXP] =  0;
-  sizes[RAWSXP] =  sizeof(Rbyte);     typeorder[RAWSXP] =  1;
+  sizes[RAWSXP] =  sizeof(Rbyte);     typeorder[RAWSXP] =  0;
+  sizes[LGLSXP] =  sizeof(int);       typeorder[LGLSXP] =  1;
   sizes[INTSXP] =  sizeof(int);       typeorder[INTSXP] =  2;   // integer and factor
   sizes[REALSXP] = sizeof(double);    typeorder[REALSXP] = 3;   // numeric and integer64
   sizes[CPLXSXP] = sizeof(Rcomplex);  typeorder[CPLXSXP] = 4;
diff --git a/src/rbindlist.c b/src/rbindlist.c
index f39b63f0a..b5c1e4ed3 100644
--- a/src/rbindlist.c
+++ b/src/rbindlist.c
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ SEXP rbindlist(SEXP l, SEXP usenamesArg, SEXP fillArg, SEXP idcolArg)
 
   SEXP coercedForFactor = NULL;
   for(int j=0; j<ncol; ++j) {
-    int maxType=LGLSXP;  // initialize with LGLSXP for test 2002.3 which has col x NULL in both lists to be filled with NA for #1871
+    int maxType=-1; // Initialize to -1, which is not a SEXPTYPE, to detect when both columns are NULL to be filled with NA_logical_
     bool factor=false, orderedFactor=false;     // ordered factor is class c("ordered","factor"). isFactor() is true when isOrdered() is true.
     int longestLen=0, longestW=-1, longestI=-1; // just for ordered factor
     SEXP longestLevels=R_NilValue;              // just for ordered factor
@@ -292,8 +292,8 @@ SEXP rbindlist(SEXP l, SEXP usenamesArg, SEXP fillArg, SEXP idcolArg)
       }
       SEXP thisCol = VECTOR_ELT(li, w);
       int thisType = TYPEOF(thisCol);
-      // Use >= for #546 -- TYPEORDER=0 for both LGLSXP and EXPRSXP (but also NULL)
-      if (TYPEORDER(thisType)>=TYPEORDER(maxType) && !isNull(thisCol)) maxType=thisType;
+      // Use >= for #546 -- TYPEORDER=0 for both RAWSXP and EXPRSXP. For NULL, keep maxType as -1 
+      if (!isNull(thisCol) && (maxType == -1 || TYPEORDER(thisType)>=TYPEORDER(maxType))) maxType=thisType;
       if (isFactor(thisCol)) {
         if (isNull(getAttrib(thisCol,R_LevelsSymbol))) error(_("Column %d of item %d has type 'factor' but has no levels; i.e. malformed."), w+1, i+1);
         factor = true;
@@ -320,6 +320,7 @@ SEXP rbindlist(SEXP l, SEXP usenamesArg, SEXP fillArg, SEXP idcolArg)
       }
     }
 
+    if (maxType == -1) maxType=LGLSXP; // col X is NULL in both lists then column to be filled with NA_logical_ #1871, test 2002.03
     if (!foundName) { static char buff[12]; sprintf(buff,"V%d",j+1), SET_STRING_ELT(ansNames, idcol+j, mkChar(buff)); foundName=buff; }
     if (factor) maxType=INTSXP;  // if any items are factors then a factor is created (could be an option)
     if (int64 && maxType!=REALSXP)