diff --git a/NAMESPACE b/NAMESPACE
index 1c5a8a21..2671c754 100644
--- a/NAMESPACE
+++ b/NAMESPACE
@@ -4,11 +4,23 @@ S3method(as_mapper,character)
 S3method(as_mapper,default)
 S3method(as_mapper,list)
 S3method(as_mapper,numeric)
+S3method(modify,character)
 S3method(modify,default)
+S3method(modify,double)
+S3method(modify,integer)
+S3method(modify,logical)
 S3method(modify,pairlist)
+S3method(modify_at,character)
 S3method(modify_at,default)
+S3method(modify_at,double)
+S3method(modify_at,integer)
+S3method(modify_at,logical)
 S3method(modify_depth,default)
+S3method(modify_if,character)
 S3method(modify_if,default)
+S3method(modify_if,double)
+S3method(modify_if,integer)
+S3method(modify_if,logical)
 export("%>%")
 export("%@%")
 export("%||%")
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 0c42dab5..c7cd9544 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # purrr 0.2.4.9000
 
+* `modify()`, `modify_if()` and `modify_at()` now preserve the class of atomic
+  vectors instead of promoting them to lists. New S3 methods are provided for
+  character, logical, double, and integer classes (@t-kalinowski, #417).
+
 * `attr_getter()` no longer uses partial matching. For example,
   if an `x` object has a `labels` attribute but no `label` attribute,
   `attr_getter("label")(x)` will no longer extract the `labels`
diff --git a/R/modify.R b/R/modify.R
index d655c6fc..af897d69 100644
--- a/R/modify.R
+++ b/R/modify.R
@@ -16,7 +16,9 @@
 #'
 #' All these functions are S3 generic. However, the default method is
 #' sufficient in many cases. It should be suitable for any data type
-#' that implements the subset-assignment method `[<-`.
+#' that implements the subset-assignment method `[<-`. Methods are provided
+#' for character, logical, integer and double classes (counterparts to `map_chr`,
+#' `map_lgl`, `map_int`, and `map_dbl`)
 #'
 #' In some cases it may make sense to provide a custom implementation
 #' with a method suited to your S3 class. For example, a `grouped_df`
@@ -87,6 +89,26 @@ modify.default <- function(.x, .f, ...) {
   .x[] <- map(.x, .f, ...)
   .x
 }
+#' @export
+modify.integer  <- function (.x, .f, ...) {
+  .x[] <- map_int(.x, .f, ...)
+  .x
+}
+#' @export
+modify.double  <- function (.x, .f, ...) {
+  .x[] <- map_dbl(.x, .f, ...)
+  .x
+}
+#' @export
+modify.character  <- function (.x, .f, ...) {
+  .x[] <- map_chr(.x, .f, ...)
+  .x
+}
+#' @export
+modify.logical  <- function (.x, .f, ...) {
+  .x[] <- map_lgl(.x, .f, ...)
+  .x
+}
 
 #' @export
 modify.pairlist <- function(.x, .f, ...) {
@@ -106,6 +128,30 @@ modify_if.default <- function(.x, .p, .f, ...) {
   .x[sel] <- map(.x[sel], .f, ...)
   .x
 }
+#' @export
+modify_if.integer <- function(.x, .p, .f, ...) {
+  sel <- probe(.x, .p)
+  .x[sel] <- map_int(.x[sel], .f, ...)
+  .x
+}
+#' @export
+modify_if.double <- function(.x, .p, .f, ...) {
+  sel <- probe(.x, .p)
+  .x[sel] <- map_dbl(.x[sel], .f, ...)
+  .x
+}
+#' @export
+modify_if.character <- function(.x, .p, .f, ...) {
+  sel <- probe(.x, .p)
+  .x[sel] <- map_chr(.x[sel], .f, ...)
+  .x
+}
+#' @export
+modify_if.logical <- function(.x, .p, .f, ...) {
+  sel <- probe(.x, .p)
+  .x[sel] <- map_lgl(.x[sel], .f, ...)
+  .x
+}
 
 #' @rdname modify
 #' @export
@@ -119,6 +165,30 @@ modify_at.default <- function(.x, .at, .f, ...) {
   .x[sel] <- map(.x[sel], .f, ...)
   .x
 }
+#' @export
+modify_at.integer <- function(.x, .at, .f, ...) {
+  sel <- inv_which(.x, .at)
+  .x[sel] <- map_int(.x[sel], .f, ...)
+  .x
+}
+#' @export
+modify_at.double <- function(.x, .at, .f, ...) {
+  sel <- inv_which(.x, .at)
+  .x[sel] <- map_dbl(.x[sel], .f, ...)
+  .x
+}
+#' @export
+modify_at.character <- function(.x, .at, .f, ...) {
+  sel <- inv_which(.x, .at)
+  .x[sel] <- map_chr(.x[sel], .f, ...)
+  .x
+}
+#' @export
+modify_at.logical <- function(.x, .at, .f, ...) {
+  sel <- inv_which(.x, .at)
+  .x[sel] <- map_lgl(.x[sel], .f, ...)
+  .x
+}
 
 #' @rdname modify
 #' @export
diff --git a/man/modify.Rd b/man/modify.Rd
index 9ab343a7..23c6a2dd 100644
--- a/man/modify.Rd
+++ b/man/modify.Rd
@@ -98,7 +98,9 @@ must preserve the length of the input.
 
 All these functions are S3 generic. However, the default method is
 sufficient in many cases. It should be suitable for any data type
-that implements the subset-assignment method \code{[<-}.
+that implements the subset-assignment method \code{[<-}. Methods are provided
+for character, logical, integer and double classes (counterparts to \code{map_chr},
+\code{map_lgl}, \code{map_int}, and \code{map_dbl})
 
 In some cases it may make sense to provide a custom implementation
 with a method suited to your S3 class. For example, a \code{grouped_df}
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-modify.R b/tests/testthat/test-modify.R
index b57e6f84..12e17d47 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-modify.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-modify.R
@@ -40,6 +40,23 @@ test_that("modify works with calls and pairlists", {
   expect_equal(out, pairlist(2, 3))
 })
 
+test_that("modify{,_at,_if} preserves atomic vector classes", {
+  expect_type(modify("a", identity), "character")
+  expect_type(modify(1L,  identity), "integer")
+  expect_type(modify(1,   identity), "double")
+  expect_type(modify(TRUE, identity), "logical")
+
+  expect_type(modify_at("a",   1L, identity), "character")
+  expect_type(modify_at(1L,    1L, identity), "integer")
+  expect_type(modify_at(1,     1L, identity), "double")
+  expect_type(modify_at(TRUE,  1L, identity), "logical")
+
+  expect_type(modify_if("a",   TRUE, identity), "character")
+  expect_type(modify_if(1L,    TRUE, identity), "integer")
+  expect_type(modify_if(1,     TRUE, identity), "double")
+  expect_type(modify_if(TRUE,  TRUE, identity), "logical")
+})
+
 # modify_depth ------------------------------------------------------------
 
 test_that("modify_depth modifies values at specified depth", {