diff --git a/hamilton/function_modifiers/adapters.py b/hamilton/function_modifiers/adapters.py
index ea6aa0d10..11133822d 100644
--- a/hamilton/function_modifiers/adapters.py
+++ b/hamilton/function_modifiers/adapters.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
     ParametrizedDependency,
     UpstreamDependency,
 )
+from hamilton.htypes import custom_subclass_check
 from hamilton.io.data_adapters import AdapterCommon, DataLoader, DataSaver
 from hamilton.node import DependencyType
 from hamilton.registry import LOADER_REGISTRY, SAVER_REGISTRY
@@ -748,10 +749,17 @@ def validate(self, fn: Callable):
             )
         # check that the second is a dict
         second_arg = typing_inspect.get_args(return_annotation)[1]
-        if not (second_arg == dict or second_arg == Dict):
+        if not (custom_subclass_check(second_arg, dict)):
             raise InvalidDecoratorException(
                 f"Function: {fn.__qualname__} must return a tuple of type (SOME_TYPE, dict)."
             )
+        second_arg_params = typing_inspect.get_args(second_arg)
+        if (
+            len(second_arg_params) > 0 and not second_arg_params[0] == str
+        ):  # metadata must have string keys
+            raise InvalidDecoratorException(
+                f"Function: {fn.__qualname__} must return a tuple of type (SOME_TYPE, dict[str, ...]). Instead got (SOME_TYPE, dict[{second_arg_params[0]}, ...]"
+            )
 
     def generate_nodes(self, fn: Callable, config) -> List[node.Node]:
         """Generates two nodes. We have to add tags appropriately.
diff --git a/tests/function_modifiers/test_adapters.py b/tests/function_modifiers/test_adapters.py
index 06307dd96..06ba57b6b 100644
--- a/tests/function_modifiers/test_adapters.py
+++ b/tests/function_modifiers/test_adapters.py
@@ -697,19 +697,23 @@ def fn(data1: dict, data2: dict) -> dict:
 import sys
 
 if sys.version_info >= (3, 9):
-    dl_type = tuple[int, dict]
-    ds_type = dict
+    dict_ = dict
+    tuple_ = tuple
 else:
-    dl_type = Tuple[int, Dict]
-    ds_type = Dict
+    dict_ = Dict
+    tuple_ = Tuple
 
 
 # Mock functions for dataloader & datasaver testing
-def correct_dl_function(foo: int) -> dl_type:
+def correct_dl_function(foo: int) -> tuple_[int, dict_]:
     return 1, {}
 
 
-def correct_ds_function(data: float) -> ds_type:
+def correct_dl_function_with_subscripts(foo: int) -> tuple_[Dict[str, int], Dict[str, str]]:
+    return {"a": 1}, {"b": "c"}
+
+
+def correct_ds_function(data: float) -> dict_:
     return {}
 
 
@@ -721,19 +725,24 @@ def non_tuple_return_function() -> int:
     return 1
 
 
-def incorrect_tuple_length_function() -> Tuple[int]:
+def incorrect_tuple_length_function() -> tuple_[int]:
     return (1,)
 
 
-def incorrect_second_element_function() -> Tuple[int, list]:
+def incorrect_second_element_function() -> tuple_[int, list]:
     return 1, []
 
 
+def incorrect_dict_subscript() -> tuple_[int, Dict[int, str]]:
+    return 1, {1: "a"}
+
+
 incorrect_funcs = [
     no_return_annotation_function,
     non_tuple_return_function,
     incorrect_tuple_length_function,
     incorrect_second_element_function,
+    incorrect_dict_subscript,
 ]
 
 
@@ -744,6 +753,10 @@ def test_dl_validate_incorrect_functions(func):
         dl.validate(func)
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+    sys.version_info < (3, 9, 0),
+    reason="dataloader not guarenteed to work with subscripted tuples on 3.8",
+)
 def test_dl_validate_with_correct_function():
     dl = dataloader()
     try:
@@ -753,6 +766,15 @@ def test_dl_validate_with_correct_function():
         pytest.fail("validate() raised InvalidDecoratorException unexpectedly!")
 
 
+def test_dl_validate_with_subscripts():
+    dl = dataloader()
+    try:
+        dl.validate(correct_dl_function_with_subscripts)
+    except InvalidDecoratorException:
+        # i.e. fail the test if there's an error
+        pytest.fail("validate() raised InvalidDecoratorException unexpectedly!")
+
+
 def test_ds_validate_with_correct_function():
     dl = datasaver()
     try:
diff --git a/tests/resources/nodes_with_future_annotation.py b/tests/resources/nodes_with_future_annotation.py
index 2a937ece9..b8566d362 100644
--- a/tests/resources/nodes_with_future_annotation.py
+++ b/tests/resources/nodes_with_future_annotation.py
@@ -1,10 +1,16 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import sys
+from typing import List, Tuple
+
 from hamilton.function_modifiers import dataloader
 from hamilton.htypes import Collect, Parallelizable
 
 """Tests future annotations with common node types"""
 
+tuple_ = Tuple if sys.version_info < (3, 9, 0) else tuple
+list_ = List if sys.version_info < (3, 9, 0) else list
+
 
 def parallelized() -> Parallelizable[int]:
     yield 1
@@ -21,6 +27,6 @@ def collected(standard: Collect[int]) -> int:
 
 
 @dataloader()
-def sample_dataloader() -> tuple[list[str], dict]:
+def sample_dataloader() -> tuple_[list_[str], dict]:
     """Grouping here as the rest test annotations"""
     return ["a", "b", "c"], {}