diff --git a/Lib/dataclasses.py b/Lib/dataclasses.py
index 2f0e5ff0b6e039a..c2618e4d1e29b47 100644
--- a/Lib/dataclasses.py
+++ b/Lib/dataclasses.py
@@ -210,7 +210,12 @@ def __init__(self, type):
         self.type = type
 
     def __repr__(self):
-        return f'dataclasses.InitVar[{self.type.__name__}]'
+        try:
+            type_name = self.type.__name__
+        except AttributeError:
+            # typing objects, e.g. Union
+            type_name = repr(self.type)
+        return f'dataclasses.InitVar[{type_name}]'
 
 
 # Instances of Field are only ever created from within this module,
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_dataclasses.py b/Lib/test/test_dataclasses.py
index 0885c9798fe68ab..5b8e679d7b32fb7 100755
--- a/Lib/test/test_dataclasses.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_dataclasses.py
@@ -2883,6 +2883,11 @@ class C:
                 # x is not an InitVar, so there will be a member x.
                 self.assertEqual(C(10).x, 10)
 
+    def test_initvar_repr(self):
+        self.assertEqual(repr(InitVar[str]), 'dataclasses.InitVar[str]')
+        self.assertEqual(repr(InitVar[Optional[str]]),
+                         'dataclasses.InitVar[typing.Union[str, NoneType]]')
+
     def test_classvar_module_level_import(self):
         from test import dataclass_module_1
         from test import dataclass_module_1_str
diff --git a/Misc/ACKS b/Misc/ACKS
index 406009c4e2016d8..43ddb2fb0492c1b 100644
--- a/Misc/ACKS
+++ b/Misc/ACKS
@@ -320,6 +320,7 @@ Benjamin Collar
 Jeffery Collins
 Robert Collins
 Paul Colomiets
+Samuel Colvin
 Christophe Combelles
 Geremy Condra
 Denver Coneybeare
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2019-10-10-16-53-00.bpo-38431.d5wzNp.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2019-10-10-16-53-00.bpo-38431.d5wzNp.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000000..3c7bac277030069
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2019-10-10-16-53-00.bpo-38431.d5wzNp.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Fix ``__repr__`` method for ``dataclasses.InitVar`` to work with typing
+objects.