diff --git a/modin/config/envvars.py b/modin/config/envvars.py
index 129ec39bc30..e3ea3d1814f 100644
--- a/modin/config/envvars.py
+++ b/modin/config/envvars.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 import warnings
 from packaging import version
 
-from .pubsub import Parameter, _TYPE_PARAMS
+from .pubsub import Parameter, _TYPE_PARAMS, ExactStr
 
 
 class EnvironmentVariable(Parameter, type=str, abstract=True):
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ class IsRayCluster(EnvironmentVariable, type=bool):
     varname = "MODIN_RAY_CLUSTER"
 
 
-class RayRedisAddress(EnvironmentVariable, type=str):
+class RayRedisAddress(EnvironmentVariable, type=ExactStr):
     """
     What Redis address to connect to when running in Ray cluster
     """
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ class Memory(EnvironmentVariable, type=int):
     varname = "MODIN_MEMORY"
 
 
-class RayPlasmaDir(EnvironmentVariable, type=str):
+class RayPlasmaDir(EnvironmentVariable, type=ExactStr):
     """
     Path to Plasma storage for Ray
     """
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ class IsOutOfCore(EnvironmentVariable, type=bool):
     varname = "MODIN_OUT_OF_CORE"
 
 
-class SocksProxy(EnvironmentVariable, type=str):
+class SocksProxy(EnvironmentVariable, type=ExactStr):
     """
     SOCKS proxy address if it is needed for SSH to work
     """
diff --git a/modin/config/pubsub.py b/modin/config/pubsub.py
index 77aa1cc19b1..0196a3f7f13 100644
--- a/modin/config/pubsub.py
+++ b/modin/config/pubsub.py
@@ -22,11 +22,23 @@ class TypeDescriptor(typing.NamedTuple):
     help: str
 
 
+class ExactStr(str):
+    """
+    To be used in type params where no transformations are needed
+    """
+
+
 _TYPE_PARAMS = {
     str: TypeDescriptor(
         decode=lambda value: value.strip().title(),
         normalize=lambda value: value.strip().title(),
         verify=lambda value: True,
+        help="a case-insensitive string",
+    ),
+    ExactStr: TypeDescriptor(
+        decode=lambda value: value,
+        normalize=lambda value: value,
+        verify=lambda value: True,
         help="a string",
     ),
     bool: TypeDescriptor(
diff --git a/modin/config/test/test_envvars.py b/modin/config/test/test_envvars.py
index bf4ce04a9aa..a40ae4a0497 100644
--- a/modin/config/test/test_envvars.py
+++ b/modin/config/test/test_envvars.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 import os
 import pytest
 
-from modin.config.envvars import EnvironmentVariable, _check_vars
+from modin.config.envvars import EnvironmentVariable, _check_vars, ExactStr
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
@@ -25,9 +25,9 @@ def make_unknown_env():
     del os.environ[varname]
 
 
-@pytest.fixture
-def make_custom_envvar():
-    class CustomVar(EnvironmentVariable, type=str):
+@pytest.fixture(params=[str, ExactStr])
+def make_custom_envvar(request):
+    class CustomVar(EnvironmentVariable, type=request.param):
         """ custom var """
 
         default = 10
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ class CustomVar(EnvironmentVariable, type=str):
 @pytest.fixture
 def set_custom_envvar(make_custom_envvar):
     os.environ[make_custom_envvar.varname] = "  custom  "
-    yield "Custom"
+    yield "Custom" if make_custom_envvar.type is str else "  custom  "
     del os.environ[make_custom_envvar.varname]