diff --git a/aie_kernels/aie2/mm.cc b/aie_kernels/aie2/mm.cc
index 51345596ff..fcef00e60d 100644
--- a/aie_kernels/aie2/mm.cc
+++ b/aie_kernels/aie2/mm.cc
@@ -538,6 +538,20 @@ void matmul_vectorized_4x8x4_bf16_f32(const bfloat16 *__restrict pA,
       pA, pB, pC);
 }
 
+template <unsigned m, unsigned k, unsigned n>
+void matmul_vectorized_4x8x8_i8_i8(const int8 *__restrict pA,
+                                   const int8 *__restrict pB,
+                                   int8 *__restrict pC) {
+  constexpr int r = 4;
+  constexpr int s = 8;
+  constexpr int t = 8;
+  static_assert(m % (2 * r) == 0 && m / (2 * r) > 0);
+  static_assert(k % (2 * s) == 0 && k / (2 * s) > 0);
+  static_assert(n % (2 * t) == 0 && n / (2 * t) > 0);
+  return matmul_vectorized<int8, int8, m / r, k / s, n / t, r, s, t>(pA, pB,
+                                                                     pC);
+}
+
 extern "C" {
 
 // If you want to compile microkernels with different inner tile sizes,
@@ -558,6 +572,7 @@ extern "C" {
 #endif
 
 #define combos(X)                                                              \
+  X(int8, i8, int8, i8, 4, 8, 8)                                               \
   X(int16, i16, int16, i16, 4, 4, 4)                                           \
   X(int16, i16, int32, i32, 4, 4, 4)                                           \
   X(bfloat16, bf16, bfloat16, bf16, 4, 8, 4)                                   \
diff --git a/programming_examples/basic/matrix_multiplication/common.h b/programming_examples/basic/matrix_multiplication/common.h
index cba6ff6363..25334d7d32 100644
--- a/programming_examples/basic/matrix_multiplication/common.h
+++ b/programming_examples/basic/matrix_multiplication/common.h
@@ -117,6 +117,11 @@ std::int16_t get_random<std::int16_t>() {
   return (std::int16_t)rand() % 0x10000;
 }
 
+template <>
+int8_t get_random<int8_t>() {
+  return (int8_t)rand() % 0x100;
+}
+
 template <>
 std::bfloat16_t get_random<std::bfloat16_t>() {
   // Random numbers should NOT be uniformly between 0 and 1, because that
@@ -195,6 +200,11 @@ float get_abs_tol<float>() {
   return 0.5;
 }
 
+template <>
+float get_abs_tol<int8_t>() {
+  return 0;
+}
+
 template <>
 float get_rel_tol<std::int16_t>() {
   return 0.0;
@@ -215,6 +225,11 @@ float get_rel_tol<float>() {
   return 0.05;
 }
 
+template <>
+float get_rel_tol<int8_t>() {
+  return 0;
+}
+
 template <typename T>
 void print_matrix(const std::vector<T> matrix, int n_cols,
                   int n_printable_rows = 10, int n_printable_cols = 10,
@@ -275,6 +290,21 @@ void print_matrix(const std::vector<T> matrix, int n_cols,
 #undef print_row
 }
 
+// int8_t aka char will not print as a number but as a character; specialize
+// print_matrix<int8_t> to cast to int16_t first so everything prints as numbers
+template <>
+void print_matrix(const std::vector<int8_t> matrix, int n_cols,
+                  int n_printable_rows, int n_printable_cols,
+                  std::ostream &ostream, const char col_sep[],
+                  const char elide_sym[], int w) {
+  std::vector<int16_t> cast_matrix(matrix.size());
+  for (int i = 0; i < matrix.size(); i++) {
+    cast_matrix[i] = (int16_t)matrix[i];
+  }
+  print_matrix(cast_matrix, n_cols, n_printable_rows, n_printable_cols, ostream,
+               col_sep, elide_sym, w);
+}
+
 constexpr int max_printable_errors = 32;
 
 template <typename Tout>
diff --git a/programming_examples/basic/matrix_multiplication/makefile-common b/programming_examples/basic/matrix_multiplication/makefile-common
index ba21462442..82c2ab8970 100644
--- a/programming_examples/basic/matrix_multiplication/makefile-common
+++ b/programming_examples/basic/matrix_multiplication/makefile-common
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ ifeq ($(dtype_out),bf16)
 	dtype_out_cpp=std::bfloat16_t
 	dtype_acc_cpp=float
 endif
-
 ifeq ($(dtype_in),i16)
 	dtype_in_cpp=int16_t
 endif
@@ -63,6 +62,13 @@ ifeq ($(dtype_out),f32)
 	dtype_out_cpp=float
 	dtype_acc_cpp=float
 endif
+ifeq ($(dtype_in),i8)
+	dtype_in_cpp=int8_t
+endif
+ifeq ($(dtype_out),i8)
+	dtype_out_cpp=int8_t
+	dtype_acc_cpp=int8_t
+endif
 
 trace_size?=65536
 
diff --git a/programming_examples/basic/matrix_multiplication/single_core/aie2.py b/programming_examples/basic/matrix_multiplication/single_core/aie2.py
index bb84ad7fd7..9e29b99073 100644
--- a/programming_examples/basic/matrix_multiplication/single_core/aie2.py
+++ b/programming_examples/basic/matrix_multiplication/single_core/aie2.py
@@ -28,10 +28,13 @@ def main():
     argparser.add_argument("-k", type=int, default=64)
     argparser.add_argument("-n", type=int, default=32)
     argparser.add_argument(
-        "--dtype_in", type=str, choices=["bf16", "i16"], default="i16"
+        "--dtype_in", type=str, choices=["bf16", "i8", "i16"], default="i16"
     )
     argparser.add_argument(
-        "--dtype_out", type=str, choices=["bf16", "i16", "f32", "i32"], default="i32"
+        "--dtype_out",
+        type=str,
+        choices=["bf16", "i8", "i16", "f32", "i32"],
+        default="i32",
     )
     args = argparser.parse_args()
     my_matmul(
@@ -53,6 +56,10 @@ def my_matmul(M, K, N, m, k, n, dtype_in_str, dtype_out_str):
         r = 4
         s = 8
         t = 4
+    elif dtype_in_str == "i8":
+        r = 4
+        s = 8
+        t = 8
     elif dtype_in_str == "i16":
         r = 4
         s = 4
@@ -69,11 +76,15 @@ def my_matmul(M, K, N, m, k, n, dtype_in_str, dtype_out_str):
     dtype_in = None
     if dtype_in_str == "bf16":
         dtype_in = T.bf16
+    elif dtype_in_str == "i8":
+        dtype_in = T.i8
     elif dtype_in_str == "i16":
         dtype_in = T.i16
     dtype_out = None
     if dtype_out_str == "bf16":
         dtype_out = T.bf16
+    elif dtype_out_str == "i8":
+        dtype_out = T.i8
     elif dtype_out_str == "i16":
         dtype_out = T.i16
     elif dtype_out_str == "f32":
@@ -271,7 +282,7 @@ def sequence(A, B, C):
                     )
 
                 # only do 4 tile rows at a time before synchronizing, so we can reuse BDs
-                rows_per_block = 6
+                rows_per_block = 4
                 for tile_row_block in range(ceildiv(M_div_m, rows_per_block)):
                     # we only sync on half the BDs before reusing them, so the other half can concurrently keep running
                     # that's what this loop is for
diff --git a/programming_examples/basic/matrix_multiplication/single_core/run_makefile.lit b/programming_examples/basic/matrix_multiplication/single_core/run_makefile.lit
index 6875524001..3018ef7883 100644
--- a/programming_examples/basic/matrix_multiplication/single_core/run_makefile.lit
+++ b/programming_examples/basic/matrix_multiplication/single_core/run_makefile.lit
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 //
 // REQUIRES: ryzen_ai, chess
 //
+// RUN: mkdir -p %S/test_i8
+// RUN: cd %S/test_i8
 // RUN: make -f %S/Makefile clean
 // RUN: make -f %S/Makefile 
 // RUN: %run_on_npu make -f %S/Makefile run | FileCheck %s
diff --git a/programming_examples/basic/matrix_multiplication/single_core/run_makefile_i8.lit b/programming_examples/basic/matrix_multiplication/single_core/run_makefile_i8.lit
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..541a201c4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/programming_examples/basic/matrix_multiplication/single_core/run_makefile_i8.lit
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+// (c) Copyright 2024 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0 WITH LLVM-exception
+//
+// REQUIRES: ryzen_ai, chess
+//
+// RUN: mkdir -p %S/test_4_col_i8
+// RUN: cd %S/test_4_col_i8
+// RUN: make -f %S/Makefile clean
+// RUN: env dtype_in=i8 dtype_out=i8 m=64 k=128 n=64 M=512 K=512 N=512 make -f %S/Makefile 
+// RUN: %run_on_npu env dtype_in=i8 dtype_out=i8 m=64 k=128 n=64 M=512 K=512 N=512 make -f %S/Makefile run | FileCheck %s
+// CHECK: PASS!
diff --git a/programming_examples/basic/matrix_multiplication/whole_array/aie2.py b/programming_examples/basic/matrix_multiplication/whole_array/aie2.py
index 0ef9c12d4f..1a7f82ee2a 100644
--- a/programming_examples/basic/matrix_multiplication/whole_array/aie2.py
+++ b/programming_examples/basic/matrix_multiplication/whole_array/aie2.py
@@ -28,10 +28,13 @@ def main():
     argparser.add_argument("-n", type=int, default=32)
     argparser.add_argument("--n-aie-cols", type=int, choices=[1, 2, 4], default=4)
     argparser.add_argument(
-        "--dtype_in", type=str, choices=["bf16", "i16"], default="i16"
+        "--dtype_in", type=str, choices=["bf16", "i8", "i16"], default="i16"
     )
     argparser.add_argument(
-        "--dtype_out", type=str, choices=["bf16", "i16", "f32", "i32"], default="i16"
+        "--dtype_out",
+        type=str,
+        choices=["bf16", "i8", "i16", "f32", "i32"],
+        default="i16",
     )
     args = argparser.parse_args()
     with mlir_mod_ctx() as ctx:
@@ -62,11 +65,15 @@ def my_matmul(M, K, N, m, k, n, n_aie_cols, dtype_in_str, dtype_out_str):
     dtype_in = None
     if dtype_in_str == "bf16":
         dtype_in = T.bf16
+    elif dtype_in_str == "i8":
+        dtype_in = T.i8
     elif dtype_in_str == "i16":
         dtype_in = T.i16
     dtype_out = None
     if dtype_out_str == "bf16":
         dtype_out = T.bf16
+    elif dtype_out_str == "i8":
+        dtype_out = T.i8
     elif dtype_out_str == "i16":
         dtype_out = T.i16
     elif dtype_out_str == "f32":
@@ -78,6 +85,10 @@ def my_matmul(M, K, N, m, k, n, n_aie_cols, dtype_in_str, dtype_out_str):
         r = 4
         s = 8
         t = 4
+    elif dtype_in_str == "i8":
+        r = 4
+        s = 8
+        t = 8
     elif dtype_in_str == "i16":
         r = 4
         s = 4
diff --git a/programming_examples/basic/matrix_multiplication/whole_array/run_makefile_4_col_i8.lit b/programming_examples/basic/matrix_multiplication/whole_array/run_makefile_4_col_i8.lit
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c9007d1065
--- /dev/null
+++ b/programming_examples/basic/matrix_multiplication/whole_array/run_makefile_4_col_i8.lit
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+// (c) Copyright 2024 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0 WITH LLVM-exception
+//
+// REQUIRES: ryzen_ai, chess
+//
+// RUN: mkdir -p %S/test_4_col_i8
+// RUN: cd %S/test_4_col_i8
+// RUN: make -f %S/Makefile clean
+// RUN: env n_aie_cols=4 dtype_in=i8 dtype_out=i8 M=512 K=512 N=512 m=64 k=128 n=64 make -f %S/Makefile 
+// RUN: %run_on_npu env n_aie_cols=4 dtype_in=i8 dtype_out=i8 M=512 K=512 N=512 m=64 k=128 n=64 make -f %S/Makefile run | FileCheck %s
+// CHECK: PASS!