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(