diff --git a/parser/src/python.lalrpop b/parser/src/python.lalrpop
index 725549017..fd4d7bdc5 100644
--- a/parser/src/python.lalrpop
+++ b/parser/src/python.lalrpop
@@ -323,12 +323,24 @@ Atom: ast::Expression = {
          }
      }
   },
-  "{" "}" => ast::Expression::Dict { elements: Vec::new() },
+  "{" <e:TestDict?> "}" => ast::Expression::Dict { elements: e.unwrap_or(Vec::new()) },
   "True" => ast::Expression::True,
   "False" => ast::Expression::False,
   "None" => ast::Expression::None,
 };
 
+TestDict: Vec<(ast::Expression, ast::Expression)> = {
+    <e1:DictEntry> <e2:("," DictEntry)*> => {
+        let mut d = vec![e1];
+        d.extend(e2.into_iter().map(|x| x.1));
+        d
+    }
+};
+
+DictEntry: (ast::Expression, ast::Expression) = {
+    <e1: Test> ":" <e2: Test> => (e1, e2),
+};
+
 ExpressionList: Vec<ast::Expression> = {
   <e: Comma<Expression>> => e,
 };
diff --git a/tests/snippets/builtin_dict.py b/tests/snippets/builtin_dict.py
index a69c10307..d401aabca 100644
--- a/tests/snippets/builtin_dict.py
+++ b/tests/snippets/builtin_dict.py
@@ -1,2 +1,6 @@
 assert len(dict()) == 0
+
 assert len({}) == 0
+assert len({"a": "b"}) == 1
+assert len({"a": "b", "b": 1}) == 2
+assert len({"a": "b", "b": 1, "a" + "b": 2*2}) == 3
diff --git a/vm/src/compile.rs b/vm/src/compile.rs
index 3bfa5822d..9162f9fab 100644
--- a/vm/src/compile.rs
+++ b/vm/src/compile.rs
@@ -466,7 +466,12 @@ impl Compiler {
                 self.emit(Instruction::BuildTuple { size: size });
             }
             ast::Expression::Dict { elements } => {
-                self.emit(Instruction::BuildMap { size: 0 });
+                let size = elements.len();
+                for (key, value) in elements {
+                    self.compile_expression(key);
+                    self.compile_expression(value);
+                }
+                self.emit(Instruction::BuildMap { size: size });
             }
             ast::Expression::Slice { elements } => {
                 let size = elements.len();
diff --git a/vm/src/vm.rs b/vm/src/vm.rs
index 23384b096..98dd1dffa 100644
--- a/vm/src/vm.rs
+++ b/vm/src/vm.rs
@@ -563,18 +563,23 @@ impl VirtualMachine {
                 None
             }
             bytecode::Instruction::BuildMap { size } => {
-                let mut elements = Vec::new();
+                let mut elements = HashMap::new();
                 for _x in 0..*size {
-                    let key = self.pop_value();
                     let obj = self.pop_value();
-                    elements.push((key, obj));
+                    // XXX: Currently, we only support String keys, so we have to unwrap the
+                    // PyObject (and ensure it is a String).
+                    let key_pyobj = self.pop_value();
+                    let key = match key_pyobj.borrow().kind {
+                        PyObjectKind::String { ref value } => value.clone(),
+                        ref kind => unimplemented!(
+                            "Only strings can be used as dict keys, we saw: {:?}",
+                            kind
+                        ),
+                    };
+                    elements.insert(key, obj);
                 }
-                let map_obj = PyObject::new(
-                    PyObjectKind::Dict {
-                        elements: HashMap::new(),
-                    },
-                    self.get_type(),
-                );
+                let map_obj =
+                    PyObject::new(PyObjectKind::Dict { elements: elements }, self.get_type());
                 self.push_value(map_obj);
                 None
             }