diff --git a/parser/src/ast.rs b/parser/src/ast.rs
index ee85faa90..b4757271e 100644
--- a/parser/src/ast.rs
+++ b/parser/src/ast.rs
@@ -124,6 +124,9 @@ pub enum Expression {
     Tuple {
         elements: Vec<Expression>,
     },
+    Dict {
+        elements: Vec<(Expression, Expression)>,
+    },
     Slice {
         elements: Vec<Expression>,
     },
diff --git a/parser/src/python.lalrpop b/parser/src/python.lalrpop
index 3105f77f2..fd4d7bdc5 100644
--- a/parser/src/python.lalrpop
+++ b/parser/src/python.lalrpop
@@ -323,11 +323,24 @@ Atom: ast::Expression = {
          }
      }
   },
+  "{" <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,
 };
@@ -385,6 +398,8 @@ extern {
         ")" => lexer::Tok::Rpar,
         "[" => lexer::Tok::Lsqb,
         "]" => lexer::Tok::Rsqb,
+        "{" => lexer::Tok::Lbrace,
+        "}" => lexer::Tok::Rbrace,
         "=" => lexer::Tok::Equal,
         "+=" => lexer::Tok::PlusEqual,
         "-=" => lexer::Tok::MinusEqual,
diff --git a/tests/snippets/builtin_dict.py b/tests/snippets/builtin_dict.py
index 8fe70d51a..d401aabca 100644
--- a/tests/snippets/builtin_dict.py
+++ b/tests/snippets/builtin_dict.py
@@ -1 +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 b4af32964..9162f9fab 100644
--- a/vm/src/compile.rs
+++ b/vm/src/compile.rs
@@ -465,6 +465,14 @@ impl Compiler {
                 }
                 self.emit(Instruction::BuildTuple { size: size });
             }
+            ast::Expression::Dict { elements } => {
+                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();
                 for element in elements {
diff --git a/vm/src/vm.rs b/vm/src/vm.rs
index 3b11cbdd9..98dd1dffa 100644
--- a/vm/src/vm.rs
+++ b/vm/src/vm.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
  */
 
 use std::cell::RefMut;
+use std::collections::hash_map::HashMap;
 use std::ops::Deref;
 
 use super::builtins;
@@ -562,15 +563,25 @@ 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);
                 }
-                panic!("To be implemented!")
-                //let list_obj = PyObject::Tuple { elements: elements }.into_ref();
-                //frame.stack.push(list_obj);
+                let map_obj =
+                    PyObject::new(PyObjectKind::Dict { elements: elements }, self.get_type());
+                self.push_value(map_obj);
+                None
             }
             bytecode::Instruction::BuildSlice { size } => {
                 assert!(*size == 2 || *size == 3);