diff --git a/test/triqs/h5/CMakeLists.txt b/test/triqs/h5/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..917a5baf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/triqs/h5/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+all_tests()
+
diff --git a/test/triqs/h5/map_h5.cpp b/test/triqs/h5/map_h5.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..11f5e8ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/triqs/h5/map_h5.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+/*******************************************************************************
+ *
+ * TRIQS: a Toolbox for Research in Interacting Quantum Systems
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2011 by O. Parcollet
+ *
+ * TRIQS is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the
+ * terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software
+ * Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later
+ * version.
+ *
+ * TRIQS is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY
+ * WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS
+ * FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more
+ * details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with
+ * TRIQS. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ *
+ ******************************************************************************/
+#include <iostream>
+#include <map>
+#include <triqs/h5.hpp>
+
+namespace h5 = triqs::h5;
+
+int main(int argc, char **argv) {
+
+ try { 
+
+  // write
+  std::map<std::string, int> m = { {"a",1}, {"b",2} };
+  std::map<std::string, std::vector<double>> mv = { {"a",{1.0, 2.0}}, {"b",{2.0, 3.0, 4.0}} };
+
+  H5::H5File file1("test_map.h5", H5F_ACC_TRUNC);
+  h5::group top1(file1);
+  h5_write(top1, "map_int", m);
+  h5_write(top1, "map_vec", mv);
+
+  // read
+  std::map<std::string, int> mm = { {"c",1} };
+  std::map<std::string, std::vector<double>> mmv = { {"c",{1.0}} };
+
+  H5::H5File file2("test_map.h5", H5F_ACC_RDONLY);
+  h5::group top2(file2);
+  h5_read(top2, "map_int", mm);
+  h5_read(top2, "map_vec", mmv);
+
+  for (auto const & val: mm) std::cout << val.first << " " << val.second << std::endl;
+  for (auto const & val: mmv) {
+    std::cout << val.first << std::endl;
+    for (auto const & x: val.second) std::cout << x << std::endl;
+  }
+
+ }
+ TRIQS_CATCH_AND_ABORT;
+}
+
diff --git a/triqs/h5.hpp b/triqs/h5.hpp
index 100b6a47..7b8ef728 100644
--- a/triqs/h5.hpp
+++ b/triqs/h5.hpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "./h5/group.hpp"
 #include "./h5/scalar.hpp"
 #include "./h5/vector.hpp"
+#include "./h5/map.hpp"
 #include "./h5/string.hpp"
 //#include "./h5/make_h5_read_write.hpp"
 
diff --git a/triqs/h5/map.hpp b/triqs/h5/map.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..318d2f80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/triqs/h5/map.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+/*******************************************************************************
+ *
+ * TRIQS: a Toolbox for Research in Interacting Quantum Systems
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2011 by O. Parcollet
+ *
+ * TRIQS is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the
+ * terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software
+ * Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later
+ * version.
+ *
+ * TRIQS is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY
+ * WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS
+ * FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more
+ * details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with
+ * TRIQS. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ *
+ ******************************************************************************/
+#pragma once
+
+#include "group.hpp"
+#include "string.hpp"
+#include <map>
+
+namespace triqs {
+
+ template <typename T>
+ std::string get_triqs_hdf5_data_scheme(std::map<std::string,T> const&) {
+  using triqs::get_triqs_hdf5_data_scheme;
+  return "std::map<string," + get_triqs_hdf5_data_scheme(T()) + ">";
+ }
+
+ namespace h5 {
+
+  template<typename T>
+  void h5_write (group f, std::string const & name, std::map<std::string,T> const & M) {
+    auto gr = f.create_group(name);
+    for (auto& pvp : M) h5_write(gr, pvp.first, pvp.second);
+  }
+
+  template<typename T>
+  void h5_read (group f, std::string const & name, std::map<std::string,T> & M) {
+    auto gr = f.open_group(name);
+    M.clear();
+    T value;
+    for (auto const & x: gr.get_all_dataset_names()) {
+      h5_read(gr, x, value);
+      M.emplace(x, value);
+    }
+  }
+
+ }
+}
+