diff --git a/impls/awk/core.awk b/impls/awk/core.awk
index e7dc0b98fb..93a18ec759 100644
--- a/impls/awk/core.awk
+++ b/impls/awk/core.awk
@@ -19,11 +19,14 @@ function core_eq_sub(lhs, rhs,    i, len)
 	} else if (lhs ~ /^\{/ && rhs ~ /^\{/) {
 		lhs = substr(lhs, 2)
 		rhs = substr(rhs, 2)
-		if (length(types_heap[lhs]) != length(types_heap[rhs])) {
+		if ( length(types_heap[lhs]) - ("meta" in types_heap[lhs]) != \
+			length(types_heap[rhs]) - ("meta" in types_heap[rhs]) )
+		{
 			return 0
 		}
 		for (i in types_heap[lhs]) {
-			if (types_heap[lhs][i] ~ /^["':+#([{?&$%]/ &&
+			if ( i != "meta" &&
+				types_heap[lhs][i] ~ /^["':+#([{?&$%]/ &&
 				!core_eq_sub(types_heap[lhs][i], types_heap[rhs][i])) {
 				return 0
 			}
diff --git a/impls/chuck/types/subr/MalDissoc.ck b/impls/chuck/types/subr/MalDissoc.ck
index d25990dceb..1c89842e3b 100644
--- a/impls/chuck/types/subr/MalDissoc.ck
+++ b/impls/chuck/types/subr/MalDissoc.ck
@@ -6,11 +6,11 @@ public class MalDissoc extends MalSubr
         MalObject.slice(args, 1) @=> MalObject ks[];
 
         MalObject result[0];
-        int cachedKeys[0];
+        string cachedKeys[0];
 
         for( 0 => int i; i < ks.size(); i++ )
         {
-            true => cachedKeys[ks[i].stringValue];
+            ks[i].type => cachedKeys[ks[i].stringValue];
         }
 
         for( 0 => int i; i < map.size(); 2 +=> i )
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ public class MalDissoc extends MalSubr
             map[i] @=> MalObject key;
             map[i+1] @=> MalObject value;
 
-            if( !cachedKeys[key.stringValue] )
+            if (   cachedKeys[key.stringValue] == null
+                || cachedKeys[key.stringValue] != key.type )
             {
                 result << key;
                 result << value;
diff --git a/impls/chuck/types/subr/MalGet.ck b/impls/chuck/types/subr/MalGet.ck
index 5ff909056f..6d95072444 100644
--- a/impls/chuck/types/subr/MalGet.ck
+++ b/impls/chuck/types/subr/MalGet.ck
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ public class MalGet extends MalSubr
             map[i] @=> mapKey;
             map[i+1] @=> mapValue;
 
-            if( keyName == mapKey.stringValue )
+            if( keyName == mapKey.stringValue && args[1].type == mapKey.type )
             {
                 true => isKeyPresent;
             }
diff --git a/impls/chuck/types/subr/MalIsContains.ck b/impls/chuck/types/subr/MalIsContains.ck
index 73c366f129..10c5105a44 100644
--- a/impls/chuck/types/subr/MalIsContains.ck
+++ b/impls/chuck/types/subr/MalIsContains.ck
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ public class MalIsContains extends MalSubr
         {
             map[i] @=> mapKey;
 
-            if( keyName == mapKey.stringValue )
+            if( keyName == mapKey.stringValue && args[1].type == mapKey.type )
             {
                 true => isKeyPresent;
             }
diff --git a/impls/vhdl/core.vhdl b/impls/vhdl/core.vhdl
index 2b6523671a..b904dc0c12 100644
--- a/impls/vhdl/core.vhdl
+++ b/impls/vhdl/core.vhdl
@@ -260,9 +260,13 @@ package body core is
   end procedure fn_vector_q;
 
   procedure fn_hash_map(args: inout mal_val_ptr; result: out mal_val_ptr; err: out mal_val_ptr) is
+    variable new_map: mal_val_ptr;
   begin
-    args.val_type := mal_hashmap;
-    result := args;
+    new_empty_hashmap(new_map);
+    for i in 0 to args.seq_val'length / 2 - 1 loop
+      hashmap_put(new_map, args.seq_val(2*i), args.seq_val(2*i+1));
+    end loop;
+    result := new_map;
   end procedure fn_hash_map;
 
   procedure fn_map_q(args: inout mal_val_ptr; result: out mal_val_ptr; err: out mal_val_ptr) is
diff --git a/impls/vhdl/reader.vhdl b/impls/vhdl/reader.vhdl
index f057fb7efb..f8f07d2356 100644
--- a/impls/vhdl/reader.vhdl
+++ b/impls/vhdl/reader.vhdl
@@ -273,6 +273,22 @@ package body reader is
     new_seq_obj(list_type, seq, result);
   end procedure read_sequence;
 
+  procedure read_map(r: inout reader_class; result: out mal_val_ptr; err: out mal_val_ptr) is
+    variable sub_seq, sub_err, new_map: mal_val_ptr;
+  begin
+    read_sequence(mal_hashmap, "}", r, sub_seq, sub_err);
+    if sub_err = null then
+      new_empty_hashmap(new_map);
+      for i in 0 to sub_seq.seq_val'length / 2 - 1 loop
+        hashmap_put(new_map, sub_seq.seq_val(2*i), sub_seq.seq_val(2*i + 1));
+      end loop;
+      result := new_map;
+    else
+      err := sub_err;
+      result := null;
+    end if;
+  end procedure read_map;
+
   procedure reader_macro(r: inout reader_class; result: out mal_val_ptr; err: out mal_val_ptr; sym_name: in string) is
     variable token, sym_line: line;
     variable seq: mal_seq_ptr;
@@ -343,7 +359,7 @@ package body reader is
       when ')' => new_string("unexcepted ')'", err);
       when '[' => read_sequence(mal_vector, "]", r, result, err);
       when ']' => new_string("unexcepted ']'", err);
-      when '{' => read_sequence(mal_hashmap, "}", r, result, err);
+      when '{' => read_map(r, result, err);
       when '}' => new_string("unexcepted '}'", err);
       when others => read_atom(r, result, err);
     end case;