diff --git a/vlib/builtin/map_test.v b/vlib/builtin/map_test.v
index d5ff22c4a8..70296d4cc2 100644
--- a/vlib/builtin/map_test.v
+++ b/vlib/builtin/map_test.v
@@ -128,13 +128,17 @@ fn test_map() {
 }
 
 fn test_map_init() {
-	m := {
-		'one': 1
+	one := 'one'
+	three := 'three'
+	m := map{
+		one: 1
 		'two': 2
+		three: 1 + 2
 	}
 	assert m['one'] == 1
 	assert m['two'] == 2
-	assert m['three'] == 0
+	assert m['three'] == 3
+	assert m['unknown'] == 0
 }
 
 fn test_string_map() {
diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/checker.v b/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
index 455c12c654..2437f4b8d5 100644
--- a/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
@@ -5335,16 +5335,20 @@ pub fn (mut c Checker) check_dup_keys(node &ast.MapInit, i int) {
 	key_i := node.keys[i]
 	if key_i is ast.StringLiteral {
 		for j in 0 .. i {
-			key_j := node.keys[j] as ast.StringLiteral
-			if key_i.val == key_j.val {
-				c.error('duplicate key "$key_i.val" in map literal', key_i.pos)
+			key_j := node.keys[j]
+			if key_j is ast.StringLiteral {
+				if key_i.val == key_j.val {
+					c.error('duplicate key "$key_i.val" in map literal', key_i.pos)
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	} else if key_i is ast.IntegerLiteral {
 		for j in 0 .. i {
-			key_j := node.keys[j] as ast.IntegerLiteral
-			if key_i.val == key_j.val {
-				c.error('duplicate key "$key_i.val" in map literal', key_i.pos)
+			key_j := node.keys[j]
+			if key_j is ast.IntegerLiteral {
+				if key_i.val == key_j.val {
+					c.error('duplicate key "$key_i.val" in map literal', key_i.pos)
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/vlib/v/parser/containers.v b/vlib/v/parser/containers.v
index ab81bdf678..bf53d19e66 100644
--- a/vlib/v/parser/containers.v
+++ b/vlib/v/parser/containers.v
@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@ fn (mut p Parser) array_init() ast.ArrayInit {
 	}
 }
 
+// parse tokens between braces
 fn (mut p Parser) map_init() ast.MapInit {
 	first_pos := p.prev_tok.position()
 	mut keys := []ast.Expr{}
diff --git a/vlib/v/parser/fn.v b/vlib/v/parser/fn.v
index a80161eb8a..b4fcab29b8 100644
--- a/vlib/v/parser/fn.v
+++ b/vlib/v/parser/fn.v
@@ -128,7 +128,13 @@ pub fn (mut p Parser) call_args() []ast.CallArg {
 			p.next()
 			array_decompose = true
 		}
-		mut e := p.expr(0)
+		mut e := ast.Expr{}
+		if p.tok.kind == .name && p.peek_tok.kind == .colon {
+			// `foo(key:val, key2:val2)`
+			e = p.struct_init(true) // short_syntax:true
+		} else {
+			e = p.expr(0)
+		}
 		if array_decompose {
 			e = ast.ArrayDecompose{
 				expr: e
diff --git a/vlib/v/parser/parser.v b/vlib/v/parser/parser.v
index a261e40542..1a2c1067b1 100644
--- a/vlib/v/parser/parser.v
+++ b/vlib/v/parser/parser.v
@@ -1314,6 +1314,16 @@ pub fn (mut p Parser) name_expr() ast.Expr {
 		&& (!p.inside_match || (p.inside_select && prev_tok_kind == .arrow && lit0_is_capital))
 		&& !p.inside_match_case && (!p.inside_if || p.inside_select)
 		&& (!p.inside_for || p.inside_select) { // && (p.tok.lit[0].is_capital() || p.builtin_mod) {
+		// map.v has struct literal: map{field: expr}
+		if p.peek_tok.kind == .lcbr && !(p.builtin_mod && p.file_base == 'map.v')
+			&& p.tok.lit == 'map' {
+			// map{key_expr: val_expr}
+			p.check(.name)
+			p.check(.lcbr)
+			map_init := p.map_init()
+			p.check(.rcbr)
+			return map_init
+		}
 		return p.struct_init(false) // short_syntax: false
 	} else if p.peek_tok.kind == .dot && (lit0_is_capital && !known_var && language == .v) {
 		// T.name
@@ -1351,11 +1361,8 @@ pub fn (mut p Parser) name_expr() ast.Expr {
 			pos: p.tok.position()
 			mod: mod
 		}
-	} else if p.peek_tok.kind == .colon && p.prev_tok.kind != .str_dollar {
-		// `foo(key:val, key2:val2)`
-		return p.struct_init(true) // short_syntax:true
-		// JS. function call with more than 1 dot
 	} else if language == .js && p.peek_tok.kind == .dot && p.peek_tok2.kind == .name {
+		// JS. function call with more than 1 dot
 		node = p.call_expr(language, mod)
 	} else {
 		node = p.parse_ident(language)
diff --git a/vlib/v/parser/pratt.v b/vlib/v/parser/pratt.v
index e75f1b5df7..d40cc0fa45 100644
--- a/vlib/v/parser/pratt.v
+++ b/vlib/v/parser/pratt.v
@@ -240,6 +240,7 @@ pub fn (mut p Parser) expr(precedence int) ast.Expr {
 			// Map `{"age": 20}` or `{ x | foo:bar, a:10 }`
 			p.next()
 			if p.tok.kind in [.chartoken, .number, .string] {
+				// TODO deprecate
 				node = p.map_init()
 			} else {
 				// it should be a struct
diff --git a/vlib/v/tests/map_key_expr_test.v b/vlib/v/tests/map_key_expr_test.v
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..21bc17db8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/tests/map_key_expr_test.v
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+const (
+	alpha = 'a'
+	beta = 'b'
+	m = map{
+		alpha : 'Alpha'
+		beta : 'Beta'
+	}
+)
+
+fn test_const_keys() {
+	assert m[alpha] == 'Alpha'
+	assert m[beta] == 'Beta'
+}
+
+enum Enum {
+	a b
+}
+
+const (
+	m2 = map{
+		Enum.a.str() : 'first'
+		Enum.b.str() : 'second'
+	}
+)
+
+fn test_method_call() {
+	assert m2.keys() == ['a', 'b']
+	assert m2[Enum.a.str()] == 'first'
+	assert m2[Enum.b.str()] == 'second'
+}