diff --git a/src/jolt/core.janet b/src/jolt/core.janet
index b5a9fcb..12bdc63 100644
--- a/src/jolt/core.janet
+++ b/src/jolt/core.janet
@@ -40,6 +40,25 @@
   [xs]
   (if mutable? (array ;xs) (pv-from-indexed xs)))
 
+# Canonicalize a collection key/element to a value-hashable Janet struct/tuple so
+# the PHM/PHS treat value-equal maps/vectors as the same key (Janet hashes tables
+# by identity otherwise). Installed into phm via set-canonicalize-key!.
+(var canon-key nil)
+(set canon-key
+  (fn [k]
+    (cond
+      (pvec? k) (tuple ;(map canon-key (pv->array k)))
+      (plist? k) (tuple ;(map canon-key (pl->array k)))
+      (set? k) (do (def t @{}) (each e (phs-seq k) (put t (canon-key e) true)) (table/to-struct t))
+      (phm? k) (do (def t @{}) (each pair (phm-entries k) (put t (canon-key (in pair 0)) (canon-key (in pair 1)))) (table/to-struct t))
+      (and (table? k) (get k :jolt/deftype))
+        (do (def t @{}) (each kk (keys k) (when (not= kk :jolt/deftype) (put t kk (canon-key (get k kk))))) (table/to-struct t))
+      (struct? k) (do (def t @{}) (each kk (keys k) (put t (canon-key kk) (canon-key (get k kk)))) (table/to-struct t))
+      (array? k) (tuple ;(map canon-key k))
+      (tuple? k) (tuple ;(map canon-key k))
+      k)))
+(set-canonicalize-key! canon-key)
+
 (defn realize-for-iteration [c]
   "Normalize a seqable to a Janet array/tuple for iteration: pvec -> array,
   set -> seq, lazy-seq -> realized array; others pass through. Warning: will
@@ -306,9 +325,20 @@
             (if (= idx (length result)) (array/push result v) (put result idx v)))
           (+= i 2))
         (if (tuple? m) (tuple/slice (tuple ;result)) result))
-    (do (var result @{}) (when m (each k (keys m) (put result k (get m k))))
-      (var i 0) (while (< i (length kvs)) (let [k (kvs i) v (kvs (+ i 1))] (put result k v) (+= i 2)))
-      (if (struct? m) (table/to-struct result) result))))
+    # map (struct/table). If any key is a collection, a Janet struct/table keys
+    # it by identity — promote to a phm so such keys compare by value.
+    (let [coll-key (do (var c false) (var i 0)
+                     (while (< i (length kvs))
+                       (when (let [k (in kvs i)] (or (table? k) (array? k))) (set c true))
+                       (+= i 2)) c)]
+      (if coll-key
+        (do (var result (make-phm))
+            (when m (each k (keys m) (set result (phm-assoc result k (get m k)))))
+            (var i 0) (while (< i (length kvs)) (set result (phm-assoc result (in kvs i) (in kvs (+ i 1)))) (+= i 2))
+            result)
+        (do (var result @{}) (when m (each k (keys m) (put result k (get m k))))
+          (var i 0) (while (< i (length kvs)) (let [k (kvs i) v (kvs (+ i 1))] (put result k v) (+= i 2)))
+          (if (struct? m) (table/to-struct result) result))))))
 
 (defn core-dissoc [m & ks]
   (if (phm? m)
@@ -985,18 +1015,19 @@
       (if (jvec? coll) (make-vec result) result)))))
 
 (defn core-group-by [f coll]
-  (var result @{})
-  (var c (realize-for-iteration coll))
-  (each x c
+  # phm base so collection keys group by value
+  (var result (make-phm))
+  (each x (realize-for-iteration coll)
     (let [k (f x)]
-      (put result k (array/push (core-get result k @[]) x))))
+      (set result (phm-assoc result k (array/push (phm-get result k @[]) x)))))
   result)
 
 (defn core-frequencies [coll]
-  (var result @{})
+  # phm base so collection elements are counted by value
+  (var result (make-phm))
   (each x (realize-for-iteration coll)
-    (put result x (+ 1 (get result x 0))))
-  (table/to-struct result))
+    (set result (phm-assoc result x (+ 1 (phm-get result x 0)))))
+  result)
 
 (defn core-partition
   "(partition n coll) or (partition n step coll). Only complete partitions of
diff --git a/src/jolt/evaluator.janet b/src/jolt/evaluator.janet
index 392c247..e3fe5d1 100644
--- a/src/jolt/evaluator.janet
+++ b/src/jolt/evaluator.janet
@@ -1295,7 +1295,8 @@
       (if (= :jolt/char (form :jolt/type))
         form
       (if (= :jolt/set (form :jolt/type))
-        (apply make-phs (form :value))
+        # evaluate each element (set literals like #{(inc 1)} must compute)
+        (apply make-phs (map |(eval-form ctx bindings $) (form :value)))
       (if (= :jolt/tagged (form :jolt/type))
         (let [tag (form :tag)
               data-readers (get (ctx :env) :data-readers)
@@ -1312,7 +1313,19 @@
           (each k (keys form)
             (array/push kvs (eval-form ctx bindings k))
             (array/push kvs (eval-form ctx bindings (get form k))))
-          (struct ;kvs)))))))
+          # If any key is a collection (a Janet table/array — phm/pvec/plist/
+          # record/list), a Janet struct would key it by identity; use a phm so
+          # such keys compare by value.
+          (var coll-key false)
+          (var ki 0)
+          (while (< ki (length kvs))
+            (let [kk (in kvs ki)] (when (or (table? kk) (array? kk)) (set coll-key true)))
+            (+= ki 2))
+          (if coll-key
+            (do (var m (make-phm)) (var j 0)
+                (while (< j (length kvs)) (set m (phm-assoc m (in kvs j) (in kvs (+ j 1)))) (+= j 2))
+                m)
+            (struct ;kvs))))))))
     (array? form)
     (if (= 0 (length form))
       @[]
diff --git a/src/jolt/main.janet b/src/jolt/main.janet
index 8206e8b..1bfd558 100644
--- a/src/jolt/main.janet
+++ b/src/jolt/main.janet
@@ -101,6 +101,15 @@
         (write-value k buf))
       (push-str buf "}"))
 
+    (phm? v)
+    (do
+      (push-str buf "{")
+      (var first? true)
+      (each pair (phm-entries v)
+        (if first? (set first? false) (push-str buf ", "))
+        (write-value (in pair 0) buf) (push-str buf " ") (write-value (in pair 1) buf))
+      (push-str buf "}"))
+
     (and (table? v) (= :jolt/regex (v :jolt/type)))
     (do (push-str buf "#\"") (push-str buf (v :source)) (push-str buf "\""))
 
diff --git a/src/jolt/phm.janet b/src/jolt/phm.janet
index bc4e4a2..2a1e1ee 100644
--- a/src/jolt/phm.janet
+++ b/src/jolt/phm.janet
@@ -7,27 +7,44 @@
   (and (table? x)
        (= "jolt.lang.persistent-hash-map.PersistentHashMap" (x :jolt/deftype))))
 
+# Keys are hashed and compared by VALUE. Scalars (keywords/strings/numbers) are
+# value-hashable in Janet already, but collection keys (a phm/pvec/plist map or
+# vector) are Janet tables hashed by identity — so they're canonicalized to a
+# value-hashable struct/tuple first. `canonicalize-key` is injected by core (which
+# knows the pvec/plist/phm types); phm stays dependency-free. Keys are still
+# *stored* as-is, so retrieval and iteration return the original key objects.
+(var canonicalize-key nil)
+(defn set-canonicalize-key!
+  "Install the value-canonicalizer for collection keys (called by core)."
+  [f]
+  (set canonicalize-key f))
+(defn- ck [k]
+  (if (and canonicalize-key (or (table? k) (struct? k) (array? k) (tuple? k)))
+    (canonicalize-key k)
+    k))
+(defn- key= [a b] (= (ck a) (ck b)))
+
 (defn phm-hash-key [k]
-  (if (nil? k) 0 (mod (hash k) bucket-count)))
+  (if (nil? k) 0 (mod (hash (ck k)) bucket-count)))
 
 (defn- phm-bucket-find [bucket k]
   (var i 0) (var n (length bucket)) (var found nil)
   (while (< i n)
-    (if (= k (in bucket i)) (do (set found (in bucket (+ i 1))) (break)))
+    (if (key= k (in bucket i)) (do (set found (in bucket (+ i 1))) (break)))
     (+= i 2))
   found)
 
 (defn phm-bucket-contains? [bucket k]
   (var i 0) (var n (length bucket)) (var found false)
   (while (< i n)
-    (if (= k (in bucket i)) (do (set found true) (break)))
+    (if (key= k (in bucket i)) (do (set found true) (break)))
     (+= i 2))
   found)
 
 (defn- phm-bucket-assoc [bucket k v]
   (var i 0) (var n (length bucket)) (var found-i nil)
   (while (< i n)
-    (if (= k (in bucket i)) (do (set found-i i) (break)))
+    (if (key= k (in bucket i)) (do (set found-i i) (break)))
     (+= i 2))
   (if (not (nil? found-i))
     (let [nb @[]] (var j 0)
@@ -39,7 +56,7 @@
 (defn- phm-bucket-dissoc [bucket k]
   (var i 0) (var n (length bucket)) (var found-i nil)
   (while (< i n)
-    (if (= k (in bucket i)) (do (set found-i i) (break)))
+    (if (key= k (in bucket i)) (do (set found-i i) (break)))
     (+= i 2))
   (if (nil? found-i) bucket
     (if (= n 2) nil
diff --git a/test/spec/maps-spec.janet b/test/spec/maps-spec.janet
index 99ad019..ee01523 100644
--- a/test/spec/maps-spec.janet
+++ b/test/spec/maps-spec.janet
@@ -54,3 +54,11 @@
   ["count of nil map"       "0"               "(count nil)"]
   ["get from nil"           "nil"             "(get nil :a)"]
   ["immutability"           "true"            "(let [m {:a 1} n (assoc m :b 2)] (and (= m {:a 1}) (= n {:a 1 :b 2})))"])
+
+(defspec "map / collection keys (by value)"
+  ["vector key literal"     ":v"              "(get {[1 2] :v} [1 2])"]
+  ["map key literal"        ":v"              "(get {(hash-map :a 1) :v} {:a 1})"]
+  ["assoc vector key"       ":v"              "(get (assoc {} [1 2] :v) [1 2])"]
+  ["key across repr"        ":v"              "(get (assoc {} (vec [1 2]) :v) [1 2])"]
+  ["frequencies of maps"    "2"               "(get (frequencies [{:a 1} (hash-map :a 1)]) {:a 1})"]
+  ["group-by collection key" "1"              "(count (group-by identity [{:a 1} (hash-map :a 1)]))"])
diff --git a/test/spec/sets-spec.janet b/test/spec/sets-spec.janet
index 587fe58..db707fa 100644
--- a/test/spec/sets-spec.janet
+++ b/test/spec/sets-spec.janet
@@ -23,6 +23,13 @@
   ["set as fn present"      "2"         "(#{1 2 3} 2)"]
   ["set as fn missing"      "nil"       "(#{1 2 3} 9)"])
 
+(defspec "set / literals & value elements"
+  ["literal evaluates elements" "#{2 4}" "#{(inc 1) (* 2 2)}"]
+  ["map elements by value"  "true"      "(= #{{:a 1}} #{(hash-map :a 1)})"]
+  ["contains? map by value" "true"      "(contains? #{(hash-map :x 1)} {:x 1})"]
+  ["dedup equal maps"       "1"         "(count (set [{:a 1} (hash-map :a 1)]))"]
+  ["vector elements"        "true"      "(contains? #{[1 2]} (vec [1 2]))"])
+
 (defspec "clojure.set"
   ["union"                  "#{1 2 3 4}" "(do (require (quote [clojure.set :as s])) (s/union #{1 2} #{3 4}))"]
   ["intersection"           "#{2}"       "(do (require (quote [clojure.set :as s])) (s/intersection #{1 2} #{2 3}))"]