diff --git a/m-dict.h b/m-dict.h
index d7f7c6ef..8f77ccf0 100644
--- a/m-dict.h
+++ b/m-dict.h
@@ -228,7 +228,14 @@
     map->used = 0;                                                      \
     DICTI_CONTRACT(name, map);                                          \
   }                                                                     \
-  									\
+                                                                        \
+  static inline bool                                                    \
+  M_C(name,_empty_p)(const dict_t map)					\
+  {                                                                     \
+    DICTI_CONTRACT(name, map);                                          \
+    return map->used == 0;                                              \
+  }                                                                     \
+                                                                        \
   static inline size_t                                                  \
   M_C(name,_size)(const dict_t map)					\
   {                                                                     \
@@ -1064,7 +1071,14 @@ typedef enum {
     DICTI_OA_CONTRACT(dict);                                            \
     return true;                                                        \
   }                                                                     \
-  									\
+                                                                        \
+  static inline bool                                                    \
+  M_C(name,_empty_p)(const  dict_t dict)                                \
+  {                                                                     \
+    DICTI_OA_CONTRACT(dict);                                            \
+    return dict->count == 0;                                            \
+  }                                                                     \
+                                                                        \
   static inline size_t                                                  \
   M_C(name,_size)(const  dict_t dict)					\
   {                                                                     \
diff --git a/tests/test-mdict.c b/tests/test-mdict.c
index 9baf0c09..8dafa997 100644
--- a/tests/test-mdict.c
+++ b/tests/test-mdict.c
@@ -69,10 +69,12 @@ static void test_data(void)
 {
   dict_str_t dict;
   int data_size = (int) array_string_size(v_str);
-    
+
   dict_str_init (dict);
+  assert(dict_str_empty_p(dict));
   for (int i = 0; i < data_size; ++i) {
     dict_str_set_at(dict, *array_string_cget(v_str, i), *array_string_cget(v_str, (i+1) % data_size));
+    assert(!dict_str_empty_p(dict));
   }
   assert(dict_str_size(dict) == 1227176);