diff --git a/examples/echo/README b/examples/echo/README
index 5aa10b2..0422415 100644
--- a/examples/echo/README
+++ b/examples/echo/README
@@ -7,3 +7,5 @@ dbus-send --dest=org.freedesktop.DBus.Examples.Echo --type=method_call --print-r
 dbus-send --dest=org.freedesktop.DBus.Examples.Echo --type=method_call --print-reply /org/freedesktop/DBus/Examples/Echo org.freedesktop.DBus.EchoDemo.Hello string:"world"
 
 dbus-send --dest=org.freedesktop.DBus.Examples.Echo --type=method_call --print-reply /org/freedesktop/DBus/Examples/Echo org.freedesktop.DBus.EchoDemo.Sum array:int32:10,100,250
+
+dbus-send --dest=org.freedesktop.DBus.Examples.Echo --type=method_call --print-reply /org/freedesktop/DBus/Examples/Echo org.freedesktop.DBus.EchoDemo.Info
diff --git a/examples/echo/echo-introspect.xml b/examples/echo/echo-introspect.xml
index a8b43ad..be04755 100644
--- a/examples/echo/echo-introspect.xml
+++ b/examples/echo/echo-introspect.xml
@@ -19,5 +19,8 @@
     <signal name="Echoed">
       <arg type="v" name="value"/>
     </signal>
+    <method name="Info">
+      <arg type="a{ss}" name="info" direction="out"/>
+    </method>
   </interface>
 </node>
diff --git a/examples/echo/echo-server.cpp b/examples/echo/echo-server.cpp
index b862e2d..d0716d7 100644
--- a/examples/echo/echo-server.cpp
+++ b/examples/echo/echo-server.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #include "echo-server.h"
+#include <unistd.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <signal.h>
 
@@ -36,6 +37,18 @@ DBus::Int32 EchoServer::Sum( const std::vector<DBus::Int32>& ints )
 	return sum;	
 }
 
+std::map< DBus::String, DBus::String > EchoServer::Info()
+{
+	std::map< DBus::String, DBus::String > info;
+	char hostname[HOST_NAME_MAX];
+
+	gethostname(hostname, sizeof(hostname));
+	info["hostname"] = hostname;
+	info["username"] = getlogin();
+
+	return info;
+}
+
 
 DBus::BusDispatcher dispatcher;
 
diff --git a/examples/echo/echo-server.h b/examples/echo/echo-server.h
index 107de5a..5d3de8c 100644
--- a/examples/echo/echo-server.h
+++ b/examples/echo/echo-server.h
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ public:
 	DBus::Variant Echo( const DBus::Variant & value );
 
 	DBus::Int32 Sum( const std::vector<DBus::Int32> & ints );
+
+	std::map< DBus::String, DBus::String > Info();
 };
 
 #endif//__DEMO_ECHO_SERVER_H
diff --git a/include/dbus-c++/message.h b/include/dbus-c++/message.h
index 8e4017e..0d382e1 100644
--- a/include/dbus-c++/message.h
+++ b/include/dbus-c++/message.h
@@ -113,20 +113,20 @@ public:
 
 	int get_array( void* ptr );
 
-	MessageIter new_array( const char* sig );
+	int array_length();
 
 	bool is_array();
 
-	int array_length();
-
-	MessageIter new_dict_entry();
-
 	bool is_dict();
 
+	MessageIter new_array( const char* sig );
+
 	MessageIter new_variant( const char* sig );
 
 	MessageIter new_struct();
 
+	MessageIter new_dict_entry();
+
 	void close_container( MessageIter& container );
 
 	void copy_data( MessageIter& to );
diff --git a/include/dbus-c++/types.h b/include/dbus-c++/types.h
index 505b1fb..241a329 100644
--- a/include/dbus-c++/types.h
+++ b/include/dbus-c++/types.h
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ inline DBus::MessageIter& operator << ( DBus::MessageIter& iter, const std::vect
 template<typename K, typename V>
 inline DBus::MessageIter& operator << ( DBus::MessageIter& iter, const std::map<K,V>& val )
 {
-	const std::string sig = DBus::type<K>::sig() + DBus::type<V>::sig();
+	const std::string sig = "{" + DBus::type<K>::sig() + DBus::type<V>::sig() + "}";
 	DBus::MessageIter ait = iter.new_array(sig.c_str());
 
 	typename std::map<K,V>::const_iterator mit;
diff --git a/src/message.cpp b/src/message.cpp
index 3716e7a..abed0cb 100644
--- a/src/message.cpp
+++ b/src/message.cpp
@@ -246,13 +246,9 @@ int MessageIter::get_array( void* ptr )
 	return length;
 }
 
-MessageIter MessageIter::new_array( const char* sig )
+int MessageIter::array_length()
 {
-	MessageIter arr(msg());
-	dbus_message_iter_open_container(
-		(DBusMessageIter*)&_iter, DBUS_TYPE_ARRAY, sig, (DBusMessageIter*)&(arr._iter)
-	);
-	return arr;
+	return dbus_message_iter_get_array_len((DBusMessageIter*)&_iter);
 }
 
 bool MessageIter::is_array()
@@ -260,25 +256,20 @@ bool MessageIter::is_array()
 	return dbus_message_iter_get_arg_type((DBusMessageIter*)&_iter) == DBUS_TYPE_ARRAY;
 }
 
-int MessageIter::array_length()
-{
-	return dbus_message_iter_get_array_len((DBusMessageIter*)&_iter);
-}
-
-MessageIter MessageIter::new_dict_entry()
-{
-	MessageIter ent(msg());
-	dbus_message_iter_open_container(
-		(DBusMessageIter*)_iter, DBUS_TYPE_DICT_ENTRY, 0, (DBusMessageIter*)&(ent._iter)
-	);
-	return ent;
-}
-
 bool MessageIter::is_dict()
 {
 	return is_array() && dbus_message_iter_get_element_type((DBusMessageIter*)_iter) == DBUS_TYPE_DICT_ENTRY;
 }
 
+MessageIter MessageIter::new_array( const char* sig )
+{
+	MessageIter arr(msg());
+	dbus_message_iter_open_container(
+		(DBusMessageIter*)&_iter, DBUS_TYPE_ARRAY, sig, (DBusMessageIter*)&(arr._iter)
+	);
+	return arr;
+}
+
 MessageIter MessageIter::new_variant( const char* sig )
 {
 	MessageIter var(msg());
@@ -292,11 +283,20 @@ MessageIter MessageIter::new_struct()
 {
 	MessageIter stu(msg());
 	dbus_message_iter_open_container(
-		(DBusMessageIter*)_iter, DBUS_TYPE_STRUCT, 0, (DBusMessageIter*)&(stu._iter)
+		(DBusMessageIter*)_iter, DBUS_TYPE_STRUCT, NULL, (DBusMessageIter*)&(stu._iter)
 	);
 	return stu;
 }
 
+MessageIter MessageIter::new_dict_entry()
+{
+	MessageIter ent(msg());
+	dbus_message_iter_open_container(
+		(DBusMessageIter*)_iter, DBUS_TYPE_DICT_ENTRY, NULL, (DBusMessageIter*)&(ent._iter)
+	);
+	return ent;
+}
+
 void MessageIter::close_container( MessageIter& container )
 {
 	dbus_message_iter_close_container((DBusMessageIter*)&_iter, (DBusMessageIter*)&(container._iter));