diff --git a/REFERENCE.md b/REFERENCE.md
index 1564eb84a..ee9405b72 100644
--- a/REFERENCE.md
+++ b/REFERENCE.md
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 * [`Nginx::GzipProxied`](#Nginx--GzipProxied): custom type for gzip_proxied
 * [`Nginx::LogFormat`](#Nginx--LogFormat)
 * [`Nginx::Size`](#Nginx--Size)
+* [`Nginx::StringMappings`](#Nginx--StringMappings): custom type for the `map` variable mapping
 * [`Nginx::Time`](#Nginx--Time)
 * [`Nginx::UpstreamCustomParameters`](#Nginx--UpstreamCustomParameters)
 * [`Nginx::UpstreamDefaults`](#Nginx--UpstreamDefaults)
@@ -3170,10 +3171,12 @@ Source string or variable to provide mapping for
 
 ##### <a name="-nginx--resource--map--mappings"></a>`mappings`
 
-Data type: `Variant[Array, Hash]`
+Data type: `Nginx::StringMappings`
 
 Hash of map lookup keys and resultant values
 
+Default value: `[]`
+
 ##### <a name="-nginx--resource--map--hostnames"></a>`hostnames`
 
 Data type: `Boolean`
@@ -5189,6 +5192,15 @@ The Nginx::Size data type.
 
 Alias of `Variant[Integer[0], Pattern[/\A\d+[k|K|m|M]?\z/]]`
 
+### <a name="Nginx--StringMappings"></a>`Nginx::StringMappings`
+
+custom type for the `map` variable mapping
+
+* **See also**
+  * http://nginx.org/en/docs/http/ngx_http_map_module.html
+
+Alias of `Variant[Array[Struct[{ 'key' => String[1], 'value' => String }]], Hash[String[1], String]]`
+
 ### <a name="Nginx--Time"></a>`Nginx::Time`
 
 The Nginx::Time data type.
diff --git a/manifests/resource/map.pp b/manifests/resource/map.pp
index 929ab4628..0fee18eba 100644
--- a/manifests/resource/map.pp
+++ b/manifests/resource/map.pp
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@
 #
 define nginx::resource::map (
   String[2] $string,
-  Variant[Array, Hash] $mappings,
+  Nginx::StringMappings $mappings = [],
   Optional[String] $default         = undef,
   Enum['absent', 'present'] $ensure = 'present',
   Array[String] $include_files      = [],
@@ -93,7 +93,14 @@
     owner   => 'root',
     group   => $root_group,
     mode    => $nginx::global_mode,
-    content => template('nginx/conf.d/map.erb'),
+    content => epp('nginx/conf.d/map.epp', {
+        'default'       => $default,
+        'hostnames'     => $hostnames,
+        'include_files' => $include_files,
+        'mappings'      => $mappings,
+        'name'          => $name,
+        'string'        => $string,
+    }),
     notify  => Class['nginx::service'],
     tag     => 'nginx_config_file',
   }
diff --git a/templates/conf.d/map.epp b/templates/conf.d/map.epp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..612bc5eed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/conf.d/map.epp
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+<%- |
+  Optional[String] $default = undef,
+  Boolean $hostnames,
+  Array[String] $include_files,
+  Nginx::StringMappings $mappings,
+  String $name,
+  String[2] $string,
+| -%>
+# MANAGED BY PUPPET
+map <%= $string %> $<%= $name %> {
+<% if $hostnames { -%>
+  hostnames;
+<% } -%>
+<% if $default { -%>
+  default <%= $default %>;
+<% } -%>
+<%- $include_files.each |$h| { -%>
+  include <%= $h %>;
+<%- } -%>
+
+<%-
+$m = $mappings ? {
+  Hash => $mappings.keys.sort.map |$k| { { key => $k, value => $mappings[$k] } },
+  default => $mappings,
+}
+$field_width = $m.map |$x| { $x['key'].length }.max
+-%>
+<%- $m.each |$h| { -%>
+  <%= sprintf("%-*s %s", $field_width, $h['key'], $h['value']) %>;
+<%- } -%>
+}
diff --git a/templates/conf.d/map.erb b/templates/conf.d/map.erb
deleted file mode 100644
index 07213d9fa..000000000
--- a/templates/conf.d/map.erb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,25 +0,0 @@
-# MANAGED BY PUPPET
-map <%= @string %> $<%= @name %> {
-<% if @hostnames -%>
-  hostnames;
-<% end -%>
-<% if @default -%>
-  default <%= @default %>;
-<% end -%>
-<%- @include_files.each do |h| -%>
-  include <%= h %>;
-<%- end -%>
-
-<% if @mappings.is_a?(Hash) -%>
-  <%- field_width = @mappings.inject(0) { |l,(k,v)| k.size > l ? k.size : l } -%>
-  <%- @mappings.sort_by{|k,v| k}.each do |key,value| -%>
-  <%= sprintf("%-*s", field_width, key) %> <%= value %>;
-  <%- end -%>
-<% end -%>
-<% if @mappings.is_a?(Array) -%>
-  <%- field_width = @mappings.inject(0) { |l,h| h['key'].size > l ? h['key'].size : l } -%>
-  <%- @mappings.each do |h| -%>
-  <%= sprintf("%-*s", field_width, h['key']) %> <%= h['value'] %>;
-  <%- end -%>
-<% end -%>
-}
diff --git a/types/stringmappings.pp b/types/stringmappings.pp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f0b0ec85d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/types/stringmappings.pp
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# @summary custom type for the `map` variable mapping
+# @see http://nginx.org/en/docs/http/ngx_http_map_module.html
+type Nginx::StringMappings = Variant[
+  Array[Struct[{ 'key' => String[1], 'value' => String }]],
+  Hash[String[1], String]
+]