diff --git a/common/jinja/value.cpp b/common/jinja/value.cpp
index ce4c66f879..10130a6b02 100644
--- a/common/jinja/value.cpp
+++ b/common/jinja/value.cpp
@@ -348,6 +348,43 @@ static value default_value(const func_args & args) {
     return no_value ? args.get_pos(1) : args.get_pos(0);
 }
 
+static value toobject(const func_args & args) {
+    auto out = mk_val<value_object>();
+    value iter = args.get_pos(0, mk_val<value_undefined>());
+    bool iter_first = false;
+    if (is_val<value_array>(iter)) {
+        iter_first = true;
+        for (const auto & it : iter->as_array()) {
+            if (is_val<value_array>(it) && it->as_array().size() == 2) {
+                auto tuple = it->as_array();
+                auto key = tuple[0];
+                auto val = tuple[1];
+                JJ_DEBUG("namespace/dict: adding key '%s'", key->as_string().str().c_str());
+                out->insert(key, val);
+            } else {
+                throw raised_exception("namespace/dict() iterable argument must consist of tuples, not " + it->type());
+            }
+        }
+    } else if (is_val<value_object>(iter)) {
+        iter_first = true;
+        for (const auto & pair : iter->as_ordered_object()) {
+            JJ_DEBUG("namespace/dict: adding key '%s'", pair.first->as_string().str().c_str());
+            out->insert(pair.first, pair.second);
+        }
+    }
+    for (const auto & arg : args.get_args()) {
+        if (is_val<value_kwarg>(arg)) {
+            auto kwarg = cast_val<value_kwarg>(arg);
+            JJ_DEBUG("namespace/dict: adding key '%s'", kwarg->key.c_str());
+            out->insert(kwarg->key, kwarg->val);
+        } else if (!iter_first) {
+            throw raised_exception("namespace/dict() arguments must be kwargs, dict and/or iterable of tuples, not " + arg->type());
+        }
+        iter_first = false;
+    }
+    return out;
+}
+
 const func_builtins & global_builtins() {
     static const func_builtins builtins = {
         {"raise_exception", [](const func_args & args) -> value {
@@ -355,18 +392,8 @@ const func_builtins & global_builtins() {
             std::string msg = args.get_pos(0)->as_string().str();
             throw raised_exception("Jinja Exception: " + msg);
         }},
-        {"namespace", [](const func_args & args) -> value {
-            auto out = mk_val<value_object>();
-            for (const auto & arg : args.get_args()) {
-                if (!is_val<value_kwarg>(arg)) {
-                    throw raised_exception("namespace() arguments must be kwargs");
-                }
-                auto kwarg = cast_val<value_kwarg>(arg);
-                JJ_DEBUG("namespace: adding key '%s'", kwarg->key.c_str());
-                out->insert(kwarg->key, kwarg->val);
-            }
-            return out;
-        }},
+        {"dict", toobject},
+        {"namespace", toobject},
         {"strftime_now", [](const func_args & args) -> value {
             args.ensure_vals<value_string>();
             std::string format = args.get_pos(0)->as_string().str();
diff --git a/tests/test-jinja.cpp b/tests/test-jinja.cpp
index 50a79af3f3..891b785c4f 100644
--- a/tests/test-jinja.cpp
+++ b/tests/test-jinja.cpp
@@ -1976,6 +1976,30 @@ static void test_object_methods(testing & t) {
         json::object(),
         ""
     );
+
+    test_template(t, "dict from dict",
+        "{% set o = dict({'a': 3, 'b': 1, 'c': 2}) %}{{ o|tojson }}",
+        json::object(),
+        "{\"a\": 3, \"b\": 1, \"c\": 2}"
+    );
+
+    test_template(t, "dict from kwargs",
+        "{% set o = dict(a=3, b=1, c=2) %}{{ o|tojson }}",
+        json::object(),
+        "{\"a\": 3, \"b\": 1, \"c\": 2}"
+    );
+
+    test_template(t, "dict from tuples",
+        "{% set o = dict((obj | items | list)) %}{{ o|tojson }}",
+        {{"obj", {{"a", 3}, {"b", 1}, {"c", 2}}}},
+        "{\"a\": 3, \"b\": 1, \"c\": 2}"
+    );
+
+    test_template(t, "dict from tuples and kwargs",
+        "{% set o = dict((obj | items | list), c=2) %}{{ o|tojson }}",
+        {{"obj", {{"a", 3}, {"b", 1}}}},
+        "{\"a\": 3, \"b\": 1, \"c\": 2}"
+    );
 }
 
 static void test_hasher(testing & t) {