diff --git a/src/evaluate.c b/src/evaluate.c
index f28ef2aad8f4..f26bc7f9b0ed 100644
--- a/src/evaluate.c
+++ b/src/evaluate.c
@@ -2061,6 +2061,7 @@ static int expr_evaluate_map(struct eval_ctx *ctx, struct expr **expr)
 	mappings->set_flags |= NFT_SET_MAP;
 
 	switch (map->mappings->etype) {
+	case EXPR_VARIABLE:
 	case EXPR_SET:
 		if (ctx->ectx.key && ctx->ectx.key->etype == EXPR_CONCAT) {
 			key = expr_clone(ctx->ectx.key);
@@ -2104,6 +2105,11 @@ static int expr_evaluate_map(struct eval_ctx *ctx, struct expr **expr)
 		if (expr_evaluate(ctx, &map->mappings->set->init) < 0)
 			return -1;
 
+		if (map->mappings->set->init->etype != EXPR_SET) {
+			return expr_error(ctx->msgs, map->mappings->set->init,
+					  "Expression is not a map");
+		}
+
 		if (set_is_interval(map->mappings->set->init->set_flags) &&
 		    !(map->mappings->set->init->set_flags & NFT_SET_CONCAT) &&
 		    interval_set_eval(ctx, ctx->set, map->mappings->set->init) < 0)
@@ -4576,6 +4582,7 @@ static int stmt_evaluate_objref_map(struct eval_ctx *ctx, struct stmt *stmt)
 	mappings->set_flags |= NFT_SET_OBJECT;
 
 	switch (map->mappings->etype) {
+	case EXPR_VARIABLE:
 	case EXPR_SET:
 		key = constant_expr_alloc(&stmt->location,
 					  ctx->ectx.dtype,
@@ -4595,6 +4602,11 @@ static int stmt_evaluate_objref_map(struct eval_ctx *ctx, struct stmt *stmt)
 		if (expr_evaluate(ctx, &map->mappings->set->init) < 0)
 			return -1;
 
+		if (map->mappings->set->init->etype != EXPR_SET) {
+			return expr_error(ctx->msgs, map->mappings->set->init,
+					  "Expression is not a map");
+		}
+
 		if (set_is_interval(map->mappings->set->init->set_flags) &&
 		    !(map->mappings->set->init->set_flags & NFT_SET_CONCAT) &&
 		    interval_set_eval(ctx, ctx->set, map->mappings->set->init) < 0)
diff --git a/tests/shell/testcases/maps/0024named_objects_1 b/tests/shell/testcases/maps/0024named_objects_1
new file mode 100755
index 000000000000..a861e9e2d4a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/shell/testcases/maps/0024named_objects_1
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# This is the test-case:
+# * creating valid named objects and using map variables in statements
+
+RULESET='
+define counter_map = { 192.168.2.2 : "user123", 1.1.1.1 : "user123", 2.2.2.2 : "user123" }
+define quota_map = { 192.168.2.2 : "user124", 192.168.2.3 : "user124" }
+
+table inet x {
+	counter user123 {
+		packets 12 bytes 1433
+	}
+	counter user321 {
+		packets 12 bytes 1433
+	}
+	quota user123 {
+		over 2000 bytes
+	}
+	quota user124 {
+		over 2000 bytes
+	}
+	chain y {
+		type filter hook input priority 0; policy accept;
+		counter name ip saddr map $counter_map
+		quota name ip saddr map $quota_map drop
+	}
+}'
+
+set -e
+$NFT -f - <<< "$RULESET"
diff --git a/tests/shell/testcases/maps/0024named_objects_2 b/tests/shell/testcases/maps/0024named_objects_2
new file mode 100755
index 000000000000..584b5100f650
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/shell/testcases/maps/0024named_objects_2
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+#
+# Test some error conditions for using variables to define maps
+#
+
+set -e
+
+for m in "192.168.2.2" "{ 192.168.2.2, 1.1.1.1, 2.2.2.2 }"; do
+
+    RULESET="
+define m = $m"'
+table inet x {
+	chain y {
+		type filter hook input priority 0; policy accept;
+		counter name ip saddr map $m
+	}
+}'
+
+    $NFT -f - <<< "$RULESET" || rc=$?
+    test $rc = 1
+
+done
diff --git a/tests/shell/testcases/maps/anonymous_snat_map_1 b/tests/shell/testcases/maps/anonymous_snat_map_1
new file mode 100755
index 000000000000..031de0c1a83f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/shell/testcases/maps/anonymous_snat_map_1
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Variable containing anonymous map can be added to a snat rule
+
+set -e
+
+RULESET='
+define m = {1.1.1.1 : 2.2.2.2}
+table nat {
+  chain postrouting {
+    snat ip saddr map $m
+  }
+}
+'
+
+$NFT -f - <<< "$RULESET"
diff --git a/tests/shell/testcases/maps/anonymous_snat_map_2 b/tests/shell/testcases/maps/anonymous_snat_map_2
new file mode 100755
index 000000000000..90e02038093c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/shell/testcases/maps/anonymous_snat_map_2
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+#
+# Test some error conditions for using variables to define maps
+#
+
+set -e
+
+for m in "1.1.1.1" "{1.1.1.1}"; do
+
+    RULESET="
+define m = $m"'
+table nat {
+  chain postrouting {
+    snat ip saddr map $m
+  }
+}
+'
+
+    $NFT -f - <<< "$RULESET" || rc=$?
+    test $rc = 1
+
+done
diff --git a/tests/shell/testcases/maps/dumps/0024named_objects_1.json-nft b/tests/shell/testcases/maps/dumps/0024named_objects_1.json-nft
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..e3fab16d3337
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/shell/testcases/maps/dumps/0024named_objects_1.json-nft
@@ -0,0 +1,147 @@
+{
+  "nftables": [
+    {
+      "metainfo": {
+        "version": "VERSION",
+        "release_name": "RELEASE_NAME",
+        "json_schema_version": 1
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "table": {
+        "family": "inet",
+        "name": "x",
+        "handle": 0
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "chain": {
+        "family": "inet",
+        "table": "x",
+        "name": "y",
+        "handle": 0,
+        "type": "filter",
+        "hook": "input",
+        "prio": 0,
+        "policy": "accept"
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "counter": {
+        "family": "inet",
+        "name": "user123",
+        "table": "x",
+        "handle": 0,
+        "packets": 12,
+        "bytes": 1433
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "counter": {
+        "family": "inet",
+        "name": "user321",
+        "table": "x",
+        "handle": 0,
+        "packets": 12,
+        "bytes": 1433
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "quota": {
+        "family": "inet",
+        "name": "user123",
+        "table": "x",
+        "handle": 0,
+        "bytes": 2000,
+        "used": 0,
+        "inv": true
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "quota": {
+        "family": "inet",
+        "name": "user124",
+        "table": "x",
+        "handle": 0,
+        "bytes": 2000,
+        "used": 0,
+        "inv": true
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "rule": {
+        "family": "inet",
+        "table": "x",
+        "chain": "y",
+        "handle": 0,
+        "expr": [
+          {
+            "counter": {
+              "map": {
+                "key": {
+                  "payload": {
+                    "protocol": "ip",
+                    "field": "saddr"
+                  }
+                },
+                "data": {
+                  "set": [
+                    [
+                      "1.1.1.1",
+                      "user123"
+                    ],
+                    [
+                      "2.2.2.2",
+                      "user123"
+                    ],
+                    [
+                      "192.168.2.2",
+                      "user123"
+                    ]
+                  ]
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        ]
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "rule": {
+        "family": "inet",
+        "table": "x",
+        "chain": "y",
+        "handle": 0,
+        "expr": [
+          {
+            "quota": {
+              "map": {
+                "key": {
+                  "payload": {
+                    "protocol": "ip",
+                    "field": "saddr"
+                  }
+                },
+                "data": {
+                  "set": [
+                    [
+                      "192.168.2.2",
+                      "user124"
+                    ],
+                    [
+                      "192.168.2.3",
+                      "user124"
+                    ]
+                  ]
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          {
+            "drop": null
+          }
+        ]
+      }
+    }
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/tests/shell/testcases/maps/dumps/0024named_objects_1.nft b/tests/shell/testcases/maps/dumps/0024named_objects_1.nft
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a8e99a3ca9a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/shell/testcases/maps/dumps/0024named_objects_1.nft
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+table inet x {
+	counter user123 {
+		packets 12 bytes 1433
+	}
+
+	counter user321 {
+		packets 12 bytes 1433
+	}
+
+	quota user123 {
+		over 2000 bytes
+	}
+
+	quota user124 {
+		over 2000 bytes
+	}
+
+	chain y {
+		type filter hook input priority filter; policy accept;
+		counter name ip saddr map { 1.1.1.1 : "user123", 2.2.2.2 : "user123", 192.168.2.2 : "user123" }
+		quota name ip saddr map { 192.168.2.2 : "user124", 192.168.2.3 : "user124" } drop
+	}
+}
diff --git a/tests/shell/testcases/maps/dumps/anonymous_snat_map_1.json-nft b/tests/shell/testcases/maps/dumps/anonymous_snat_map_1.json-nft
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..f4c55706787c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/shell/testcases/maps/dumps/anonymous_snat_map_1.json-nft
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+{
+  "nftables": [
+    {
+      "metainfo": {
+        "version": "VERSION",
+        "release_name": "RELEASE_NAME",
+        "json_schema_version": 1
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "table": {
+        "family": "ip",
+        "name": "nat",
+        "handle": 0
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "chain": {
+        "family": "ip",
+        "table": "nat",
+        "name": "postrouting",
+        "handle": 0
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "rule": {
+        "family": "ip",
+        "table": "nat",
+        "chain": "postrouting",
+        "handle": 0,
+        "expr": [
+          {
+            "snat": {
+              "addr": {
+                "map": {
+                  "key": {
+                    "payload": {
+                      "protocol": "ip",
+                      "field": "saddr"
+                    }
+                  },
+                  "data": {
+                    "set": [
+                      [
+                        "1.1.1.1",
+                        "2.2.2.2"
+                      ]
+                    ]
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        ]
+      }
+    }
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/tests/shell/testcases/maps/dumps/anonymous_snat_map_1.nft b/tests/shell/testcases/maps/dumps/anonymous_snat_map_1.nft
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..5009560c9d69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/shell/testcases/maps/dumps/anonymous_snat_map_1.nft
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+table ip nat {
+	chain postrouting {
+		snat to ip saddr map { 1.1.1.1 : 2.2.2.2 }
+	}
+}
