diff --git a/include/xo/arena/DArenaHashMap.hpp b/include/xo/arena/DArenaHashMap.hpp
index aef9ed3..cf50895 100644
--- a/include/xo/arena/DArenaHashMap.hpp
+++ b/include/xo/arena/DArenaHashMap.hpp
@@ -98,8 +98,8 @@ namespace xo {
              *  Replaces any previous value stored under the same key.
              *
              *  Return pair retval with:
-             *  reval.first: true if size incremented;
-             *  retval.second: address of slots_[p] at which pair inserted/updated
+             *  retval.first: address of slots_[p] at which pair inserted/updated
+             *  retval.second: true if size incremented;
              *
              *  When table is full retval.second will be nullptr,
              *  with error captured in last_error_
@@ -119,6 +119,9 @@ namespace xo {
              **/
             iterator find(const key_type & key);
 
+            /** establish kv pair for @p key in this table; return address of value part **/
+            mapped_type & operator[](const key_type & key);
+
         private:
             /** insert @p kv_pair,
              *  where key hashes to @p hash_value, into @p *store
@@ -169,7 +172,7 @@ namespace xo {
                                                               bool debug_flag)
         : hash_{std::move(hash)},
           equal_{std::move(eq)},
-          store_{lub_exp2(lub_group_mult(hint_max_capacity))},
+          store_{"arenahashmap", lub_exp2(lub_group_mult(hint_max_capacity))},
           debug_flag_{debug_flag}
         {
         }
@@ -332,7 +335,8 @@ namespace xo {
             } else {
                 log && log("duplicate-and-replace branch");
 
-                detail::HashMapStore<Key, Value> store_2x(std::make_pair(n_group_exponent_2x,
+                detail::HashMapStore<Key, Value> store_2x("arenahashmap",
+                                                          std::make_pair(n_group_exponent_2x,
                                                                          n_group_2x));
                 /* rehash everything in store_,
                  * into store_2x
@@ -459,6 +463,42 @@ namespace xo {
             }
         }
 
+        template <typename Key,
+                  typename Value,
+                  typename Hash,
+                  typename Equal>
+        auto
+        DArenaHashMap<Key, Value, Hash, Equal>::operator[](const key_type & key) -> mapped_type &
+        {
+            {
+                auto ix = this->find(key);
+
+                if (ix != this->end())
+                    return ix->second;
+            }
+
+            // key-value pair
+            value_type kv_pair = std::make_pair(key, mapped_type{});
+
+            auto [slot_addr, ins_flag] = this->try_insert(kv_pair);
+
+            if (slot_addr)
+                return slot_addr->second;
+
+            if (!this->_try_grow()) {
+                // we are out of room
+
+                throw std::runtime_error("DArenaHashMap::operator[]: table capacity exhausted");
+            }
+
+            /* retry insert, now with bigger capacity */
+            std::tie(slot_addr, ins_flag) = this->try_insert(kv_pair);
+
+            assert(slot_addr);
+
+            return slot_addr->second;
+        }
+
         /**
          *  Verify DArenaHashMap class invariants.
          *
diff --git a/include/xo/arena/hashmap/HashMapStore.hpp b/include/xo/arena/hashmap/HashMapStore.hpp
index 545aa1c..dd8ace1 100644
--- a/include/xo/arena/hashmap/HashMapStore.hpp
+++ b/include/xo/arena/hashmap/HashMapStore.hpp
@@ -22,14 +22,15 @@ namespace xo {
 
             public:
                 /** group_exp2: number of groups {x, 2^x} **/
-                explicit HashMapStore(const std::pair<size_type,
+                explicit HashMapStore(const std::string & name,
+                                      const std::pair<size_type,
                                                       size_type> & group_exp2)
                 : size_{0},
                   n_group_exponent_{group_exp2.first},
                   n_group_{group_exp2.second},
                   n_slot_{group_exp2.second * c_group_size},
-                  control_{control_vector_type::map(xo::mm::ArenaConfig{.size_ = control_size(n_slot_)})},
-                  slots_{slot_vector_type::map(xo::mm::ArenaConfig{.size_ = n_slot_ * sizeof(value_type)})}
+                  control_{control_vector_type::map(xo::mm::ArenaConfig{.name_ = name, .size_ = control_size(n_slot_)})},
+                  slots_{slot_vector_type::map(xo::mm::ArenaConfig{.name_ = name, .size_ = n_slot_ * sizeof(value_type)})}
                 {
                     /* here: arenas have allocated address range, but no committed memory yet */
 
diff --git a/utest/DArenaHashMap.test.cpp b/utest/DArenaHashMap.test.cpp
index 088edf2..28da62c 100644
--- a/utest/DArenaHashMap.test.cpp
+++ b/utest/DArenaHashMap.test.cpp
@@ -226,6 +226,54 @@ namespace xo {
             }
         }
 
+        TEST_CASE("DArenaHashMap-operator-bracket", "[arena][DArenaHashMap]")
+        {
+            using HashMap = DArenaHashMap<int, int>;
+
+            HashMap map;
+
+            // insert via operator[]
+            map[1] = 100;
+            map[2] = 200;
+            map[3] = 300;
+
+            REQUIRE(map.size() == 3);
+
+            // read back via operator[]
+            REQUIRE(map[1] == 100);
+            REQUIRE(map[2] == 200);
+            REQUIRE(map[3] == 300);
+
+            // update via operator[]
+            map[2] = 250;
+            REQUIRE(map[2] == 250);
+            REQUIRE(map.size() == 3);  // size unchanged
+
+            // verify via find
+            {
+                auto it = map.find(1);
+                REQUIRE(it != map.end());
+                REQUIRE(it->second == 100);
+            }
+            {
+                auto it = map.find(2);
+                REQUIRE(it != map.end());
+                REQUIRE(it->second == 250);
+            }
+            {
+                auto it = map.find(3);
+                REQUIRE(it != map.end());
+                REQUIRE(it->second == 300);
+            }
+
+            // operator[] on non-existent key creates default entry
+            int & val = map[999];
+            REQUIRE(map.size() == 4);
+            REQUIRE(val == 0);  // default-initialized
+            val = 999;
+            REQUIRE(map[999] == 999);
+        }
+
         // TODO:
         //  - let's try getting lcov to work in xo-umbrella2
     }