diff --git a/crates/loon-lang/src/check/mod.rs b/crates/loon-lang/src/check/mod.rs
index f4a20c2..49bbcd8 100644
--- a/crates/loon-lang/src/check/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/loon-lang/src/check/mod.rs
@@ -4018,15 +4018,13 @@ impl Checker {
             ExprKind::List(_) | ExprKind::Vec(_) | ExprKind::Tuple(_) => {
                 self.bind_destructure_vars(binding, &val_ty);
             }
-            // Map destructuring: [let {a b} m] — bind the names (value
-            // types are not derived from the map type yet).
+            // Map destructuring: `[let {name age} m]` binds each key name to
+            // the map's value type (`Map Keyword v` → each binding has type
+            // `v`), not a bare fresh var — so uses of the bound names type-check
+            // against real element types and any per-key default expression is
+            // unified against the same type.
             ExprKind::Map(pairs) => {
-                for (k, _) in pairs {
-                    if let ExprKind::Symbol(name) = &k.kind {
-                        let t = self.subst.fresh();
-                        self.env.set(name.clone(), Scheme::mono(t));
-                    }
-                }
+                self.bind_map_destructure(pairs, &val_ty);
             }
             _ => {}
         }
@@ -4063,6 +4061,46 @@ impl Checker {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Bind the names introduced by a `[let {k default ...} m]` map
+    /// destructuring pattern. Each key symbol is bound to the map's value
+    /// type; a distinct default expression is inferred and unified against it.
+    fn bind_map_destructure(&mut self, pairs: &[(Expr, Expr)], val_ty: &Type) {
+        // Recover the element type from `Map Keyword v`; otherwise fall back to
+        // a fresh var and constrain the source to be a keyword-keyed map.
+        let elem_ty = match self.subst.resolve(val_ty) {
+            Type::Con(ref name, ref targs) if name == "Map" && targs.len() == 2 => targs[1].clone(),
+            _ => {
+                let elem = self.subst.fresh();
+                let map_ty = Type::Con("Map".to_string(), vec![Type::Keyword, elem.clone()]);
+                let _ = unify(&mut self.subst, val_ty, &map_ty);
+                elem
+            }
+        };
+
+        for (k, v) in pairs {
+            let name = match &k.kind {
+                ExprKind::Symbol(s) => s,
+                _ => continue,
+            };
+            // A value symbol identical to the key is shorthand (no default);
+            // anything else is a default expression, whose type must match the
+            // element type.
+            let has_default = !matches!(&v.kind, ExprKind::Symbol(vs) if vs == name);
+            if has_default {
+                let default_ty = self.infer(v);
+                if let Err(e) = unify(&mut self.subst, &elem_ty, &default_ty) {
+                    self.push_unify_error(e, v.span);
+                }
+            }
+            if name != "_" {
+                let scheme = generalize(&self.env, &self.subst, &elem_ty);
+                self.env.set(name.clone(), scheme);
+                self.type_of.insert(k.id, elem_ty.clone());
+                self.add_definition(name, k.span, k.span);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     fn infer_if(&mut self, args: &[Expr], span: Span) -> Type {
         if args.len() < 2 {
             return Type::Unit;
diff --git a/crates/loon-lang/src/eir/lower.rs b/crates/loon-lang/src/eir/lower.rs
index 5266e76..68a69bf 100644
--- a/crates/loon-lang/src/eir/lower.rs
+++ b/crates/loon-lang/src/eir/lower.rs
@@ -1207,11 +1207,12 @@ impl<'a> Lower<'a> {
     }
 
     /// Bind a `let` binding form to an already-lowered value: a plain name,
-    /// or a positional vector/tuple destructure (`[let [x y] v]`,
-    /// `[let #[x y] v]`). Destructuring emits a runtime guard that errors
-    /// loudly when the value is not a vector/tuple with at least as many
-    /// elements as binders (extra elements are allowed, Clojure-style) —
-    /// never a silent `()` bind. Map destructuring is still TODO here.
+    /// a positional vector/tuple destructure (`[let [x y] v]`, `[let #[x y]
+    /// v]`), or a map destructure (`[let {name age} m]`). Positional
+    /// destructuring emits a runtime guard that errors loudly when the value
+    /// is not a vector/tuple with at least as many elements as binders (extra
+    /// elements are allowed, Clojure-style) — never a silent `()` bind. Map
+    /// destructuring binds each key from the map (see `lower_map_destructure`).
     fn lower_let_binding(&mut self, binding: &Expr, val: Reg) {
         match &binding.kind {
             ExprKind::Symbol(name) => {
@@ -1236,7 +1237,81 @@ impl<'a> Lower<'a> {
                     self.lower_let_binding(item, r);
                 }
             }
-            _ => {} // TODO: map destructuring patterns
+            // Map destructuring: `[let {name age} m]` binds each key from the
+            // map. A shorthand entry `{name name}` binds `name` to `m[:name]`;
+            // an entry with a distinct value `{name default}` uses `default`
+            // as the fallback when the key is absent. Matches the legacy
+            // interpreter's `Param::MapDestructure` in `bind_param`: present
+            // key → its value, missing key → the default expr (or unit).
+            ExprKind::Map(pairs) => {
+                self.lower_map_destructure(pairs, val, binding.span);
+            }
+            _ => {}
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Lower `[let {k default ...} map]` map-destructuring bindings.
+    ///
+    /// For each `(key, val)` pair the key symbol is bound to `map[:key]`. When
+    /// the pair's value is a symbol identical to the key it is treated as a
+    /// shorthand with no default; otherwise the value is a default expression
+    /// evaluated (lazily, only on the miss path) when the key is absent. A
+    /// missing key with no default binds unit — mirroring the interpreter.
+    fn lower_map_destructure(&mut self, pairs: &[(Expr, Expr)], map_reg: Reg, span: Span) {
+        for (k, v) in pairs {
+            let name = match &k.kind {
+                ExprKind::Symbol(s) => s.clone(),
+                _ => continue,
+            };
+            let has_default = !matches!(&v.kind, ExprKind::Symbol(vs) if *vs == name);
+            let fid = self.intern(&name);
+
+            if !has_default {
+                // No default: `Op::Field` yields the value, or unit if absent
+                // (the VM returns unit for a missing map key), matching the
+                // interpreter's `None => Value::Unit` fallthrough.
+                let r = self.reg();
+                self.emit(Op::Field(r, map_reg, Selector::Name(fid), span));
+                self.bind(&name, r);
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            // Default present: branch on key presence so the default is only
+            // evaluated (and its side effects only run) when the key is
+            // missing — `Op::Field` alone cannot distinguish an absent key
+            // from a present unit value.
+            let key_reg = self.reg();
+            self.emit(Op::Lit(key_reg, Lit::Keyword(fid), span));
+            let cond = self.reg();
+            self.emit(Op::Builtin(
+                cond,
+                Built::Contains,
+                vec![map_reg, key_reg],
+                span,
+            ));
+
+            let then_b = self.new_block();
+            let else_b = self.new_block();
+            let merge_b = self.new_block();
+            self.seal(End::Br(cond, then_b, else_b));
+
+            // Present: read the field.
+            self.switch_to(then_b);
+            let field_r = self.reg();
+            self.emit(Op::Field(field_r, map_reg, Selector::Name(fid), span));
+            self.seal(End::Jmp(merge_b, vec![field_r]));
+
+            // Absent: evaluate the default expression.
+            self.switch_to(else_b);
+            let default_r = self.lower_expr(v);
+            self.seal(End::Jmp(merge_b, vec![default_r]));
+
+            // Merge: the bound value is the block parameter.
+            self.switch_to(merge_b);
+            let result = self.reg();
+            let func = &mut self.module.funcs[self.cur_func.unwrap()];
+            func.blocks[merge_b.0 as usize].params.push(result);
+            self.bind(&name, result);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/crates/loon-lang/tests/backend_parity.rs b/crates/loon-lang/tests/backend_parity.rs
index 2da0b4c..8def2e5 100644
--- a/crates/loon-lang/tests/backend_parity.rs
+++ b/crates/loon-lang/tests/backend_parity.rs
@@ -216,6 +216,31 @@ const CORPUS: &[(&str, &str)] = &[
         "map-eq-order-independent",
         "[fn main [] [println [= {:a 1 :b 2} {:b 2 :a 1}]]]",
     ),
+    // map destructuring in let: `{name name}` shorthand binds a key to its
+    // value; both backends must bind the names (the EIR VM used to drop the
+    // pattern silently and bind nothing). Present keys read through.
+    (
+        "let-map-destructure-shorthand",
+        "[fn main [] [let m {:name 42 :age 7}] \
+         [let {name name age age} m] \
+         [println name] [println age]]",
+    ),
+    // a per-key default expression is used only when the key is ABSENT; a
+    // present key keeps its value and the default is not evaluated.
+    (
+        "let-map-destructure-default",
+        "[fn main [] [let m {:name 42}] \
+         [let {name name missing 99} m] \
+         [println name] [println missing]]",
+    ),
+    // a missing key with NO default binds unit on both backends (matching the
+    // interpreter's `None => Value::Unit` fallthrough) — printed as ().
+    (
+        "let-map-destructure-missing-no-default",
+        "[fn main [] [let m {:a 1}] \
+         [let {gone gone} m] \
+         [println gone]]",
+    ),
     // control / pattern
     ("when", "[fn main [] [when [> 3 2] [println \"yes\"]]]"),
     ("nested-let", "[fn main [] [let a 2] [let b [* a 3]] [let c [+ a b]] [println c]]"),