diff --git a/lib/proto_plugin/field_descriptor.rb b/lib/proto_plugin/field_descriptor.rb
index 20159ca..207b767 100644
--- a/lib/proto_plugin/field_descriptor.rb
+++ b/lib/proto_plugin/field_descriptor.rb
@@ -41,23 +41,52 @@ def file
     # Resolves the message or enum descriptor referenced by this field.
     #
     # Only message, enum, and group fields reference another type. For scalar
-    # fields (or when the referenced type was not included in the request),
-    # `nil` is returned.
+    # and map fields (or when the referenced type was not included in the
+    # request), `nil` is returned. For a map field, inspect {#key} and {#value}
+    # instead.
     #
     # @return [MessageDescriptor] if the field is a message or group type
     # @return [EnumDescriptor] if the field is an enum type
-    # @return [nil] if the field is a scalar type or the type was not found
+    # @return [nil] if the field is a scalar or map type, or the type was not found
     def type_descriptor
-      return if scalar?
+      return unless message? || enum? || group?
 
       @context.type_by_proto_name(type_name)
     end
 
-    # Returns true if the field is a message type.
+    # Returns true if the field is a `map<K, V>` field.
+    #
+    # A map is represented on the wire as a repeated message of synthetic
+    # entries. This detects that representation so callers can treat maps
+    # distinctly from repeated message fields.
+    #
+    # @return [Boolean]
+    def map?
+      !map_entry.nil?
+    end
+
+    # The map key field, for a map field.
+    #
+    # @return [FieldDescriptor] the synthetic entry's key field (number 1)
+    # @return [nil] if the field is not a map
+    def key
+      map_entry&.fields&.find { |f| f.number == 1 }
+    end
+
+    # The map value field, for a map field.
+    #
+    # @return [FieldDescriptor] the synthetic entry's value field (number 2)
+    # @return [nil] if the field is not a map
+    def value
+      map_entry&.fields&.find { |f| f.number == 2 }
+    end
+
+    # Returns true if the field is a message type. Map fields are excluded; use
+    # {#map?} to detect those.
     #
     # @return [Boolean]
     def message?
-      type == :TYPE_MESSAGE
+      type == :TYPE_MESSAGE && !map?
     end
 
     # Returns true if the field is an enum type.
@@ -74,18 +103,20 @@ def group?
       type == :TYPE_GROUP
     end
 
-    # Returns true if the field is a scalar type (i.e. not a message, enum, or group).
+    # Returns true if the field is a scalar type (i.e. not a message, enum,
+    # group, or map).
     #
     # @return [Boolean]
     def scalar?
-      !message? && !enum? && !group?
+      !map? && !message? && !enum? && !group?
     end
 
-    # Returns true if the field has the `repeated` label.
+    # Returns true if the field has the `repeated` label. Map fields are
+    # excluded; use {#map?} to detect those.
     #
     # @return [Boolean]
     def repeated?
-      label == :LABEL_REPEATED
+      repeated_label? && !map?
     end
 
     # Returns true if the field has the `required` label (proto2 only).
@@ -132,5 +163,33 @@ def oneof
 
       message.oneofs[descriptor.oneof_index]
     end
+
+    private
+
+    def repeated_label?
+      label == :LABEL_REPEATED
+    end
+
+    # The synthetic map-entry message backing a map field, if this is one.
+    #
+    # A map field is a repeated message whose type is a nested message flagged
+    # with the `map_entry` option. The entry is resolved directly from the
+    # containing message's raw `nested_type` (rather than the context) because
+    # synthetic entries are intentionally excluded from {MessageDescriptor#messages}
+    # and therefore from the context's type index.
+    #
+    # @return [MessageDescriptor]
+    # @return [nil] if the field is not a map
+    def map_entry
+      return @map_entry if defined?(@map_entry)
+
+      @map_entry = if repeated_label? && type == :TYPE_MESSAGE
+        name = type_name.split(".").last
+        proto = message.descriptor.nested_type.find do |n|
+          n.name == name && n.options&.map_entry
+        end
+        MessageDescriptor.new(proto, message, @context) if proto
+      end
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/proto_plugin/message_descriptor.rb b/lib/proto_plugin/message_descriptor.rb
index 23c0814..f2d3636 100644
--- a/lib/proto_plugin/message_descriptor.rb
+++ b/lib/proto_plugin/message_descriptor.rb
@@ -78,12 +78,16 @@ def enums
 
     # The messages defined as children of this message.
     #
+    # Synthetic map-entry types (generated by `protoc` to back `map<K, V>`
+    # fields) are excluded, as they are an implementation detail rather than
+    # user-declared messages. Use {FieldDescriptor#map?} to work with maps.
+    #
     # @return [Array<MessageDescriptor>]
     #
     # @see https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/v28.2/src/google/protobuf/descriptor.proto#L140
     #   Google::Protobuf::DescriptorProto#nested_type
     def messages
-      @nested_messages ||= @descriptor.nested_type.map do |m|
+      @nested_messages ||= @descriptor.nested_type.reject { |m| m.options&.map_entry }.map do |m|
         MessageDescriptor.new(m, self, @context)
       end
     end
diff --git a/test/fixtures/blog.cgr b/test/fixtures/blog.cgr
index a591532..fea96d6 100644
Binary files a/test/fixtures/blog.cgr and b/test/fixtures/blog.cgr differ
diff --git a/test/fixtures/blog.fds b/test/fixtures/blog.fds
index 8fcdff2..5598f21 100644
Binary files a/test/fixtures/blog.fds and b/test/fixtures/blog.fds differ
diff --git a/test/fixtures/blog/comment.proto b/test/fixtures/blog/comment.proto
index 7f2dd5b..881842e 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/blog/comment.proto
+++ b/test/fixtures/blog/comment.proto
@@ -34,3 +34,13 @@ message CommentEvent {
         bool deleted = 4;
     }
 }
+
+message CommentDigest {
+    map<string, uint64> counts_by_user = 1;
+
+    repeated string labels = 2;
+
+    Comment.Status status = 3;
+
+    map<uint64, Comment> comments_by_id = 4;
+}
diff --git a/test/proto_plugin/field_descriptor_test.rb b/test/proto_plugin/field_descriptor_test.rb
index fa3326d..0f9902e 100644
--- a/test/proto_plugin/field_descriptor_test.rb
+++ b/test/proto_plugin/field_descriptor_test.rb
@@ -86,6 +86,49 @@ def test_proto3_optional
       refute(@fields["title"].proto3_optional?)
     end
 
+    def test_scalar_map
+      digest = @context.type_by_proto_name(".proto_plugin.fixtures.CommentDigest")
+      counts = digest.fields.find { |f| f.name == "counts_by_user" }
+
+      assert(counts.map?)
+
+      # A map is neither a repeated, message, nor scalar field.
+      refute(counts.repeated?)
+      refute(counts.message?)
+      refute(counts.scalar?)
+      assert_nil(counts.type_descriptor)
+
+      assert_equal("key", counts.key.name)
+      assert(counts.key.scalar?)
+      assert_equal("value", counts.value.name)
+      assert(counts.value.scalar?)
+    end
+
+    def test_message_valued_map
+      digest = @context.type_by_proto_name(".proto_plugin.fixtures.CommentDigest")
+      comments = digest.fields.find { |f| f.name == "comments_by_id" }
+
+      assert(comments.map?)
+      assert(comments.value.message?)
+      assert_equal("ProtoPlugin::Fixtures::Comment", comments.value.type_descriptor.full_name)
+    end
+
+    def test_repeated_scalar_is_not_a_map
+      digest = @context.type_by_proto_name(".proto_plugin.fixtures.CommentDigest")
+      labels = digest.fields.find { |f| f.name == "labels" }
+
+      refute(labels.map?)
+      assert(labels.repeated?)
+      assert(labels.scalar?)
+      assert_nil(labels.key)
+      assert_nil(labels.value)
+    end
+
+    def test_synthetic_map_entries_excluded_from_messages
+      digest = @context.type_by_proto_name(".proto_plugin.fixtures.CommentDigest")
+      assert_empty(digest.messages)
+    end
+
     def test_oneof_membership
       event = @context.type_by_proto_name(".proto_plugin.fixtures.CommentEvent")
       fields = event.fields.each_with_object({}) do |field, hash|