diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a6ffaf6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+pathwise.clj diff
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c8cf06b..55ef874 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,14 @@
 # Change Log
 
+## 1.5.0 (2025-06-20)
+
+* Allow unsorted maps and sets to be used as keys in paths using codes `0xa0` `0xa1`.
+* Reserve all codes `0xa2` - `0xaf` for future use.
+
+Sorted maps and sets remain unsupported in paths. This is for several reasons including that the sorting criteria cannot be reliably encoded.
+
+*Note: if you have user-defined encoding types using codes between `0xa0` and `0xaf` a warning will be printed but as long as you do not use the new supported types (e.g. maps & sets) in paths your code should continue to work.*
+
 ## 1.4.2 & 1.4.3 (2025-06-08)
 
 * bugfix: remove clj-time from project.clj
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 46ecf17..ffc9727 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ Codax is an idiomatic transactional embedded database for clojure. A codax datab
 
 [![Clojars Project](http://clojars.org/codax/latest-version.svg)](http://clojars.org/codax)
 
+Version 1.5.0 allows unsorted sets and maps to be used as [path](#paths) keys. It also reserves pathwise encoding codes `0xa0` - `0xaf`.
+
 Version 1.4.1 removes built-in support for clj-time. If you have an older database using clj-time see the [changelog](CHANGELOG.md)
 
 Version 1.4.0 implements [upgradable transactions](doc/upgradable-transactions.md). (using `with-upgradable-transaction` macro) and **fixes an RCE vulnerability**.
@@ -102,6 +104,9 @@ A `path` is a vector of keys similar to the `[k & ks]` used in function like `as
     - false
     - nil
     - java.time.Instant
+    - unsorted maps
+    - unsorted sets
+
   - the path can only target nested maps, and **cannot be used to descend into other data structures (e.g. vectors)**.
   - you can get the empty path (e.g. `(get-at db [])` returns the full database) but you cannot modify it (e.g. `(assoc-at [] :foo)` throws an error)
 
diff --git a/doc/types.md b/doc/types.md
index f08bd20..b53b458 100644
--- a/doc/types.md
+++ b/doc/types.md
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ It takes the following parameters:
 
   - `hex-code` - a number used for type identification in the database
     - `0x0` is used internally and off limits
-    - built-in codes which should **not be overwritten** are: `0x10` , `0x20`, `0x21`, `0x24`, `0x25`, `0x30`, `0x31`, `0x32`, `0x68`, `0x69`, `0x70`, `0xa0`. Attempts to overwrite them (or generally change encodings) should print a warning.
+    - built-in codes which should **not be overwritten** are: `0x10` , `0x20`, `0x21`, `0x24`, `0x25`, `0x30`, `0x31`, `0x32`, `0x68`, `0x69`, `0x70`, `0xa0`. Attempts to overwrite them (or generally change encodings) prints a warning.
+    - `0xa0` - `0xaf` are reserved for future use as of v1.5.0
   - `types` - the types to be encoded (generally there should only be one)
   - `encoder` - a function which takes elements of the types specified in `types` and **returns a string representation**
   - `decoder` - a function which takes the string reprensentations generated by the encoder and reconstructs a value of the appropriate type
diff --git a/project.clj b/project.clj
index 2f6835a..8ff9f42 100644
--- a/project.clj
+++ b/project.clj
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-(defproject codax "1.4.3"
+(defproject codax "1.5.0"
   :description "Codax is an idiomatic transactional embedded database for clojure"
   :url "https://github.com/dscarpetti/codax"
   :license {:name "Eclipse Public License"
diff --git a/src/codax/pathwise.clj b/src/codax/pathwise.clj
index 7873039..33619ce 100644
Binary files a/src/codax/pathwise.clj and b/src/codax/pathwise.clj differ
diff --git a/test/codax/pathwise_test.clj b/test/codax/pathwise_test.clj
index 0b7954e..87af715 100644
--- a/test/codax/pathwise_test.clj
+++ b/test/codax/pathwise_test.clj
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@
 
 ;;;; encoding decoding errors
 
-(deftest no-encoder-for-element
+#_(deftest no-encoder-for-element
   (try
     (do
       (encode #{})
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@
         (is (= type clojure.lang.PersistentHashSet))
         (is (= element #{}))))))
 
-(deftest no-decoder-for-element
+#_(deftest no-decoder-for-element
   (try
     (do
       (decode (str (char 0x2) #{:unrecognized} (char 0x00)))
@@ -213,12 +213,14 @@
     (reduce str "" (take length (iterate (fn [_] (char (+ min-char (int (rand max-char))))) nil)))))
 
 
-(declare gen-random-vector gen-random-element)
+(declare gen-random-vector gen-random-element gen-random-set gen-random-map)
 
-(defn gen-random-element [& {:keys [max-vector-length]}]
-  (let [num (rand 12)]
+(defn gen-random-element [& {:keys [max-length]}]
+  (let [num (rand 16)]
     (cond
-      (> num 10) (gen-random-vector :max-length max-vector-length)
+      (> num 14) (gen-random-map :max-length max-length)
+      (> num 12) (gen-random-set :max-length max-length)
+      (> num 10) (gen-random-vector :max-length max-length)
       (> num 9) nil
       (> num 8) true
       (> num 7) false
@@ -235,9 +237,27 @@
   (let [max-length (if max-length (dec max-length) 15)
         length (int (Math/floor (rand max-length)))]
     (if (> length 0)
-      (vec (take (inc length) (rest (iterate (fn [_] (gen-random-element :max-vector-length max-length)) nil))))
+      (vec (take (inc length) (rest (iterate (fn [_] (gen-random-element :max-length max-length)) nil))))
       [])))
 
+(defn gen-random-set [& {:keys [max-length]}]
+  (let [max-length (if max-length (dec max-length) 15)
+        length (int (Math/floor (rand max-length)))]
+    (if (> length 0)
+      (set (take (inc length) (rest (iterate (fn [_] (gen-random-element :max-length max-length)) nil))))
+      #{})))
+
+(defn gen-random-map [& {:keys [max-length]}]
+  (let [max-length (if max-length (dec max-length) 15)
+        length (int (Math/floor (rand max-length)))]
+    (if (> length 0)
+      (->> (iterate (fn [_] (gen-random-element :max-length max-length)) nil)
+           rest
+           (take (inc length))
+           (partition 2)
+           (map vec)
+           (into {}))
+      {})))
 
 (defn test-random [& {:keys [hide-success]}]
   (test-encoding (gen-random-vector) :hide-success hide-success))
@@ -260,3 +280,42 @@
 
 (deftest random-path-test
   (is (test-many-random 100 :hide-success true)))
+
+(deftest map-ordering-1
+  (is (= (encode {:a 1, {:k :b} 2})
+         (encode {{:k :b} 2 :a 1}))))
+
+(deftest map-ordering-2
+  (let [f1 {:a 1, {:k :b} 2}
+        e1 (encode f1)
+        d1 (decode e1)
+        f2 {{:k :b} 2 :a 1}
+        e2 (encode f2)
+        d2 (decode e2)]
+    (is (= e1 e2))
+    (is (= f1 d1 f2 d2))))
+
+(defn randomize-map-ordering [x]
+  (cond
+    (map? x) (into {} (shuffle (map (fn [[k v]] [k (randomize-map-ordering v)]) x)))
+    (set? x) (into #{} (map randomize-map-ordering x))
+    (vector? x) (mapv randomize-map-ordering x)
+    :else x))
+
+(deftest random-map-ordering
+  (loop [n 1000]
+    (when (pos? n)
+      (let [m1 (gen-random-map :max-length 12)
+            e1 (encode m1)
+            d1 (decode e1)
+
+            m2 (randomize-map-ordering m1)
+            e2 (encode m2)
+            d2 (decode e2)]
+        (is (= e1 e2))
+        (is (= m1 m2 d1 d2))
+        (recur (dec n))))))
+
+(deftest set-ordering-1
+  (is (= (encode #{#{:a :b} :c {:a 1}})
+         (encode #{{:a 1} :c #{:b :a}}))))