diff --git a/include/pybind11/pytypes.h b/include/pybind11/pytypes.h
index 2296f6f629c..d5589055e0e 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/pytypes.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/pytypes.h
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ namespace accessor_policies {
     struct sequence_item;
     struct list_item;
     struct tuple_item;
+    struct dict_item;
 } // namespace accessor_policies
 using obj_attr_accessor = accessor<accessor_policies::obj_attr>;
 using str_attr_accessor = accessor<accessor_policies::str_attr>;
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@ using item_accessor = accessor<accessor_policies::generic_item>;
 using sequence_accessor = accessor<accessor_policies::sequence_item>;
 using list_accessor = accessor<accessor_policies::list_item>;
 using tuple_accessor = accessor<accessor_policies::tuple_item>;
+using dict_accessor = accessor<accessor_policies::dict_item>;
 
 /// Tag and check to identify a class which implements the Python object API
 class pyobject_tag { };
@@ -613,6 +615,31 @@ struct tuple_item {
         }
     }
 };
+
+struct dict_item {
+    using key_type = object;
+
+    static object get(handle obj, handle key) {
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+        if (PyObject *result = PyDict_GetItemWithError(obj.ptr(), key.ptr())) {
+            return reinterpret_borrow<object>(result);
+        } else {
+            if (!PyErr_Occurred())
+                if (PyObject* key_repr = PyObject_Repr(key.ptr()))
+                    PyErr_SetObject(PyExc_KeyError, key_repr);
+            throw error_already_set();
+        }
+#else
+        return generic_item::get(obj, key);
+#endif
+    }
+
+    static void set(handle obj, handle key, handle val) {
+        if (PyDict_SetItem(obj.ptr(), key.ptr(), val.ptr()) != 0) {
+            throw error_already_set();
+        }
+    }
+};
 PYBIND11_NAMESPACE_END(accessor_policies)
 
 /// STL iterator template used for tuple, list, sequence and dict
@@ -1285,6 +1312,8 @@ class dict : public object {
 
     size_t size() const { return (size_t) PyDict_Size(m_ptr); }
     bool empty() const { return size() == 0; }
+    detail::dict_accessor operator[](const char *key) const { return {*this, pybind11::str(key)}; }
+    detail::dict_accessor operator[](handle h) const { return {*this, reinterpret_borrow<object>(h)}; }
     detail::dict_iterator begin() const { return {*this, 0}; }
     detail::dict_iterator end() const { return {}; }
     void clear() const { PyDict_Clear(ptr()); }
@@ -1293,19 +1322,31 @@ class dict : public object {
     }
 
     object get(handle key, handle default_ = none()) const {
-        if (PyObject *result = PyDict_GetItem(m_ptr, key.ptr())) {
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+        if (PyObject *result = PyDict_GetItemWithError(m_ptr, key.ptr())) {
             return reinterpret_borrow<object>(result);
         } else {
-            return reinterpret_borrow<object>(default_);
+            if (PyErr_Occurred())
+                throw error_already_set();
+            else
+                return reinterpret_borrow<object>(default_);
         }
+#else
+        try {
+            return generic_item::get(*this, key);
+        } catch (...) {
+            if (PyErr_Occurred() == PyExc_KeyError) {
+                PyErr_Clear();
+                return reinterpret_borrow<object>(default_);
+            } else {
+                throw;
+            }
+        }
+#endif
     }
 
     object get(const char *key, handle default_ = none()) const {
-        if (PyObject *result = PyDict_GetItemString(m_ptr, key)) {
-            return reinterpret_borrow<object>(result);
-        } else {
-            return reinterpret_borrow<object>(default_);
-        }
+        return get(pybind11::str(key), default_);
     }
 
 private:
diff --git a/tests/test_pytypes.cpp b/tests/test_pytypes.cpp
index 2a468a49888..fd4e61132c5 100644
--- a/tests/test_pytypes.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_pytypes.cpp
@@ -68,22 +68,22 @@ TEST_SUBMODULE(pytypes, m) {
         auto d2 = py::dict("z"_a=3, **d1);
         return d2;
     });
-    m.def("dict_contains", [](py::dict dict, py::object val) {
+    m.def("dict_contains", [](py::dict dict, const char* val) {
         return dict.contains(val);
     });
-    m.def("dict_contains", [](py::dict dict, const char* val) {
+    m.def("dict_contains", [](py::dict dict, py::object val) {
         return dict.contains(val);
     });
-    m.def("dict_get", [](py::dict dict, py::object key, py::object default_) {
+    m.def("dict_get", [](py::dict dict, const char* key, py::object default_) {
         return dict.get(key, default_);
     });
-    m.def("dict_get", [](py::dict dict, const char* key, py::object default_) {
+    m.def("dict_get", [](py::dict dict, py::object key, py::object default_) {
         return dict.get(key, default_);
     });
-    m.def("dict_get", [](py::dict dict, py::object key) {
+    m.def("dict_get", [](py::dict dict, const char* key) {
         return dict.get(key);
     });
-    m.def("dict_get", [](py::dict dict, const char* key) {
+    m.def("dict_get", [](py::dict dict, py::object key) {
         return dict.get(key);
     });