diff --git a/datalad_next/constraints/compound.py b/datalad_next/constraints/compound.py
index 7ff5e1009..deb517867 100644
--- a/datalad_next/constraints/compound.py
+++ b/datalad_next/constraints/compound.py
@@ -214,6 +214,83 @@ def for_dataset(self, dataset: DatasetParameter) -> Constraint:
         )
 
 
+class EnsureMappings(Constraint):
+    """Ensure several mappings of keys to values of a specific nature"""
+
+    def __init__(self,
+                 key: Constraint,
+                 value: Constraint,
+                 delimiter: str = ':',
+                 pair_delimiter: str = ',',
+                 allow_length2_sequence: bool = True
+                 ):
+        """
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        key:
+          Key constraint instance.
+        value:
+          Value constraint instance.
+        delimiter:
+          Delimiter to use for splitting a key from a value for a `str` input.
+        """
+        super().__init__()
+        self._key_constraint = key
+        self._value_constraint = value
+        self._delimiter = delimiter
+        self._pair_delimiter = pair_delimiter
+        self._allow_length2_sequence: bool = True
+
+    def short_description(self):
+        return 'mapping of {} -> {}'.format(
+            self._key_constraint.short_description(),
+            self._value_constraint.short_description(),
+        )
+
+    def _get_keys_values(self, value) -> tuple:
+        # determine key and value from various kinds of input
+        if isinstance(value, str):
+            # split into pairs
+            # TODO: what about whitespace? e.g., 'key: val', 'morekey': moreval'
+            pairs = value.split(sep=self._pair_delimiter)
+            keys_n_values = [p.split(sep=self._delimiter, maxsplit=1) for p in pairs]
+            try:
+                keys = [p[0] for p in keys_n_values]
+                vals = [p[1] for p in keys_n_values]
+            except IndexError as e:
+                raise(ValueError('Could not cast input to key value pairs'))
+        elif isinstance(value, dict):
+            if not len(value):
+                raise ValueError('dict does not contain a key')
+            keys = list(value.keys())
+            vals = list(value.values())
+        elif self._allow_length2_sequence and isinstance(value, (list, tuple)):
+            if not len(value) % 2 == 0 or len(value) < 2:
+                raise ValueError('sequence can not be chunked into pairs by 2')
+            keys = value[::2]
+            vals = value[1::2]
+        else:
+            raise ValueError(f'Unsupported data type for mapping: {value!r}')
+
+        return keys, vals
+
+    def __call__(self, value) -> Dict:
+        keys, vals = self._get_keys_values(value)
+        keys = [self._key_constraint(k) for k in keys]
+        vals = [self._value_constraint(v) for v in vals]
+        return dict(zip(keys, vals))
+
+    def for_dataset(self, dataset: DatasetParameter) -> Constraint:
+        # tailor both constraints to the dataset and reuse delimiter
+        return EnsureMappings(
+            key=self._key_constraint.for_dataset(dataset),
+            value=self._value_constraint.for_dataset(dataset),
+            delimiter=self._delimiter,
+            pair_delimiter=self._pair_delimiter,
+            allow_length2_sequence=self._allow_length2_sequence
+        )
+
+
 class EnsureGeneratorFromFileLike(Constraint):
     """Ensure a constraint for each item read from a file-like.
 
diff --git a/datalad_next/constraints/tests/test_compound.py b/datalad_next/constraints/tests/test_compound.py
index 8244d4a67..a6ddf5bc8 100644
--- a/datalad_next/constraints/tests/test_compound.py
+++ b/datalad_next/constraints/tests/test_compound.py
@@ -3,13 +3,18 @@
 import pytest
 from tempfile import NamedTemporaryFile
 from unittest.mock import patch
+from pathlib import Path
 
 from datalad_next.datasets import Dataset
 from datalad_next.utils import on_windows
 
+from ..base import DatasetParameter
+
 from ..basic import (
     EnsureInt,
     EnsureBool,
+    EnsurePath,
+    EnsureStr,
 )
 from ..compound import (
     ConstraintWithPassthrough,
@@ -17,6 +22,7 @@
     EnsureListOf,
     EnsureTupleOf,
     EnsureMapping,
+    EnsureMappings,
     EnsureGeneratorFromFileLike,
 )
 
@@ -121,6 +127,59 @@ def test_EnsureMapping(tmp_path):
         constraint._value_constraint.for_dataset(ds)
 
 
+def test_EnsureMappings(tmp_path):
+    # test scenarios that should work
+    true_keys = ['one', 'two', 'three']
+    true_vals = [1, 2, 3]
+    constraint = EnsureMappings(key=EnsureStr(), value=EnsureInt())
+    assert 'mapping of str -> int' in constraint.short_description()
+
+    for v in ('one:1,two:2,three:3',  # string input
+              {'one': 1, 'two': 2, 'three': 3},   # dict input
+              dict(one=1, two=2, three=3),
+              ['one', 1, 'two', 2, 'three', 3]  # sequence input
+    ):
+        d = constraint(v)
+        assert isinstance(d, dict)
+        assert len(d) == 3
+        assert list(d.keys()) == true_keys
+        assert list(d.values()) == true_vals
+
+    # test scenarios that should crash
+    for v in (true_keys,  # non-module 2 sequence
+              '5',
+              [],  # too short sequence
+              tuple(),
+              {},
+              [5, False, False],
+              set('wtf')  # wrong data type
+              ):
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+            d = constraint(v)
+
+    # test different delimiters
+    constraint = EnsureMappings(key=EnsureStr(), value=EnsureInt(),
+                                delimiter='=', pair_delimiter='.')
+    d = constraint('one=1.two=2.three=3')
+    assert isinstance(d, dict)
+    assert len(d) == 3
+    assert list(d.keys()) == true_keys
+    assert list(d.values()) == true_vals
+    # test that the paths are resolved for the dataset
+    ds = Dataset(tmp_path)
+    pathconstraint = \
+        EnsureMappings(key=EnsurePath(), value=EnsureInt()).for_dataset(
+            DatasetParameter(tmp_path, ds))
+    assert pathconstraint('some:5,somemore:6') == \
+           {(Path.cwd() / 'some'): 5, Path.cwd() / 'somemore': 6}
+    pathconstraint = \
+        EnsureMappings(key=EnsurePath(), value=EnsurePath()).for_dataset(
+            DatasetParameter(ds, ds))
+    assert pathconstraint('some:other,something:more') == \
+           {(ds.pathobj / 'some'): (ds.pathobj / 'other'),
+            (ds.pathobj / 'something'): (ds.pathobj / 'more')}
+
+
 def test_EnsureGeneratorFromFileLike():
     item_constraint = EnsureMapping(EnsureInt(), EnsureBool(), delimiter='::')
     constraint = EnsureGeneratorFromFileLike(item_constraint)