diff --git a/src/bplist.c b/src/bplist.c
index 9cc380c..124b024 100644
--- a/src/bplist.c
+++ b/src/bplist.c
@@ -1156,7 +1156,7 @@
     //list of objects
     objects = ptr_array_new(256);
     //hashtable to write only once same nodes
-    ref_table = hash_table_new(plist_data_hash, plist_data_compare);
+    ref_table = hash_table_new(plist_data_hash, plist_data_compare, free);
 
     //serialize plist
     ser_s.objects = objects;
diff --git a/src/hashtable.c b/src/hashtable.c
index 3568f3c..dd6dbfc 100644
--- a/src/hashtable.c
+++ b/src/hashtable.c
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
  * hashtable.c
  * really simple hash table implementation
  *
- * Copyright (c) 2011 Nikias Bassen, All Rights Reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2011-2016 Nikias Bassen, All Rights Reserved.
  *
  * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
  * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
  */
 #include "hashtable.h"
 
-hashtable_t* hash_table_new(hash_func_t hash_func, compare_func_t compare_func)
+hashtable_t* hash_table_new(hash_func_t hash_func, compare_func_t compare_func, free_func_t free_func)
 {
 	hashtable_t* ht = (hashtable_t*)malloc(sizeof(hashtable_t));
 	int i;
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 	ht->count = 0;
 	ht->hash_func = hash_func;
 	ht->compare_func = compare_func;
+	ht->free_func = free_func;
 	return ht;
 }
 
@@ -42,7 +43,9 @@
 		if (ht->entries[i]) {
 			hashentry_t* e = ht->entries[i];
 			while (e) {
-				free(e->value);
+				if (ht->free_func) {
+					ht->free_func(e->value);
+				}
 				hashentry_t* old = e;
 				e = e->next;
 				free(old);
@@ -104,3 +107,34 @@
 	}
 	return NULL;
 }
+
+void hash_table_remove(hashtable_t* ht, void *key)
+{
+	if (!ht || !key) return;
+
+	unsigned int hash = ht->hash_func(key);
+
+	int idx0 = hash & 0xFFF;
+
+	// get the idx0 list
+	hashentry_t* e = ht->entries[idx0];
+	hashentry_t* last = e;
+	while (e) {
+		if (ht->compare_func(e->key, key)) {
+			// found element, remove it from the list
+			hashentry_t* old = e;
+			if (e == ht->entries[idx0]) {
+				ht->entries[idx0] = e->next;
+			} else {
+				last->next = e->next;
+			}
+			if (ht->free_func) {
+				ht->free_func(old->value);
+			}
+			free(old);
+			return;
+		}
+		last = e;
+		e = e->next;
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/hashtable.h b/src/hashtable.h
index 60a40ab..42d7b93 100644
--- a/src/hashtable.h
+++ b/src/hashtable.h
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
  * hashtable.h
  * header file for really simple hash table implementation
  *
- * Copyright (c) 2011 Nikias Bassen, All Rights Reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2011-2016 Nikias Bassen, All Rights Reserved.
  *
  * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
  * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
@@ -30,18 +30,21 @@
 
 typedef unsigned int(*hash_func_t)(const void* key);
 typedef int (*compare_func_t)(const void *a, const void *b);
+typedef void (*free_func_t)(void *ptr);
 
 typedef struct hashtable_t {
 	hashentry_t *entries[4096];
 	size_t count;
 	hash_func_t hash_func;
 	compare_func_t compare_func;
+	free_func_t free_func;
 } hashtable_t;
 
-hashtable_t* hash_table_new(hash_func_t hash_func, compare_func_t compare_func);
+hashtable_t* hash_table_new(hash_func_t hash_func, compare_func_t compare_func, free_func_t free_func);
 void hash_table_destroy(hashtable_t *ht);
 
 void hash_table_insert(hashtable_t* ht, void *key, void *value);
 void* hash_table_lookup(hashtable_t* ht, void *key);
+void hash_table_remove(hashtable_t* ht, void *key);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/plist.c b/src/plist.c
index a3d88b9..6a267eb 100644
--- a/src/plist.c
+++ b/src/plist.c
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 
 #include <node.h>
 #include <node_iterator.h>
+#include <hashtable.h>
 
 extern void plist_xml_init(void);
 extern void plist_xml_deinit(void);
@@ -148,6 +149,31 @@
     return data;
 }
 
+static unsigned int dict_key_hash(const void *data)
+{
+    plist_data_t keydata = (plist_data_t)data;
+    unsigned int hash = 5381;
+    size_t i;
+    char *str = keydata->strval;
+    for (i = 0; i < keydata->length; str++, i++) {
+        hash = ((hash << 5) + hash) + *str;
+    }
+    return hash;
+}
+
+static int dict_key_compare(const void* a, const void* b)
+{
+    plist_data_t data_a = (plist_data_t)a;
+    plist_data_t data_b = (plist_data_t)b;
+    if (data_a->strval == NULL || data_b->strval == NULL) {
+        return FALSE;
+    }
+    if (data_a->length != data_b->length) {
+        return FALSE;
+    }
+    return (strcmp(data_a->strval, data_b->strval) == 0) ? TRUE : FALSE;
+}
+
 void plist_free_data(plist_data_t data)
 {
     if (data)
@@ -161,6 +187,9 @@
         case PLIST_DATA:
             free(data->buff);
             break;
+        case PLIST_DICT:
+            hash_table_destroy(data->hashtable);
+            break;
         default:
             break;
         }
@@ -483,20 +512,27 @@
 
     if (node && PLIST_DICT == plist_get_node_type(node))
     {
-
-        plist_t current = NULL;
-        for (current = (plist_t)node_first_child(node);
+        plist_data_t data = plist_get_data(node);
+        hashtable_t *ht = (hashtable_t*)data->hashtable;
+        if (ht) {
+            struct plist_data_s sdata;
+            sdata.strval = (char*)key;
+            sdata.length = strlen(key);
+            ret = (plist_t)hash_table_lookup(ht, &sdata);
+        } else {
+            plist_t current = NULL;
+            for (current = (plist_t)node_first_child(node);
                 current;
                 current = (plist_t)node_next_sibling(node_next_sibling(current)))
-        {
-
-            plist_data_t data = plist_get_data(current);
-            assert( PLIST_KEY == plist_get_node_type(current) );
-
-            if (data && !strcmp(key, data->strval))
             {
-                ret = (plist_t)node_next_sibling(current);
-                break;
+                data = plist_get_data(current);
+                assert( PLIST_KEY == plist_get_node_type(current) );
+
+                if (data && !strcmp(key, data->strval))
+                {
+                    ret = (plist_t)node_next_sibling(current);
+                    break;
+                }
             }
         }
     }
@@ -507,6 +543,7 @@
 {
     if (node && PLIST_DICT == plist_get_node_type(node)) {
         node_t* old_item = plist_dict_get_item(node, key);
+        plist_t key_node = NULL;
         if (old_item) {
             int idx = plist_free_node(old_item);
             if (idx < 0) {
@@ -514,10 +551,32 @@
             } else {
                 node_insert(node, idx, item);
             }
+            key_node = node_prev_sibling(item);
         } else {
-            node_attach(node, plist_new_key(key));
+            key_node = plist_new_key(key);
+            node_attach(node, key_node);
             node_attach(node, item);
         }
+
+        hashtable_t *ht = ((plist_data_t)((node_t*)node)->data)->hashtable;
+        if (ht) {
+            /* store pointer to item in hash table */
+            hash_table_insert(ht, (plist_data_t)((node_t*)key_node)->data, item);
+        } else {
+            if (((node_t*)node)->count > 500) {
+                /* make new hash table */
+                ht = hash_table_new(dict_key_hash, dict_key_compare, NULL);
+                /* calculate the hashes for all entries we have so far */
+                plist_t current = NULL;
+                for (current = (plist_t)node_first_child(node);
+                     ht && current;
+                     current = (plist_t)node_next_sibling(node_next_sibling(current)))
+                {
+                    hash_table_insert(ht, ((node_t*)current)->data, node_next_sibling(current));
+                }
+                ((plist_data_t)((node_t*)node)->data)->hashtable = ht;
+            }
+        }
     }
     return;
 }
@@ -535,6 +594,10 @@
         if (old_item)
         {
             plist_t key_node = node_prev_sibling(old_item);
+            hashtable_t* ht = ((plist_data_t)((node_t*)node)->data)->hashtable;
+            if (ht) {
+                hash_table_remove(ht, ((node_t*)key_node)->data);
+            }
             plist_free(key_node);
             plist_free(old_item);
         }
diff --git a/src/plist.h b/src/plist.h
index da8f9ca..7bf62a8 100644
--- a/src/plist.h
+++ b/src/plist.h
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
         double realval;
         char *strval;
         uint8_t *buff;
+        void *hashtable;
     };
     uint64_t length;
     plist_type type;