diff --git a/cmdopt.cpp b/cmdopt.cpp
index b1d87082..04dc5246 100644
--- a/cmdopt.cpp
+++ b/cmdopt.cpp
@@ -247,31 +247,32 @@ bytes::execute (const char *restrict str)
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 int
-parser::scan (int argc, const char *const *argv)
+parser::scan (int argc, char const *const *argv)
 {
-    CHECK_GE (argc, 0);
-    CHECK    (argv);
+    CHECK_GT (argc, 0);
+    CHECK (argv);
 
     for (auto &j: m_options)
-        std::get<std::unique_ptr<option::base>> (j)->start ();
+        j.handler->start ();
 
     // start iterating after our program's name
     int i = 1;
     while (i < argc) {
-        auto len = strlen (argv[i]);
+        auto arg = argv[i];
+        auto len = strlen (arg);
 
         // bail if there's no potential for an option
-        if (len < 2 || argv[i][0] != '-')
+        if (len < 2 || arg[0] != '-')
             break;
 
         // stop processing named options on '--'
-        if (len == 2 && argv[i][1] == '-') {
+        if (len == 2 && arg[1] == '-') {
             ++i;
             break;
         }
 
         // parse longopt
-        auto inc = argv[i][1] == '-'
+        auto inc = arg[1] == '-'
              ? parse_long  (i, argc, argv)
              : parse_short (i, argc, argv);
 
@@ -289,7 +290,7 @@ parser::scan (int argc, const char *const *argv)
 
     // allow arguments to check if they've been successfully handled
     for (auto &j: m_options)
-        std::get<std::unique_ptr<option::base>> (j)->finish ();
+        j.handler->finish ();
 
     return i;
 }
@@ -316,14 +317,7 @@ parser::parse_long (int pos, int argc, const char *const *argv)
     if (key == "help")
         print_help (argc, argv);
 
-    // find the handler
-    auto handle_pos = std::find_if (m_long.begin (),
-                                 m_long.end (),
-                                 [&] (auto i) { return std::get<std::string> (i) == key; });
-    if (handle_pos == m_long.end ())
-        throw invalid_key (key);
-
-    auto &handler = std::get<option::base&> (*handle_pos);
+    auto &handler = m_long.at (key).get ();
 
     // maybe grab a value from the next atom and dispatch
     if (!eq) {
@@ -363,12 +357,7 @@ parser::parse_short (int pos, int argc, const char *const *argv)
             if (letter == 'h')
                 print_help (argc, argv);
 
-            auto hpos = std::find_if (m_short.begin (),
-                                      m_short.end (),
-                                      [letter] (auto j) { return std::get<char> (j) == letter; });
-            if (hpos == m_short.end ())
-                throw invalid_key (std::string (1, letter));
-            std::get<option::base&> (*hpos).execute ();
+            m_short.at(letter).get ().execute ();
         }
 
         return 1;
@@ -376,13 +365,7 @@ parser::parse_short (int pos, int argc, const char *const *argv)
 
     // we have a value following
     auto letter = argv[pos][1];
-    auto hpos = std::find_if (m_short.begin (),
-                              m_short.end (),
-                              [letter] (auto i) { return std::get<char> (i) == letter; });
-    if (hpos == m_short.end ())
-        throw invalid_key (std::string (1, letter));
-    std::get<option::base&> (*hpos).execute (argv[pos+1]);
-
+    m_short.at (letter).get ().execute (argv[pos + 1]);
     return 2;
 }
 
@@ -406,9 +389,13 @@ parser::print_help (const int argc,
         m_long.end (),
         [] (const auto &a, const auto &b)
     {
-        return std::get<std::string> (a).size () < std::get<std::string> (b).size ();
+        auto const &[a_key,a_obj] = a;
+        auto const &[b_key,b_obj] = b;
+
+        return a_key.size () < b_key.size ();
     });
-    auto longwidth = std::get<std::string> (*largestwidth).size ();
+
+    auto longwidth = largestwidth->first.size ();
 
     // find the longest example text
     auto largestexample = std::max_element (
@@ -416,13 +403,10 @@ parser::print_help (const int argc,
         m_options.cend (),
         [] (const auto &a, const auto &b)
     {
-        const auto &example_a = std::get<std::unique_ptr<option::base>> (a)->example ();
-        const auto &example_b = std::get<std::unique_ptr<option::base>> (b)->example ();
-
-        return example_a.size () > example_b.size ();
+        return a.handler->example ().size () > b.handler->example ().size ();
     });
 
-    auto longexample = std::get<std::unique_ptr<option::base>> (*largestexample)->example ().size ();
+    auto longexample = largestexample->handler->example ().size ();
 
     // field width requires an alignment. we don't care about preserving
     // state as we're about to bail anyway
@@ -431,39 +415,33 @@ parser::print_help (const int argc,
     // print all the option info
     std::cout << "usage: " << argv[0] << '\n';
 
-    for (auto &o: m_options) {
-        auto ptr = std::get<std::unique_ptr<option::base>> (o).get ();
-
+    for (auto &opt: m_options) {
         auto s = std::find_if (
             std::cbegin (m_short),
             std::cend   (m_short),
-            [ptr] (auto j) {
-                return &std::get<option::base&> (j) == ptr;
-            }
+            [&] (auto j) { return &j.second.get () == opt.handler.get (); }
         );
 
         auto l = std::find_if (
             std::cbegin (m_long),
             std::cend   (m_long),
-            [ptr] (auto j) {
-                return &std::get<option::base&> (j) == ptr;
-            }
+            [&] (auto j) { return &j.second.get () == opt.handler.get (); }
         );
 
         std::cout << '\t';
         if (s != std::cend (m_short))
-            std::cout << '-' << std::get<char> (*s) << '\t';
+            std::cout << '-' << s->first << '\t';
         else
             std::cout << '\t';
 
         std::cout << std::setw (util::cast::lossless<int> (longwidth));
         if (l != std::cend (m_long))
-            std::cout << std::get<std::string> (*l) << '\t';
+            std::cout << l->first << '\t';
         else
             std::cout << ' ' << '\t';
 
-        std::cout << std::setw (util::cast::lossless<int> (longexample)) << ptr->example () << '\t'
-                  << std::setw (0) << std::get<std::string> (o)
+        std::cout << std::setw (util::cast::lossless<int> (longexample)) << opt.handler->example () << '\t'
+                  << std::setw (0) << opt.description
                   << '\n';
     }
 
diff --git a/cmdopt.hpp b/cmdopt.hpp
index ba3abe8b..5283d095 100644
--- a/cmdopt.hpp
+++ b/cmdopt.hpp
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <tuple>
 #include <vector>
+#include <map>
 #include <sstream>
 
 
@@ -290,10 +291,10 @@ namespace util::cmdopt {
             auto handler = std::make_unique<T> (std::forward<Args> (args)...);
             T& ref = *handler;
 
-            m_short.emplace_back (shortname, ref);
-            m_long .emplace_back (std::move (longname),  ref);
+            m_short.insert({ shortname, ref });
+            m_long.insert({ std::move (longname),  ref });
 
-            m_options.emplace_back (std::move (description), std::move (handler));
+            m_options.push_back ({ std::move (description), std::move (handler) });
 
             return ref;
         }
@@ -305,7 +306,7 @@ namespace util::cmdopt {
             auto handler = std::make_unique<T> (std::forward<Args> (args)...);
             auto &ref = *handler;
             m_positional.push_back (ref);
-            m_options.emplace_back (std::move (description), std::move (handler));
+            m_options.push_back ({ std::move (description), std::move (handler) });
             return ref;
         }
 
@@ -317,19 +318,17 @@ namespace util::cmdopt {
 
         void print_help [[noreturn]] (int argc, const char *const *argv) const;
 
-        using short_t = std::tuple<char,option::base&>;
-        using long_t  = std::tuple<std::string,option::base&>;
+        std::map<char,std::reference_wrapper<option::base>> m_short;
+        std::map<std::string,std::reference_wrapper<option::base>> m_long;
 
-        std::vector<short_t> m_short;
-        std::vector<long_t>  m_long;
         std::vector<std::reference_wrapper<option::base>> m_positional;
 
-        std::vector<
-            std::tuple<
-                std::string, // description
-                std::unique_ptr<option::base>
-            >
-        > m_options;
+        struct entry {
+            std::string description;
+            std::unique_ptr<option::base> handler;
+        };
+
+        std::vector<entry> m_options;
     };
 }