diff --git a/paunch/builder/base.py b/paunch/builder/base.py
index f06776b..cbf035e 100644
--- a/paunch/builder/base.py
+++ b/paunch/builder/base.py
@@ -238,6 +238,21 @@ class BaseBuilder(object):
             if v:
                 cmd.append('%s=%s' % (arg, v))
 
+    def list_or_dict_arg(self, cconfig, cmd, key, arg):
+        if key not in cconfig:
+            return
+        value = cconfig[key]
+        if isinstance(value, dict):
+            for k, v in sorted(value.items()):
+                if v:
+                    cmd.append('%s=%s=%s' % (arg, k, v))
+                elif k:
+                    cmd.append('%s=%s' % (arg, k))
+        else:
+            for v in value:
+                if v:
+                    cmd.append('%s=%s' % (arg, v))
+
     def cont_exec_args(self, cmd, container):
         """Prepare the exec command args, from the container configuration.
 
diff --git a/paunch/builder/compose1.py b/paunch/builder/compose1.py
index 5f9e409..c2b4abf 100644
--- a/paunch/builder/compose1.py
+++ b/paunch/builder/compose1.py
@@ -37,10 +37,7 @@ class ComposeV1Builder(base.BaseBuilder):
         if cconfig.get('detach', True):
             cmd.append('--detach=true')
         self.list_or_string_arg(cconfig, cmd, 'env_file', '--env-file')
-        # TODO(sbaker): support the dict layout for this property
-        for v in cconfig.get('environment', []):
-            if v:
-                cmd.append('--env=%s' % v)
+        self.list_or_dict_arg(cconfig, cmd, 'environment', '--env')
         self.boolean_arg(cconfig, cmd, 'remove', '--rm')
         self.boolean_arg(cconfig, cmd, 'interactive', '--interactive')
         self.boolean_arg(cconfig, cmd, 'tty', '--tty')
diff --git a/paunch/builder/podman.py b/paunch/builder/podman.py
index bf6d424..5bd9044 100644
--- a/paunch/builder/podman.py
+++ b/paunch/builder/podman.py
@@ -59,10 +59,7 @@ class PodmanBuilder(base.BaseBuilder):
                 raise ValueError('cont_log_path passed but not absolute.')
 
         self.list_or_string_arg(cconfig, cmd, 'env_file', '--env-file')
-        # TODO(sbaker): support the dict layout for this property
-        for v in cconfig.get('environment', []):
-            if v:
-                cmd.append('--env=%s' % v)
+        self.list_or_dict_arg(cconfig, cmd, 'environment', '--env')
         self.boolean_arg(cconfig, cmd, 'remove', '--rm')
         self.boolean_arg(cconfig, cmd, 'interactive', '--interactive')
         self.boolean_arg(cconfig, cmd, 'tty', '--tty')
diff --git a/paunch/tests/test_builder_base.py b/paunch/tests/test_builder_base.py
index b55a5c4..6b9e97e 100644
--- a/paunch/tests/test_builder_base.py
+++ b/paunch/tests/test_builder_base.py
@@ -536,7 +536,7 @@ three-12345678 three''', '', 0),
         )
 
     @mock.patch('paunch.runner.DockerRunner', autospec=True)
-    def test_container_run_args_lists_with_cpu(self, runner):
+    def test_container_run_args_lists_with_cpu_and_dict_env(self, runner):
         config = {
             'one': {
                 'image': 'centos:7',
@@ -545,7 +545,7 @@ three-12345678 three''', '', 0),
                 'remove': True,
                 'tty': True,
                 'interactive': True,
-                'environment': ['FOO=BAR', 'BAR=BAZ'],
+                'environment': {'BAR': 'BAZ', 'FOO': 'BAR', 'SINGLE': ''},
                 'env_file': ['/tmp/foo.env', '/tmp/bar.env'],
                 'ulimit': ['nofile=1024', 'nproc=1024'],
                 'volumes': ['/foo:/foo:rw', '/bar:/bar:ro'],
@@ -563,7 +563,7 @@ three-12345678 three''', '', 0),
         self.assertEqual(
             ['docker', 'run', '--name', 'one',
              '--env-file=/tmp/foo.env', '--env-file=/tmp/bar.env',
-             '--env=FOO=BAR', '--env=BAR=BAZ',
+             '--env=BAR=BAZ', '--env=FOO=BAR', '--env=SINGLE',
              '--rm', '--interactive', '--tty',
              '--ulimit=nofile=1024', '--ulimit=nproc=1024',
              '--group-add=docker', '--group-add=zuul',