dict with literal keys cannot be unpacked into a dict with str keys
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Description
Bug Report
A dict that is typed with literal keys cannot be unpacked into a dict with string keys.
To Reproduce
https://mypy-play.net/?mypy=latest&python=3.13&gist=f150b9f1c64eba97cb0496a6a5d7a2b6
from typing import Literal
data: dict[Literal["foo"], str] = {"foo": "bar"}
def foo() -> dict[str, str]:
return {**data}
Expected Behavior
The code should type check. It works fine in Pyright.
Actual Behavior
error: Unpacked dict entry 0 has incompatible type "dict[Literal['foo'], str]"; expected "SupportsKeysAndGetItem[str, str]" [dict-item]
Your Environment
- Mypy version used: 1.18.2
- Python version used: 3.13
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start with the linked mypy-play reproducer and the reported dict-unpacking diagnostic, then trace the type-checking path responsible for validating unpacked dictionary keys. Done means the example type-checks without the incompatible-type error while preserving correct diagnostics for genuinely incompatible keys.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- python
- Domain
- devtools
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 35/100