diff --git a/src/contracts/big_map.ligo b/src/contracts/big_map.ligo
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2b6f97581
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/contracts/big_map.ligo
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+type storage_ is big_map(int, int) * unit
+
+function main(const p : unit; const s : storage_) : list(operation) * storage_ is
+  block { skip }
+  with ((nil : list(operation)), s)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/transpiler/transpiler.ml b/src/transpiler/transpiler.ml
index 7d4db9321..3c8ad1ae3 100644
--- a/src/transpiler/transpiler.ml
+++ b/src/transpiler/transpiler.ml
@@ -113,6 +113,9 @@ let rec translate_type (t:AST.type_value) : type_value result =
   | T_constant ("map", [key;value]) ->
       let%bind kv' = bind_map_pair translate_type (key, value) in
       ok (T_map kv')
+  | T_constant ("big_map", [key;value] ) ->
+      let%bind kv' = bind_map_pair translate_type (key, value) in
+      ok (T_map kv')
   | T_constant ("list", [t]) ->
       let%bind t' = translate_type t in
       ok (T_list t')