diff --git a/pitfall/pitfall/document.rkt b/pitfall/pitfall/document.rkt
index 273be4f1..f234cac4 100644
--- a/pitfall/pitfall/document.rkt
+++ b/pitfall/pitfall/document.rkt
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
   racket/format
   racket/generator
   racket/match
+  racket/dict
   racket/list
   sugar/unstable/dict
   "reference.rkt"
@@ -61,7 +62,7 @@
 
     (define/public (add-page [options-arg @options])
       ;; create a page object
-      (define page-parent (send @root get-key 'Pages))
+      (define page-parent (dict-ref @root 'Pages))
       (set! @pages (cons (make-object PDFPage this page-parent options-arg) @pages))
       
       ;; reset x and y coordinates
@@ -86,13 +87,13 @@
 
       (define doc-info (ref))
       (for ([(key val) (in-hash @info)])
-        (send doc-info set-key! key (if (string? val) (String val) val)))
+        (dict-set! doc-info key (if (string? val) (String val) val)))
       (send doc-info end)
     
       (for ([font (in-hash-values @font-families)])
         (send font finalize))
 
-      (send* (send @root get-key 'Pages)
+      (send* (dict-ref @root 'Pages)
         [set-key! 'Count (length @pages)]
         [set-key! 'Kids (map (λ (page) (get-field dictionary page)) (reverse @pages))]
         [end])
diff --git a/pitfall/pitfall/embedded.rkt b/pitfall/pitfall/embedded.rkt
index 98326ad4..6d0cf342 100644
--- a/pitfall/pitfall/embedded.rkt
+++ b/pitfall/pitfall/embedded.rkt
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
   racket/string
   racket/format
   racket/list
+  racket/dict
   sugar/unstable/dict
   "font.rkt"
   fontland)
@@ -90,7 +91,7 @@ https://github.com/mbutterick/pdfkit/blob/master/lib/font/embedded.coffee
       (define font-file (send @document ref))
 
       (when isCFF
-        (send font-file set-key! 'Subtype "CIDFontType0C"))
+        (dict-set! font-file 'Subtype "CIDFontType0C"))
   
       (send* font-file [write (get-output-bytes (encode-to-port subset))] [end])
 
@@ -128,7 +129,7 @@ https://github.com/mbutterick/pdfkit/blob/master/lib/font/embedded.coffee
                                 'XHeight (* (or (font-x-height font) 0) scale)
                                 'StemV 0)))
 
-      (send descriptor set-key! (if isCFF 'FontFile3 'FontFile2) font-file)
+      (dict-set! descriptor (if isCFF 'FontFile3 'FontFile2) font-file)
       (send descriptor end)
 
       (define descendant-font (send @document ref
diff --git a/pitfall/pitfall/jpeg-structy.rkt b/pitfall/pitfall/jpeg-structy.rkt
index 7ff07a69..e6c98fa1 100644
--- a/pitfall/pitfall/jpeg-structy.rkt
+++ b/pitfall/pitfall/jpeg-structy.rkt
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@
     ;; min and max values from the default, we invert the colors. See
     ;; section 4.8.4 of the spec. 
     (when (equal? (· this colorSpace) "DeviceCMYK")
-      (send (· this obj) set-key! 'Decode '(1.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 1.0 0.0)))
+      (dict-set! (· this obj) 'Decode '(1.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 1.0 0.0)))
 
     (port-position (· this data) 0)
     (send (· this obj) end (· this data))))
diff --git a/pitfall/pitfall/jpeg.rkt b/pitfall/pitfall/jpeg.rkt
index a7068807..beab92ec 100644
--- a/pitfall/pitfall/jpeg.rkt
+++ b/pitfall/pitfall/jpeg.rkt
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 (require
   racket/class
   racket/contract
+  racket/dict
   sugar/unstable/class
   sugar/unstable/js
   sugar/unstable/dict
@@ -68,7 +69,7 @@
     ;; min and max values from the default, we invert the colors. See
     ;; section 4.8.4 of the spec. 
     (when (equal? (· this colorSpace) "DeviceCMYK")
-      (send (· this obj) set-key! 'Decode '(1.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 1.0 0.0)))
+      (dict-set! (· this obj) 'Decode '(1.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 1.0 0.0)))
 
     (port-position (· this data) 0)
     (send* (· this obj) [write (· this data)]
diff --git a/pitfall/pitfall/page.rkt b/pitfall/pitfall/page.rkt
index 59170b3d..df995d80 100644
--- a/pitfall/pitfall/page.rkt
+++ b/pitfall/pitfall/page.rkt
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #lang debug racket/base
 (require
   racket/class
+  racket/dict
   sugar/unstable/dict
   "core.rkt")
 
@@ -35,21 +36,21 @@
 
     ;; Lazily create these dictionaries
     (define/public (fonts)
-      (send @resources get-key! 'Font (make-hasheq)))
+      (dict-ref! @resources 'Font (make-hasheq)))
 
     (define/public (xobjects)
-      (send @resources get-key! 'XObject (make-hasheq)))
+      (dict-ref! @resources 'XObject (make-hasheq)))
 
     (define/public (ext_gstates)
-      (send @resources get-key! 'ExtGState (make-hasheq)))
+      (dict-ref! @resources 'ExtGState (make-hasheq)))
 
     (define/public (patterns)
-      (send @resources get-key! 'Pattern (make-hasheq)))
+      (dict-ref! @resources 'Pattern (make-hasheq)))
 
     (define/public (annotations [annot #f])
       (if annot
-          (send @dictionary update-key! 'Annots (λ (val) (cons annot val)) null)
-          (send @dictionary get-key! 'Annots null)))
+          (dict-update! @dictionary 'Annots (λ (val) (cons annot val)) null)
+          (dict-ref! @dictionary 'Annots null)))
 
     (define/public (maxY)
       (- @height (margin-bottom @margins)))
diff --git a/pitfall/pitfall/png.rkt b/pitfall/pitfall/png.rkt
index eb36f2a6..1e9791b2 100644
--- a/pitfall/pitfall/png.rkt
+++ b/pitfall/pitfall/png.rkt
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 (require
   racket/class
   racket/contract
+  racket/dict
   racket/draw
   sugar/unstable/class
   sugar/unstable/js
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@
                                   'Colors (· this image colors)
                                   'BitsPerComponent (· this image bits)
                                   'Columns (· this width))))
-      (send (· this obj) set-key! 'DecodeParms params)
+      (dict-set! (· this obj) 'DecodeParms params)
       (send params end))
 
     (cond
@@ -57,9 +58,9 @@
        (send* palette-ref [write (· this image palette)] [end])
 
        ;; build the color space array for the image
-       (send (· this object) set-key! 'Colorspace
+       (dict-set! (· this object) 'Colorspace
                   (list "Indexed" "DeviceRGB" (sub1 (bytes-length (· this image palette))) palette-ref))]
-      [else (send (· this obj) set-key! 'ColorSpace "DeviceRGB")])
+      [else (dict-set! (· this obj) 'ColorSpace "DeviceRGB")])
 
    
     (cond
@@ -91,7 +92,7 @@
                    'ColorSpace "DeviceGray"
                    'Decode '(0 1))))
     (send* sMask [write (· this alphaChannel)] [end])
-    (send (· this obj) set-key! 'SMask sMask))
+    (dict-set! (· this obj) 'SMask sMask))
   
   ;; embed the actual image data
   (send* (· this obj) [write (· this imgData)] [end]))
diff --git a/pitfall/pitfall/reference.rkt b/pitfall/pitfall/reference.rkt
index c002b7de..45166b5b 100644
--- a/pitfall/pitfall/reference.rkt
+++ b/pitfall/pitfall/reference.rkt
@@ -13,9 +13,12 @@
   (interface* ()
               ([(generic-property gen:dict)
                 (generic-method-table gen:dict
-                                      (define (dict-ref refobj key [thunk #f]) (send refobj get-key key))
-                                      (define (dict-set! refobj key val) (send refobj set-key! key))
-                                      (define (dict-update! refobj key updater [failure-result #f]) (send refobj update-key! key updater)))])))
+                                      (define (dict-ref refobj key [thunk (λ () (error 'dict-ref-key-not-found))])
+                                        (send refobj get-key key))
+                                      (define (dict-ref! refobj key thunk)
+                                        (send refobj get-key! key thunk))
+                                      (define (dict-set! refobj key val) (send refobj set-key! key val))
+                                      (define (dict-update! refobj key updater [failure-result (λ () (error 'update-no-key))]) (send refobj update-key! key updater failure-result)))])))
 
 (define PDFReference
   (class* object% (dictable<%>)