diff --git a/simple_parsing/helpers/subgroups.py b/simple_parsing/helpers/subgroups.py
index 8b16794c..7cf9ec66 100644
--- a/simple_parsing/helpers/subgroups.py
+++ b/simple_parsing/helpers/subgroups.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import functools
 import inspect
 import typing
+from collections.abc import Mapping
 from dataclasses import _MISSING_TYPE, MISSING
 from enum import Enum
 from logging import getLogger as get_logger
@@ -21,7 +22,7 @@
 
 @overload
 def subgroups(
-    subgroups: dict[Key, DataclassT | type[DataclassT] | functools.partial[DataclassT]],
+    subgroups: Mapping[Key, DataclassT | type[DataclassT] | functools.partial[DataclassT]],
     *args,
     default: Key | DataclassT,
     default_factory: _MISSING_TYPE = MISSING,
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@ def subgroups(
 
 @overload
 def subgroups(
-    subgroups: dict[Key, DataclassT | type[DataclassT] | functools.partial[DataclassT]],
+    subgroups: Mapping[Key, DataclassT | type[DataclassT] | functools.partial[DataclassT]],
     *args,
     default: _MISSING_TYPE = MISSING,
     default_factory: type[DataclassT] | functools.partial[DataclassT],
@@ -43,7 +44,7 @@ def subgroups(
 
 @overload
 def subgroups(
-    subgroups: dict[Key, DataclassT | type[DataclassT] | functools.partial[DataclassT]],
+    subgroups: Mapping[Key, DataclassT | type[DataclassT] | functools.partial[DataclassT]],
     *args,
     default: _MISSING_TYPE = MISSING,
     default_factory: _MISSING_TYPE = MISSING,
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ def subgroups(
 
 
 def subgroups(
-    subgroups: dict[Key, DataclassT | type[DataclassT] | functools.partial[DataclassT]],
+    subgroups: Mapping[Key, DataclassT | type[DataclassT] | functools.partial[DataclassT]],
     *args,
     default: Key | DataclassT | _MISSING_TYPE = MISSING,
     default_factory: type[DataclassT] | functools.partial[DataclassT] | _MISSING_TYPE = MISSING,