diff --git a/src/json.hpp b/src/json.hpp
index 33456a515..5bd5bde7a 100644
--- a/src/json.hpp
+++ b/src/json.hpp
@@ -13048,6 +13048,22 @@ struct hash<nlohmann::json>
         return h(j.dump());
     }
 };
+
+/// specialization for std::less<value_t>
+template <>
+struct less<::nlohmann::detail::value_t>
+{
+    /*!
+    @brief compare two value_t enum values
+    @since version 3.0.0
+    */
+    bool operator()(nlohmann::detail::value_t lhs,
+                    nlohmann::detail::value_t rhs) const noexcept
+    {
+        return nlohmann::detail::operator<(lhs, rhs);
+    }
+};
+
 } // namespace std
 
 /*!
diff --git a/src/json.hpp.re2c b/src/json.hpp.re2c
index 180f5d3b4..baba31076 100644
--- a/src/json.hpp.re2c
+++ b/src/json.hpp.re2c
@@ -12082,6 +12082,22 @@ struct hash<nlohmann::json>
         return h(j.dump());
     }
 };
+
+/// specialization for std::less<value_t>
+template <>
+struct less<::nlohmann::detail::value_t>
+{
+    /*!
+    @brief compare two value_t enum values
+    @since version 3.0.0
+    */
+    bool operator()(nlohmann::detail::value_t lhs,
+                    nlohmann::detail::value_t rhs) const noexcept
+    {
+        return nlohmann::detail::operator<(lhs, rhs);
+    }
+};
+
 } // namespace std
 
 /*!
diff --git a/test/src/unit-regression.cpp b/test/src/unit-regression.cpp
index bfd2c9547..957d5a25a 100644
--- a/test/src/unit-regression.cpp
+++ b/test/src/unit-regression.cpp
@@ -796,6 +796,13 @@ TEST_CASE("regression tests")
         CHECK(s1 == s2);
     }
 
+    SECTION("issue #486 - json::value_t can't be a map's key type in VC++ 2015")
+    {
+        // the code below must compile with MSVC
+        std::map<json::value_t, std::string> jsonTypes ;
+        jsonTypes[json::value_t::array] = "array";
+    }
+
     SECTION("issue #494 - conversion from vector<bool> to json fails to build")
     {
         std::vector<bool> boolVector = {false, true, false, false};