diff --git a/include/ankerl/unordered_dense.h b/include/ankerl/unordered_dense.h
index 2aaacd6..bbc4918 100644
--- a/include/ankerl/unordered_dense.h
+++ b/include/ankerl/unordered_dense.h
@@ -436,6 +436,7 @@ ANKERL_UNORDERED_DENSE_PACK(struct big {
 namespace detail {
 
 struct nonesuch {};
+struct default_container_t {};
 
 template <class Default, class AlwaysVoid, template <class...> class Op, class... Args>
 struct detector {
@@ -796,6 +797,7 @@ template <class Key,
           class KeyEqual,
           class AllocatorOrContainer,
           class Bucket,
+          class BucketContainer,
           bool IsSegmented>
 class table : public std::conditional_t<is_map_v<T>, base_table_type_map<T>, base_table_type_set> {
     using underlying_value_type = typename std::conditional_t<is_map_v<T>, std::pair<Key, T>, Key>;
@@ -810,7 +812,12 @@ class table : public std::conditional_t<is_map_v<T>, base_table_type_map<T>, bas
 private:
     using bucket_alloc =
         typename std::allocator_traits<typename value_container_type::allocator_type>::template rebind_alloc<Bucket>;
-    using bucket_alloc_traits = std::allocator_traits<bucket_alloc>;
+    using default_bucket_container_type =
+        std::conditional_t<IsSegmented, segmented_vector<Bucket, bucket_alloc>, std::vector<Bucket, bucket_alloc>>;
+
+    using bucket_container_type = std::conditional_t<std::is_same_v<BucketContainer, detail::default_container_t>,
+                                                     default_bucket_container_type,
+                                                     BucketContainer>;
 
     static constexpr uint8_t initial_shifts = 64 - 2; // 2^(64-m_shift) number of buckets
     static constexpr float default_max_load_factor = 0.8F;
@@ -839,9 +846,7 @@ class table : public std::conditional_t<is_map_v<T>, base_table_type_map<T>, bas
     static_assert(std::is_trivially_copyable_v<Bucket>, "assert we can just memset / memcpy");
 
     value_container_type m_values{}; // Contains all the key-value pairs in one densely stored container. No holes.
-    using bucket_pointer = typename std::allocator_traits<bucket_alloc>::pointer;
-    bucket_pointer m_buckets{};
-    size_t m_num_buckets = 0;
+    bucket_container_type m_buckets{};
     size_t m_max_bucket_capacity = 0;
     float m_max_load_factor = default_max_load_factor;
     Hash m_hash{};
@@ -849,14 +854,18 @@ class table : public std::conditional_t<is_map_v<T>, base_table_type_map<T>, bas
     uint8_t m_shifts = initial_shifts;
 
     [[nodiscard]] auto next(value_idx_type bucket_idx) const -> value_idx_type {
-        return ANKERL_UNORDERED_DENSE_UNLIKELY(bucket_idx + 1U == m_num_buckets)
+        return ANKERL_UNORDERED_DENSE_UNLIKELY(bucket_idx + 1U == bucket_count())
                    ? 0
                    : static_cast<value_idx_type>(bucket_idx + 1U);
     }
 
     // Helper to access bucket through pointer types
-    [[nodiscard]] static constexpr auto at(bucket_pointer bucket_ptr, size_t offset) -> Bucket& {
-        return *(bucket_ptr + static_cast<typename std::allocator_traits<bucket_alloc>::difference_type>(offset));
+    [[nodiscard]] static constexpr auto at(bucket_container_type& bucket, size_t offset) -> Bucket& {
+        return bucket[offset];
+    }
+
+    [[nodiscard]] static constexpr auto at(const bucket_container_type& bucket, size_t offset) -> const Bucket& {
+        return bucket[offset];
     }
 
     // use the dist_inc and dist_dec functions so that uint16_t types work without warning
@@ -946,7 +955,13 @@ class table : public std::conditional_t<is_map_v<T>, base_table_type_map<T>, bas
         } else {
             m_shifts = other.m_shifts;
             allocate_buckets_from_shift();
-            std::memcpy(m_buckets, other.m_buckets, sizeof(Bucket) * bucket_count());
+            if constexpr (IsSegmented || !std::is_same_v<BucketContainer, default_container_t>) {
+                for (auto i = 0UL; i < bucket_count(); ++i) {
+                    at(m_buckets, i) = at(other.m_buckets, i);
+                }
+            } else {
+                std::memcpy(m_buckets.data(), other.m_buckets.data(), sizeof(Bucket) * bucket_count());
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -958,30 +973,38 @@ class table : public std::conditional_t<is_map_v<T>, base_table_type_map<T>, bas
     }
 
     void deallocate_buckets() {
-        auto ba = bucket_alloc(m_values.get_allocator());
-        if (nullptr != m_buckets) {
-            bucket_alloc_traits::deallocate(ba, m_buckets, bucket_count());
-            m_buckets = nullptr;
-        }
-        m_num_buckets = 0;
+        m_buckets.clear();
+        m_buckets.shrink_to_fit();
         m_max_bucket_capacity = 0;
     }
 
     void allocate_buckets_from_shift() {
-        auto ba = bucket_alloc(m_values.get_allocator());
-        m_num_buckets = calc_num_buckets(m_shifts);
-        m_buckets = bucket_alloc_traits::allocate(ba, m_num_buckets);
-        if (m_num_buckets == max_bucket_count()) {
+        auto num_buckets = calc_num_buckets(m_shifts);
+        if constexpr (IsSegmented || !std::is_same_v<BucketContainer, default_container_t>) {
+            if constexpr (has_reserve<bucket_container_type>) {
+                m_buckets.reserve(num_buckets);
+            }
+            for (size_t i = m_buckets.size(); i < num_buckets; ++i) {
+                m_buckets.emplace_back();
+            }
+        } else {
+            m_buckets.resize(num_buckets);
+        }
+        if (num_buckets == max_bucket_count()) {
             // reached the maximum, make sure we can use each bucket
             m_max_bucket_capacity = max_bucket_count();
         } else {
-            m_max_bucket_capacity = static_cast<value_idx_type>(static_cast<float>(m_num_buckets) * max_load_factor());
+            m_max_bucket_capacity = static_cast<value_idx_type>(static_cast<float>(num_buckets) * max_load_factor());
         }
     }
 
     void clear_buckets() {
-        if (m_buckets != nullptr) {
-            std::memset(&*m_buckets, 0, sizeof(Bucket) * bucket_count());
+        if constexpr (IsSegmented || !std::is_same_v<BucketContainer, default_container_t>) {
+            for (auto&& e : m_buckets) {
+                std::memset(&e, 0, sizeof(e));
+            }
+        } else {
+            std::memset(m_buckets.data(), 0, sizeof(Bucket) * bucket_count());
         }
     }
 
@@ -1004,7 +1027,9 @@ class table : public std::conditional_t<is_map_v<T>, base_table_type_map<T>, bas
             on_error_bucket_overflow();
         }
         --m_shifts;
-        deallocate_buckets();
+        if constexpr (!IsSegmented || std::is_same_v<BucketContainer, default_container_t>) {
+            deallocate_buckets();
+        }
         allocate_buckets_from_shift();
         clear_and_fill_buckets_from_values();
     }
@@ -1178,6 +1203,7 @@ class table : public std::conditional_t<is_map_v<T>, base_table_type_map<T>, bas
                    KeyEqual const& equal = KeyEqual(),
                    allocator_type const& alloc_or_container = allocator_type())
         : m_values(alloc_or_container)
+        , m_buckets(alloc_or_container)
         , m_hash(hash)
         , m_equal(equal) {
         if (0 != bucket_count) {
@@ -1253,12 +1279,7 @@ class table : public std::conditional_t<is_map_v<T>, base_table_type_map<T>, bas
     table(std::initializer_list<value_type> init, size_type bucket_count, Hash const& hash, allocator_type const& alloc)
         : table(init, bucket_count, hash, KeyEqual(), alloc) {}
 
-    ~table() {
-        if (nullptr != m_buckets) {
-            auto ba = bucket_alloc(m_values.get_allocator());
-            bucket_alloc_traits::deallocate(ba, m_buckets, bucket_count());
-        }
-    }
+    ~table() {}
 
     auto operator=(table const& other) -> table& {
         if (&other != this) {
@@ -1283,8 +1304,8 @@ class table : public std::conditional_t<is_map_v<T>, base_table_type_map<T>, bas
 
             // we can only reuse m_buckets when both maps have the same allocator!
             if (get_allocator() == other.get_allocator()) {
-                m_buckets = std::exchange(other.m_buckets, nullptr);
-                m_num_buckets = std::exchange(other.m_num_buckets, 0);
+                m_buckets = std::move(other.m_buckets);
+                other.m_buckets.clear();
                 m_max_bucket_capacity = std::exchange(other.m_max_bucket_capacity, 0);
                 m_shifts = std::exchange(other.m_shifts, initial_shifts);
                 m_max_load_factor = std::exchange(other.m_max_load_factor, default_max_load_factor);
@@ -1421,7 +1442,7 @@ class table : public std::conditional_t<is_map_v<T>, base_table_type_map<T>, bas
             on_error_too_many_elements();
         }
         auto shifts = calc_shifts_for_size(container.size());
-        if (0 == m_num_buckets || shifts < m_shifts || container.get_allocator() != m_values.get_allocator()) {
+        if (0 == bucket_count() || shifts < m_shifts || container.get_allocator() != m_values.get_allocator()) {
             m_shifts = shifts;
             deallocate_buckets();
             allocate_buckets_from_shift();
@@ -1821,7 +1842,7 @@ class table : public std::conditional_t<is_map_v<T>, base_table_type_map<T>, bas
     // bucket interface ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
     auto bucket_count() const noexcept -> size_t { // NOLINT(modernize-use-nodiscard)
-        return m_num_buckets;
+        return m_buckets.size();
     }
 
     static constexpr auto max_bucket_count() noexcept -> size_t { // NOLINT(modernize-use-nodiscard)
@@ -1840,7 +1861,7 @@ class table : public std::conditional_t<is_map_v<T>, base_table_type_map<T>, bas
 
     void max_load_factor(float ml) {
         m_max_load_factor = ml;
-        if (m_num_buckets != max_bucket_count()) {
+        if (bucket_count() != max_bucket_count()) {
             m_max_bucket_capacity = static_cast<value_idx_type>(static_cast<float>(bucket_count()) * max_load_factor());
         }
     }
@@ -1864,7 +1885,7 @@ class table : public std::conditional_t<is_map_v<T>, base_table_type_map<T>, bas
             m_values.reserve(capa);
         }
         auto shifts = calc_shifts_for_size((std::max)(capa, size()));
-        if (0 == m_num_buckets || shifts < m_shifts) {
+        if (0 == bucket_count() || shifts < m_shifts) {
             m_shifts = shifts;
             deallocate_buckets();
             allocate_buckets_from_shift();
@@ -1925,30 +1946,34 @@ ANKERL_UNORDERED_DENSE_EXPORT template <class Key,
                                         class Hash = hash<Key>,
                                         class KeyEqual = std::equal_to<Key>,
                                         class AllocatorOrContainer = std::allocator<std::pair<Key, T>>,
-                                        class Bucket = bucket_type::standard>
-using map = detail::table<Key, T, Hash, KeyEqual, AllocatorOrContainer, Bucket, false>;
+                                        class Bucket = bucket_type::standard,
+                                        class BucketContainer = detail::default_container_t>
+using map = detail::table<Key, T, Hash, KeyEqual, AllocatorOrContainer, Bucket, BucketContainer, false>;
 
 ANKERL_UNORDERED_DENSE_EXPORT template <class Key,
                                         class T,
                                         class Hash = hash<Key>,
                                         class KeyEqual = std::equal_to<Key>,
                                         class AllocatorOrContainer = std::allocator<std::pair<Key, T>>,
-                                        class Bucket = bucket_type::standard>
-using segmented_map = detail::table<Key, T, Hash, KeyEqual, AllocatorOrContainer, Bucket, true>;
+                                        class Bucket = bucket_type::standard,
+                                        class BucketContainer = detail::default_container_t>
+using segmented_map = detail::table<Key, T, Hash, KeyEqual, AllocatorOrContainer, Bucket, BucketContainer, true>;
 
 ANKERL_UNORDERED_DENSE_EXPORT template <class Key,
                                         class Hash = hash<Key>,
                                         class KeyEqual = std::equal_to<Key>,
                                         class AllocatorOrContainer = std::allocator<Key>,
-                                        class Bucket = bucket_type::standard>
-using set = detail::table<Key, void, Hash, KeyEqual, AllocatorOrContainer, Bucket, false>;
+                                        class Bucket = bucket_type::standard,
+                                        class BucketContainer = detail::default_container_t>
+using set = detail::table<Key, void, Hash, KeyEqual, AllocatorOrContainer, Bucket, BucketContainer, false>;
 
 ANKERL_UNORDERED_DENSE_EXPORT template <class Key,
                                         class Hash = hash<Key>,
                                         class KeyEqual = std::equal_to<Key>,
                                         class AllocatorOrContainer = std::allocator<Key>,
-                                        class Bucket = bucket_type::standard>
-using segmented_set = detail::table<Key, void, Hash, KeyEqual, AllocatorOrContainer, Bucket, true>;
+                                        class Bucket = bucket_type::standard,
+                                        class BucketContainer = detail::default_container_t>
+using segmented_set = detail::table<Key, void, Hash, KeyEqual, AllocatorOrContainer, Bucket, BucketContainer, true>;
 
 #    if defined(ANKERL_UNORDERED_DENSE_PMR)
 
@@ -1959,29 +1984,54 @@ ANKERL_UNORDERED_DENSE_EXPORT template <class Key,
                                         class Hash = hash<Key>,
                                         class KeyEqual = std::equal_to<Key>,
                                         class Bucket = bucket_type::standard>
-using map =
-    detail::table<Key, T, Hash, KeyEqual, ANKERL_UNORDERED_DENSE_PMR::polymorphic_allocator<std::pair<Key, T>>, Bucket, false>;
+using map = detail::table<Key,
+                          T,
+                          Hash,
+                          KeyEqual,
+                          ANKERL_UNORDERED_DENSE_PMR::polymorphic_allocator<std::pair<Key, T>>,
+                          Bucket,
+                          detail::default_container_t,
+                          false>;
 
 ANKERL_UNORDERED_DENSE_EXPORT template <class Key,
                                         class T,
                                         class Hash = hash<Key>,
                                         class KeyEqual = std::equal_to<Key>,
                                         class Bucket = bucket_type::standard>
-using segmented_map =
-    detail::table<Key, T, Hash, KeyEqual, ANKERL_UNORDERED_DENSE_PMR::polymorphic_allocator<std::pair<Key, T>>, Bucket, true>;
+using segmented_map = detail::table<Key,
+                                    T,
+                                    Hash,
+                                    KeyEqual,
+                                    ANKERL_UNORDERED_DENSE_PMR::polymorphic_allocator<std::pair<Key, T>>,
+                                    Bucket,
+                                    detail::default_container_t,
+                                    true>;
 
 ANKERL_UNORDERED_DENSE_EXPORT template <class Key,
                                         class Hash = hash<Key>,
                                         class KeyEqual = std::equal_to<Key>,
                                         class Bucket = bucket_type::standard>
-using set = detail::table<Key, void, Hash, KeyEqual, ANKERL_UNORDERED_DENSE_PMR::polymorphic_allocator<Key>, Bucket, false>;
+using set = detail::table<Key,
+                          void,
+                          Hash,
+                          KeyEqual,
+                          ANKERL_UNORDERED_DENSE_PMR::polymorphic_allocator<Key>,
+                          Bucket,
+                          detail::default_container_t,
+                          false>;
 
 ANKERL_UNORDERED_DENSE_EXPORT template <class Key,
                                         class Hash = hash<Key>,
                                         class KeyEqual = std::equal_to<Key>,
                                         class Bucket = bucket_type::standard>
-using segmented_set =
-    detail::table<Key, void, Hash, KeyEqual, ANKERL_UNORDERED_DENSE_PMR::polymorphic_allocator<Key>, Bucket, true>;
+using segmented_set = detail::table<Key,
+                                    void,
+                                    Hash,
+                                    KeyEqual,
+                                    ANKERL_UNORDERED_DENSE_PMR::polymorphic_allocator<Key>,
+                                    Bucket,
+                                    detail::default_container_t,
+                                    true>;
 
 } // namespace pmr
 
@@ -2006,11 +2056,15 @@ ANKERL_UNORDERED_DENSE_EXPORT template <class Key,
                                         class AllocatorOrContainer,
                                         class Bucket,
                                         class Pred,
+                                        class BucketContainer,
                                         bool IsSegmented>
 // NOLINTNEXTLINE(cert-dcl58-cpp)
-auto erase_if(ankerl::unordered_dense::detail::table<Key, T, Hash, KeyEqual, AllocatorOrContainer, Bucket, IsSegmented>& map,
-              Pred pred) -> size_t {
-    using map_t = ankerl::unordered_dense::detail::table<Key, T, Hash, KeyEqual, AllocatorOrContainer, Bucket, IsSegmented>;
+auto erase_if(
+    ankerl::unordered_dense::detail::table<Key, T, Hash, KeyEqual, AllocatorOrContainer, Bucket, BucketContainer, IsSegmented>&
+        map,
+    Pred pred) -> size_t {
+    using map_t = ankerl::unordered_dense::detail::
+        table<Key, T, Hash, KeyEqual, AllocatorOrContainer, Bucket, BucketContainer, IsSegmented>;
 
     // going back to front because erase() invalidates the end iterator
     auto const old_size = map.size();
diff --git a/test/app/doctest.h b/test/app/doctest.h
index 446f716..2e16581 100644
--- a/test/app/doctest.h
+++ b/test/app/doctest.h
@@ -29,9 +29,12 @@ template <class Key,
           class Hash = ankerl::unordered_dense::hash<Key>,
           class KeyEqual = std::equal_to<Key>,
           class AllocatorOrContainer = std::deque<std::pair<Key, T>>,
-          class Bucket = ankerl::unordered_dense::bucket_type::standard>
-class deque_map : public ankerl::unordered_dense::detail::table<Key, T, Hash, KeyEqual, AllocatorOrContainer, Bucket, false> {
-    using base_t = ankerl::unordered_dense::detail::table<Key, T, Hash, KeyEqual, AllocatorOrContainer, Bucket, false>;
+          class Bucket = ankerl::unordered_dense::bucket_type::standard,
+          class BucketContainer = std::deque<Bucket>>
+class deque_map : public ankerl::unordered_dense::detail::
+                      table<Key, T, Hash, KeyEqual, AllocatorOrContainer, Bucket, BucketContainer, false> {
+    using base_t =
+        ankerl::unordered_dense::detail::table<Key, T, Hash, KeyEqual, AllocatorOrContainer, Bucket, BucketContainer, false>;
     using base_t::base_t;
 };
 
@@ -39,10 +42,12 @@ template <class Key,
           class Hash = ankerl::unordered_dense::hash<Key>,
           class KeyEqual = std::equal_to<Key>,
           class AllocatorOrContainer = std::deque<Key>,
-          class Bucket = ankerl::unordered_dense::bucket_type::standard>
-class deque_set
-    : public ankerl::unordered_dense::detail::table<Key, void, Hash, KeyEqual, AllocatorOrContainer, Bucket, false> {
-    using base_t = ankerl::unordered_dense::detail::table<Key, void, Hash, KeyEqual, AllocatorOrContainer, Bucket, false>;
+          class Bucket = ankerl::unordered_dense::bucket_type::standard,
+          class BucketContainer = std::deque<Bucket>>
+class deque_set : public ankerl::unordered_dense::detail::
+                      table<Key, void, Hash, KeyEqual, AllocatorOrContainer, Bucket, BucketContainer, false> {
+    using base_t = ankerl::unordered_dense::detail::
+        table<Key, void, Hash, KeyEqual, AllocatorOrContainer, Bucket, BucketContainer, false>;
     using base_t::base_t;
 };
 
diff --git a/test/unit/custom_container.cpp b/test/unit/custom_container.cpp
index 84848ff..7ee79ef 100644
--- a/test/unit/custom_container.cpp
+++ b/test/unit/custom_container.cpp
@@ -15,7 +15,9 @@ TEST_CASE_MAP("custom_container",
               std::string,
               ankerl::unordered_dense::hash<int>,
               std::equal_to<int>,
-              std::deque<std::pair<int, std::string>>) {
+              std::deque<std::pair<int, std::string>>,
+              ankerl::unordered_dense::bucket_type::standard,
+              std::deque<ankerl::unordered_dense::bucket_type::standard>) {
     auto map = map_t();
 
     for (int i = 0; i < 10; ++i) {