diff --git a/include/rcutils/types/hash_map.h b/include/rcutils/types/hash_map.h
index 25b69ee6..4d5de731 100644
--- a/include/rcutils/types/hash_map.h
+++ b/include/rcutils/types/hash_map.h
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ rcutils_get_zero_initialized_hash_map();
  * ```c
  * rcutils_hash_map_t hash_map = rcutils_get_zero_initialized_hash_map();
  * rcutils_ret_t ret =
- *   rcutils_hash_map_init(&hash_map, 10, rcutils_get_default_allocator());
+ *   rcutils_hash_map_init(&hash_map, 2, rcutils_get_default_allocator());
  * if (ret != RCUTILS_RET_OK) {
  *   // ... do error handling
  * }
@@ -156,7 +156,8 @@ rcutils_get_zero_initialized_hash_map();
  * ```
  *
  * \param[inout] hash_map rcutils_hash_map_t to be initialized
- * \param[in] initial_capacity the amount of initial capacity for the hash_map - this must be greater than zero and a power of 2
+ * \param[in] initial_capacity the amount of initial capacity for the hash_map - this must be
+ *                             greater than zero and will be automatically rounded up to the next power of 2
  * \param[in] key_size the size (in bytes) of the key used to index the data
  * \param[in] data_size the size (in bytes) of the data being stored
  * \param[in] key_hashing_func a function that returns a hashed value for a key
diff --git a/src/hash_map.c b/src/hash_map.c
index e9159758..7c06021a 100644
--- a/src/hash_map.c
+++ b/src/hash_map.c
@@ -230,6 +230,19 @@ static rcutils_ret_t hash_map_check_and_grow_map(rcutils_hash_map_t * hash_map)
   return ret;
 }
 
+// Modified from http://graphics.stanford.edu/~seander/bithacks.html#RoundUpPowerOf2
+static size_t next_power_of_two(size_t v)
+{
+  size_t shf = 0;
+  v--;
+  for (size_t i = 0; shf < sizeof(size_t) * 4; ++i) {
+    shf = (((size_t) 1) << i);
+    v |= v >> shf;
+  }
+  v++;
+  return v > 1 ? v : 1;
+}
+
 rcutils_ret_t
 rcutils_hash_map_init(
   rcutils_hash_map_t * hash_map,
@@ -255,11 +268,10 @@ rcutils_hash_map_init(
     return RCUTILS_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT;
   }
 
-  // Due to an optimization we use during lookup, we can currently only handle power-of-two
-  // capacities.  Enforce that here.
+  // Due to an optimization we use during lookup, the capacity must be a power-of-two.
+  // If the user passed us something that is not power-of-two, round up to the next power-of-two
   if ((initial_capacity & (initial_capacity - 1)) != 0) {
-    RCUTILS_SET_ERROR_MSG("This hashmap only works with power-of-two capacities");
-    return RCUTILS_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT;
+    initial_capacity = next_power_of_two(initial_capacity);
   }
 
   hash_map->impl = allocator->allocate(sizeof(rcutils_hash_map_impl_t), allocator->state);
diff --git a/test/test_hash_map.cpp b/test/test_hash_map.cpp
index 2991bfc7..3b9a9f57 100644
--- a/test/test_hash_map.cpp
+++ b/test/test_hash_map.cpp
@@ -95,11 +95,14 @@ TEST_F(HashMapBaseTest, init_map_initial_capacity_zero_fails) {
   EXPECT_EQ(RCUTILS_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT, ret) << rcutils_get_error_string().str;
 }
 
-TEST_F(HashMapBaseTest, init_map_initial_capacity_not_power_of_two_fails) {
+TEST_F(HashMapBaseTest, init_map_initial_capacity_not_power_of_two) {
   rcutils_ret_t ret = rcutils_hash_map_init(
     &map, 3, sizeof(uint32_t), sizeof(uint32_t),
     test_hash_map_uint32_hash_func, test_uint32_cmp, &allocator);
-  EXPECT_EQ(RCUTILS_RET_INVALID_ARGUMENT, ret) << rcutils_get_error_string().str;
+  ASSERT_EQ(RCUTILS_RET_OK, ret) << rcutils_get_error_string().str;
+  size_t current_capacity = 0;
+  ASSERT_EQ(RCUTILS_RET_OK, rcutils_hash_map_get_capacity(&map, &current_capacity));
+  EXPECT_EQ(4u, current_capacity);
 }
 
 TEST_F(HashMapBaseTest, init_map_key_size_zero_fails) {