diff --git a/docs/design.md b/docs/design.md
index 445fbea..d72d1e0 100644
--- a/docs/design.md
+++ b/docs/design.md
@@ -64,11 +64,14 @@ indexed differently.
 
 ### Ordered map and set
 
-A persistent binary search tree. Insert/remove path-copy from the root to the
-leaf. Two-child delete uses successor-from-right.
+A persistent AVL tree (self-balancing binary search tree). Insert/remove
+path-copy from the root to the leaf and rebalance on the way back up.
+Two-child delete uses successor-from-right. Each node stores a height field
+used to compute balance factors; single and double rotations keep the tree
+within AVL balance (height difference of at most 1 between subtrees).
 
-The tree is intentionally unbalanced. Random-ish input behaves; worst-case
-input (always increasing) degrades to a list.
+This guarantees O(log n) insert, remove, and lookup regardless of insertion
+order.
 
 ### Heap
 
@@ -136,7 +139,6 @@ likely offenders.
 
 ## What's deliberately not here yet
 
-- balanced ordered map (AVL/RB)
 - finger-tree-based deque scheduling
 - adaptive hash-trie depth
 - structural `=` for the heap
diff --git a/persistent_docs.carp b/persistent_docs.carp
index 89814af..165015b 100644
--- a/persistent_docs.carp
+++ b/persistent_docs.carp
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ dispatch.
 - **Queue**: two-list FIFO with amortized O(1) ends.
 - **Deque**: two-list double-ended queue.
 - **Trie**: keyed by `(Array K)`, supports prefix queries.
-- **Ordered map / set**: unbalanced persistent BST.
+- **Ordered map / set**: persistent AVL tree (self-balancing BST).
 - **Heap**: persistent skew min-heap. Everything is `merge`.
 - **Hash map / set**: trie keyed by hash digits (depth 8, radix 16).
 - **Vector**: trie keyed by index digits (depth 7, radix 32).