diff --git a/src/core/struct.c b/src/core/struct.c
index 29fd29dc..077e7536 100644
--- a/src/core/struct.c
+++ b/src/core/struct.c
@@ -53,10 +53,10 @@ const JanetKV *janet_struct_find(const JanetKV *st, Janet key) {
     int32_t index = janet_maphash(cap, janet_hash(key));
     int32_t i;
     for (i = index; i < cap; i++)
-        if (janet_checktype(st[i].key, JANET_NIL) || janet_equals(st[i].key, key))
+        if (janet_checktype(st[i].key, JANET_NIL) || janet_key_equals(st[i].key, key))
             return st + i;
     for (i = 0; i < index; i++)
-        if (janet_checktype(st[i].key, JANET_NIL) || janet_equals(st[i].key, key))
+        if (janet_checktype(st[i].key, JANET_NIL) || janet_key_equals(st[i].key, key))
             return st + i;
     return NULL;
 }
diff --git a/src/core/util.c b/src/core/util.c
index c678703d..d31007f9 100644
--- a/src/core/util.c
+++ b/src/core/util.c
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ const JanetKV *janet_dict_find(const JanetKV *buckets, int32_t cap, Janet key) {
             } else if (NULL == first_bucket) {
                 first_bucket = kv;
             }
-        } else if (janet_equals(kv->key, key)) {
+        } else if (janet_key_equals(kv->key, key)) {
             return buckets + i;
         }
     }
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ const JanetKV *janet_dict_find(const JanetKV *buckets, int32_t cap, Janet key) {
             } else if (NULL == first_bucket) {
                 first_bucket = kv;
             }
-        } else if (janet_equals(kv->key, key)) {
+        } else if (janet_key_equals(kv->key, key)) {
             return buckets + i;
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/core/util.h b/src/core/util.h
index af42c26f..0d95d062 100644
--- a/src/core/util.h
+++ b/src/core/util.h
@@ -69,6 +69,32 @@ uint32_t janet_hash_mix(uint32_t input, uint32_t more);
 
 #define janet_maphash(cap, hash) ((uint32_t)(hash) & (cap - 1))
 
+/* janet_bitwise_same is true when x and y are the same type and bits,
+ * guarded for the nanboxed implementation */
+#if defined(JANET_NANBOX_64) || defined(JANET_NANBOX_32)
+#define janet_bitwise_same(x, y) (janet_u64(x) == janet_u64(y))
+#else
+#define janet_bitwise_same(x, y) ((x).type == (y).type && janet_u64(x) == janet_u64(y))
+#endif
+
+/* Compare a stored key with a lookup key. Most types are equal only when bitwise identical, so
+ * janet_equals only runs for zero (since 0.0 and -0.0 are equal), strings, tuples, structs and abstract
+ * types. NaN is never stored as a key, so we skip it. */
+static inline int janet_key_equals(Janet stored, Janet key) {
+    if (janet_bitwise_same(stored, key)) return 1;
+    switch (janet_type(key)) {
+        case JANET_NUMBER:
+            return janet_unwrap_number(key) == 0 && janet_equals(stored, key);
+        case JANET_STRING:
+        case JANET_TUPLE:
+        case JANET_STRUCT:
+        case JANET_ABSTRACT:
+            return janet_equals(stored, key);
+        default:
+            return 0;
+    }
+}
+
 int janet_valid_utf8(const uint8_t *str, int32_t len);
 
 int janet_is_symbol_char(uint8_t c);
diff --git a/src/core/value.c b/src/core/value.c
index bd673362..fd7fc36a 100644
--- a/src/core/value.c
+++ b/src/core/value.c
@@ -246,27 +246,27 @@ static int janet_compare_abstract(JanetAbstract xx, JanetAbstract yy) {
     return xt->compare(xx, yy);
 }
 
-int janet_equals(Janet x, Janet y) {
+/* Compare two values of the same type that are not tuples or structs */
+static int janet_equals_leaf(Janet x, Janet y) {
+    switch (janet_type(x)) {
+        case JANET_NUMBER:
+            return janet_unwrap_number(x) == janet_unwrap_number(y);
+        case JANET_STRING:
+            return janet_string_equal(janet_unwrap_string(x), janet_unwrap_string(y));
+        case JANET_ABSTRACT:
+            return !janet_compare_abstract(janet_unwrap_abstract(x), janet_unwrap_abstract(y));
+        default:
+            return janet_bitwise_same(x, y);
+    }
+}
+
+static int janet_equals_containers(Janet x, Janet y) {
     janet_vm.traversal = janet_vm.traversal_base;
     do {
         if (janet_type(x) != janet_type(y)) return 0;
         switch (janet_type(x)) {
-            case JANET_NIL:
-                break;
-            case JANET_BOOLEAN:
-                if (janet_unwrap_boolean(x) != janet_unwrap_boolean(y)) return 0;
-                break;
-            case JANET_NUMBER:
-                if (janet_unwrap_number(x) != janet_unwrap_number(y)) return 0;
-                break;
-            case JANET_STRING:
-                if (!janet_string_equal(janet_unwrap_string(x), janet_unwrap_string(y))) return 0;
-                break;
-            case JANET_ABSTRACT:
-                if (janet_compare_abstract(janet_unwrap_abstract(x), janet_unwrap_abstract(y))) return 0;
-                break;
             default:
-                if (janet_unwrap_pointer(x) != janet_unwrap_pointer(y)) return 0;
+                if (!janet_equals_leaf(x, y)) return 0;
                 break;
             case JANET_TUPLE: {
                 const Janet *t1 = janet_unwrap_tuple(x);
@@ -278,7 +278,6 @@ int janet_equals(Janet x, Janet y) {
                 push_traversal_node(janet_tuple_head(t1), janet_tuple_head(t2), 0);
                 break;
             }
-            break;
             case JANET_STRUCT: {
                 const JanetKV *s1 = janet_unwrap_struct(x);
                 const JanetKV *s2 = janet_unwrap_struct(y);
@@ -290,12 +289,17 @@ int janet_equals(Janet x, Janet y) {
                 push_traversal_node(janet_struct_head(s1), janet_struct_head(s2), 0);
                 break;
             }
-            break;
         }
     } while (!traversal_next(&x, &y));
     return 1;
 }
 
+int janet_equals(Janet x, Janet y) {
+    if (janet_type(x) != janet_type(y)) return 0;
+    if (janet_checktypes(x, JANET_TFLAG_TUPLE | JANET_TFLAG_STRUCT)) return janet_equals_containers(x, y);
+    return janet_equals_leaf(x, y);
+}
+
 static uint64_t murmur64(uint64_t h) {
     h ^= h >> 33;
     h *= 0xff51afd7ed558ccdUL;