diff --git a/src/compiler/GF/Compile/Compute/AppPredefined.hs b/src/compiler/GF/Compile/Compute/AppPredefined.hs
index 514b471c4..be1008a47 100644
--- a/src/compiler/GF/Compile/Compute/AppPredefined.hs
+++ b/src/compiler/GF/Compile/Compute/AppPredefined.hs
@@ -77,6 +77,8 @@ primitives = Map.fromList
                                          [(Explicit,varP,typePType),(Explicit,identW,typeStr)] (Vr varP) []))) Nothing)
   , (cShow     , ResOper (Just (noLoc (mkProd -- (P : PType) -> P -> Tok
                                          [(Explicit,varP,typePType),(Explicit,identW,Vr varP)] typeStr []))) Nothing)
+  , (cEqVal    , ResOper (Just (noLoc (mkProd -- (P : PType) -> P -> P -> PBool
+                                         [(Explicit,varP,typePType),(Explicit,identW,Vr varP),(Explicit,identW,Vr varP)] typePBool []))) Nothing)
   , (cToStr    , ResOper (Just (noLoc (mkProd -- (L : Type)  -> L -> Str
                                          [(Explicit,varL,typeType),(Explicit,identW,Vr varL)] typeStr []))) Nothing)
   , (cMapStr   , ResOper (Just (noLoc (mkProd -- (L : Type)  -> (Str -> Str) -> L -> L
@@ -135,6 +137,7 @@ appPredefined t = case t of
      (z,_) <- appPredefined z0
      case (z, y, x) of
        (ty,op,t) | f == cMapStr -> retf $ mapStr ty op t
+       _ | f == cEqVal -> retb $ if y==x then predefTrue else predefFalse
        _ -> retb t ---- prtBad "cannot compute predefined" t
 
     _ -> retb t ---- prtBad "cannot compute predefined" t
diff --git a/src/compiler/GF/Grammar/Predef.hs b/src/compiler/GF/Grammar/Predef.hs
index b77aea40e..44cc060ec 100644
--- a/src/compiler/GF/Grammar/Predef.hs
+++ b/src/compiler/GF/Grammar/Predef.hs
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ module GF.Grammar.Predef
           , cOccurs, cEqInt, cLessInt, cPlus, cShow, cRead
           , cToStr, cMapStr, cError
           , cToUpper, cToLower, cIsUpper
+          , cEqVal
 
           -- hacks
           , cMeta, cAs, cChar, cChars, cSeq, cAlt, cRep
@@ -129,6 +130,9 @@ cIsUpper = identC (BS.pack "isUpper")
 cEqStr :: Ident
 cEqStr = identC (BS.pack "eqStr")
 
+cEqVal :: Ident
+cEqVal = identC (BS.pack "eqVal")
+
 cOccur :: Ident
 cOccur = identC (BS.pack "occur")