diff --git a/src/lib/util.hpp b/src/lib/util.hpp
index 40845283f..1893dda10 100644
--- a/src/lib/util.hpp
+++ b/src/lib/util.hpp
@@ -201,6 +201,19 @@ namespace util {
   }
   
   
+  /** compare plain object identity,
+   *  bypassing any custom comparison operators.
+   */
+  template<class A, class B>
+  inline bool
+  isSameObject (A const& a, B const& b)
+  {
+    return static_cast<const void*> (&a)
+        == static_cast<const void*> (&b);
+  }
+  
+  
+  
   
   /** produce an identifier based on the given string.
    *  remove non-standard-chars, reduce sequences of punctuation 
diff --git a/tests/components/proc/mobject/placement-ref-test.cpp b/tests/components/proc/mobject/placement-ref-test.cpp
index 5883b47f1..b8e4a5001 100644
--- a/tests/components/proc/mobject/placement-ref-test.cpp
+++ b/tests/components/proc/mobject/placement-ref-test.cpp
@@ -28,9 +28,11 @@
 #include "proc/mobject/placement-index.hpp"
 #include "proc/mobject/explicitplacement.hpp"
 #include "proc/mobject/test-dummy-mobject.hpp"
+#include "lib/util.hpp"
 
 #include <iostream>
 
+using util::isSameObject;
 using lumiera::Time;
 using std::string;
 using std::cout;
@@ -45,15 +47,6 @@ namespace test    {
   typedef TestPlacement<TestSubMO21> PSub;
   
   
-  template<class A, class B>
-  inline bool
-  isSameObject (A const& a, B const& b)
-  {
-    return static_cast<const void*> (&a)
-        == static_cast<const void*> (&b);
-  }
-  
-  
   /***************************************************************************
    * @test properties and behaviour of the reference-mechanism for Placements.
    *       We create an mock placement index and install it to be used