diff --git a/src/lib/diff/record.hpp b/src/lib/diff/record.hpp
index e9db705a7..6c086417d 100644
--- a/src/lib/diff/record.hpp
+++ b/src/lib/diff/record.hpp
@@ -535,13 +535,13 @@ namespace diff{
       explicit
       operator bool()  const
         {
-          return empty();
+          return bool(record_);
         }
       
       bool
       empty()  const
         {
-          return bool(record_);
+          return ! bool(record_);
         }
       
       /** target is accessed by cast
diff --git a/tests/library/diff/gen-node-basic-test.cpp b/tests/library/diff/gen-node-basic-test.cpp
index 056fb8432..e26ba6292 100644
--- a/tests/library/diff/gen-node-basic-test.cpp
+++ b/tests/library/diff/gen-node-basic-test.cpp
@@ -237,7 +237,8 @@ namespace test{
           CHECK (ref2.idi == ham.idi);
           
           // can stand-in for the original Record...
-          CHECK (isSameObject (ham, ref2.data.get<Rec>()));
+          Rec& hamRef = ham.data.get<Rec>();
+          CHECK (isSameObject (hamRef, ref2.data.get<Rec>()));
           VERIFY_ERROR (BOTTOM_VALUE, ref1.data.get<Rec>());
           
           RecRef rr1 = ref1.data.get<RecRef>();
@@ -246,8 +247,8 @@ namespace test{
           CHECK ( isnil(rr1));
           CHECK (!isnil(rr2));
           Rec& ham_ref = rr2;
-          CHECK (isSameObject(ham, ham_ref));
-          CHECK (isSameObject(&ham, rr2.get()));
+          CHECK (isSameObject(hamRef, ham_ref));
+          CHECK (isSameObject(hamRef, *rr2.get()));
           
           // pre-defined special ref-tokens
           CHECK ("_END_" == name(Ref::END));
@@ -291,7 +292,7 @@ namespace test{
               ++iter;
               CHECK ("hasSpam" == iter->idi.getSym());                   // delve into the contents, starting with the attribute(s)
               CHECK (true      == iter->data.get<bool>());
-              CHECK ("GenNode-ID(\"hasSpam\")-DataCap|«bool»|true)" == string(*iter));
+              CHECK ("GenNode-ID(\"hasSpam\")-DataCap|«bool»|1" == string(*iter));
               
               ++iter;
               CHECK (!iter->isNamed());                                  // contents of the object's scope