diff --git a/src/lib/diff/gen-node.cpp b/src/lib/diff/gen-node.cpp
index 876703f37..ab99a8bc5 100644
--- a/src/lib/diff/gen-node.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/diff/gen-node.cpp
@@ -103,9 +103,16 @@ namespace diff{
         DERIVE_EQUALITY (time::Duration)
         DERIVE_EQUALITY (time::TimeSpan)
         DERIVE_EQUALITY (hash::LuidH)
-        DERIVE_EQUALITY (RecRef)
         DERIVE_EQUALITY (Rec)
         
+        /** special treatment to allow matching a RecRef
+         * with an Record or RecRef on the other side */
+        virtual bool
+        handle  (RecRef const& val) override
+          {
+            return o_.matchRec(val);
+          }
+        
       public:
         EqualityTest(DataCap const& o)
           : o_(o)
diff --git a/src/lib/diff/gen-node.hpp b/src/lib/diff/gen-node.hpp
index 90f699e0f..16411afab 100644
--- a/src/lib/diff/gen-node.hpp
+++ b/src/lib/diff/gen-node.hpp
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ namespace diff{
       bool contains (X const& elm)  const;
       
       
-      bool matches (GenNode const& o)  const { return this->matches(o.idi); }  ///< @note \em not comparing payload data. Use equality for that
+      bool matches (GenNode const& o)  const { return this->matches(o.idi); }  ///< @note \em not comparing payload data. Use equality for that…
       bool matches (ID const& id)      const { return idi == id; }
       bool matches (int     number)    const { return data.matchNum(number);}
       bool matches (int64_t number)    const { return data.matchNum(number);}
diff --git a/tests/library/diff/gen-node-basic-test.cpp b/tests/library/diff/gen-node-basic-test.cpp
index e3fba9c00..cbc7d9875 100644
--- a/tests/library/diff/gen-node-basic-test.cpp
+++ b/tests/library/diff/gen-node-basic-test.cpp
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ namespace test{
           CHECK (!isnil(scope));
           CHECK (GenNode("τ", Time(1,2,3,4)) == *scope);
           ++scope;
-          CHECK (GenNode(char('*')) == *scope);
+          CHECK (char('*') == scope->data.get<char>());
           ++scope;
           CHECK ("★" == scope->data.get<string>());
           ++scope;
@@ -813,18 +813,20 @@ namespace test{
           CHECK (nh2 != ref2);     CHECK (ref2 != nh2);
           
           CHECK (rec1 != rec2);    CHECK (rec2 != rec1);
-//        CHECK (rec1 != ref1);    CHECK (ref1 != rec1);   /////////TODO need special handling for references
-//        CHECK (rec1 != ref2);    CHECK (ref2 != rec1);
-          
-//        CHECK (rec2 != ref1);    CHECK (ref1 != rec2);
-//        CHECK (rec2 != ref2);    CHECK (ref2 != rec2);
-        
           CHECK (ref1 != ref2);    CHECK (ref2 != ref1);
           
+          // NOTE: special handling for record references…
+          CHECK (rec1 == ref1);    CHECK (ref1 == rec1);
+          CHECK (rec1 != ref2);    CHECK (ref2 != rec1);
+          
+          CHECK (rec2 != ref1);    CHECK (ref1 != rec2);
+          CHECK (rec2 == ref2);    CHECK (ref2 == rec2);
+        
+          
           
           /* ----- equivalence match ----- */
           
-          // equivalence on equality     // equivalence on ID match         // contained value equality
+          // equivalence as object       // equivalence on ID match         // contained value equality
           CHECK (ni1 .matches(ni1 ));    CHECK (ni1 .matches(ni1 .idi));    CHECK (ni1 .matches(i1 ));
           CHECK (ni2 .matches(ni2 ));    CHECK (ni2 .matches(ni2 .idi));    CHECK (ni2 .matches(i2 ));
           CHECK (nl1 .matches(nl1 ));    CHECK (nl1 .matches(nl1 .idi));    CHECK (nl1 .matches(l1 ));