diff --git a/vm.c b/vm.c
index 16b938b3..2c219f05 100644
--- a/vm.c
+++ b/vm.c
@@ -1643,21 +1643,38 @@ sexp sexp_apply (sexp ctx, sexp proc, sexp args) {
       i = tmp1 == tmp2;
 #if SEXP_USE_BIGNUMS
       _ARG1 = sexp_make_boolean(i);
+    } else {
 #if SEXP_USE_COMPLEX
-    } else if (sexp_complexp(tmp1)) {
-      if (!sexp_complexp(tmp2)) {
-        _ARG1 = SEXP_FALSE;
-      } else {
-        i = (sexp_complex_real(tmp1) == sexp_complex_real(tmp2)
-             || (sexp_flonump(tmp1) && (sexp_flonum_value(tmp1) == (sexp_flonump(tmp2) ? sexp_flonum_value(tmp2) : sexp_unbox_fixnum(tmp2))))
-             || (sexp_flonump(tmp2) && (sexp_flonum_value(tmp2) == sexp_unbox_fixnum(tmp2))));
-        _ARG1 = sexp_make_boolean(i);
+      if (sexp_complexp(tmp1)) {
+        if (sexp_flonump(sexp_complex_imag(tmp1))
+            && sexp_flonum_value(sexp_complex_imag(tmp1)) == 0.0) {
+          tmp1 = sexp_complex_real(tmp1);
+        } else if (sexp_complexp(tmp2)) { /* both complex */
+          _ARG1 = sexp_make_boolean(
+            (sexp_compare(ctx, sexp_complex_real(tmp1), sexp_complex_real(tmp2))
+             == SEXP_ZERO)
+            && (sexp_compare(ctx, sexp_complex_imag(tmp1), sexp_complex_imag(tmp2))
+                == SEXP_ZERO));
+          break;
+        } else if (sexp_numberp(tmp2)) {
+          _ARG1 = SEXP_FALSE;
+          break;
+        }
+      }
+      if (sexp_complexp(tmp2)) {
+        if (sexp_flonump(sexp_complex_imag(tmp2))
+            && sexp_flonum_value(sexp_complex_imag(tmp2)) == 0.0) {
+          tmp2 = sexp_complex_real(tmp2);
+        } else if (sexp_numberp(tmp1)) {
+          _ARG1 = SEXP_FALSE;
+          break;
+        }
       }
 #endif
-    } else {
+      /* neither is complex */
       _ARG1 = sexp_compare(ctx, tmp1, tmp2);
       sexp_check_exception();
-      _ARG1 = sexp_make_boolean(sexp_unbox_fixnum(_ARG1) == 0);
+      _ARG1 = sexp_make_boolean(_ARG1 == SEXP_ZERO);
     }
 #else
 #if SEXP_USE_FLONUMS