diff --git a/include/chibi/features.h b/include/chibi/features.h
index 9308d4c6..5354c357 100644
--- a/include/chibi/features.h
+++ b/include/chibi/features.h
@@ -447,6 +447,10 @@
 #define SEXP_USE_IMMEDIATE_FLONUMS 0
 #endif
 
+#ifndef SEXP_USE_IEEE_EQV
+#define SEXP_USE_IEEE_EQV SEXP_USE_FLONUMS
+#endif
+
 #ifndef SEXP_USE_PLACEHOLDER_DIGITS
 #define SEXP_USE_PLACEHOLDER_DIGITS 0
 #endif
diff --git a/include/chibi/sexp.h b/include/chibi/sexp.h
index 1aec5569..905fe358 100755
--- a/include/chibi/sexp.h
+++ b/include/chibi/sexp.h
@@ -819,6 +819,13 @@ SEXP_API sexp sexp_make_unsigned_integer(sexp ctx, sexp_luint_t x);
 #define sexp_infp(x) (sexp_flonump(x) && isinf(sexp_flonum_value(x)))
 #define sexp_nanp(x) (sexp_flonump(x) && isnan(sexp_flonum_value(x)))
 
+#if SEXP_USE_IEEE_EQV
+#define sexp_flonum_bits(x)   (*(long*)(&(sexp_flonum_value(x))))
+#define sexp_flonum_eqv(x, y) (sexp_flonum_bits(x) == sexp_flonum_bits(y))
+#else
+#define sexp_flonum_eqv(x, y) (sexp_flonum_value(x) == sexp_flonum_value(y))
+#endif
+
 /*************************** field accessors **************************/
 
 #if SEXP_USE_SAFE_ACCESSORS
diff --git a/lib/init-7.scm b/lib/init-7.scm
index 87e6a474..21b71212 100644
--- a/lib/init-7.scm
+++ b/lib/init-7.scm
@@ -429,8 +429,6 @@
 
 ;; list utils
 
-(define (eqv? a b) (if (eq? a b) #t (and (flonum? a) (flonum? b) (= a b))))
-
 (define (member obj ls . o)
   (let ((eq (if (pair? o) (car o) equal?)))
     (let lp ((ls ls))
@@ -1018,6 +1016,8 @@
 (define (rational? x)
   (and (real? x) (= x x) (not (= x (+ x (if (positive? x) 1 -1))))))
 
+(define (eqv? a b) (if (eq? a b) #t (and (number? a) (equal? a b))))
+
 (define (exact-integer-sqrt x)
   (let ((res (sqrt x)))
     (if (exact? res)
diff --git a/sexp.c b/sexp.c
index 20b5420f..18a8d6d7 100644
--- a/sexp.c
+++ b/sexp.c
@@ -799,7 +799,7 @@ sexp sexp_equalp_bound (sexp ctx, sexp self, sexp_sint_t n, sexp a, sexp b, sexp
 #endif
 #if SEXP_USE_FLONUMS && ! SEXP_USE_IMMEDIATE_FLONUMS
   if (sexp_pointer_tag(a) == SEXP_FLONUM)
-    return (sexp_flonum_value(a) == sexp_flonum_value(b)) ? bound : SEXP_FALSE;
+    return sexp_flonum_eqv(a, b) ? bound : SEXP_FALSE;
 #endif
   if (sexp_unbox_fixnum(bound) < 0) /* exceeded limit */
     return bound;