diff --git a/src/style-spec/expression/definitions/equals.js b/src/style-spec/expression/definitions/equals.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5151daa395c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/style-spec/expression/definitions/equals.js
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+// @flow
+
+const {
+    ValueType,
+    BooleanType,
+} = require('../types');
+const {toString} = require('../types');
+
+import type { Expression } from '../expression';
+import type EvaluationContext from '../evaluation_context';
+import type ParsingContext from '../parsing_context';
+import type { Type } from '../types';
+
+function eq(ctx) { return this.lhs.evaluate(ctx) === this.rhs.evaluate(ctx); }
+function ne(ctx) { return this.lhs.evaluate(ctx) !== this.rhs.evaluate(ctx); }
+
+function isComparableType(type: Type) {
+    return type.kind === 'string' ||
+        type.kind === 'number' ||
+        type.kind === 'boolean' ||
+        type.kind === 'null';
+}
+
+/**
+ * Special form for ==, !=, implementing the following signatures:
+ * - (T1: Comparable, T2: Comparable) => boolean { T1 == T2 }
+ * - (Comparable, value) => boolean
+ * - (value, Comparable) => boolean
+ *
+ * Where Comparable = string | number | boolean | null.
+ *
+ * Evaluation semantics for the value cases are equivalent to Javascript's
+ * strict equality (===/!==) -- i.e., when the value argument's type doesn't
+ * match that of the Comparable argument, == evaluates to false, != to true.
+ *
+ * @private
+ */
+class Equals implements Expression {
+    type: Type;
+    lhs: Expression;
+    rhs: Expression;
+    evaluate: (EvaluationContext) => any;
+
+    constructor(op: '==' | '!=', lhs: Expression, rhs: Expression) {
+        this.type = BooleanType;
+        this.lhs = lhs;
+        this.rhs = rhs;
+        this.evaluate = op === '==' ? eq : ne;
+    }
+
+    static parse(args: Array<mixed>, context: ParsingContext): ?Expression {
+        if (args.length !== 3)
+            return context.error(`Expected two arguments.`);
+
+        const op: '==' | '!=' = (args[0]: any);
+
+        const lhs = context.parse(args[1], 1, ValueType);
+        if (!lhs) return null;
+        const rhs = context.parse(args[2], 2, ValueType);
+        if (!rhs) return null;
+
+        if (!isComparableType(lhs.type) && !isComparableType(rhs.type)) {
+            return context.error(`Expected at least one argument to be a string, number, boolean, or null, but found (${toString(lhs.type)}, ${toString(rhs.type)}) instead.`);
+        }
+
+        if (lhs.type.kind !== rhs.type.kind && lhs.type.kind !== 'value' && rhs.type.kind !== 'value') {
+            return context.error(`Cannot compare ${toString(lhs.type)} and ${toString(rhs.type)}.`);
+        }
+
+        return new Equals(op, lhs, rhs);
+    }
+
+    eachChild(fn: (Expression) => void) {
+        fn(this.lhs);
+        fn(this.rhs);
+    }
+
+    possibleOutputs() {
+        return [true, false];
+    }
+}
+
+module.exports = Equals;
diff --git a/src/style-spec/expression/definitions/index.js b/src/style-spec/expression/definitions/index.js
index 324e94d0b18..e398d409de6 100644
--- a/src/style-spec/expression/definitions/index.js
+++ b/src/style-spec/expression/definitions/index.js
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 // @flow
 
 const {
-    NullType,
     NumberType,
     StringType,
     BooleanType,
@@ -28,27 +27,30 @@ const Case = require('./case');
 const Step = require('./step');
 const Interpolate = require('./interpolate');
 const Coalesce = require('./coalesce');
+const Equals = require('./equals');
 
 import type { Expression } from '../expression';
 
 const expressions: { [string]: Class<Expression> } = {
     // special forms
-    'let': Let,
-    'var': Var,
-    'literal': Literal,
-    'string': Assertion,
-    'number': Assertion,
-    'boolean': Assertion,
-    'object': Assertion,
+    '!=': Equals,
+    '==': Equals,
     'array': ArrayAssertion,
-    'to-number': Coercion,
-    'to-color': Coercion,
     'at': At,
+    'boolean': Assertion,
     'case': Case,
-    'match': Match,
     'coalesce': Coalesce,
+    'interpolate': Interpolate,
+    'let': Let,
+    'literal': Literal,
+    'match': Match,
+    'number': Assertion,
+    'object': Assertion,
     'step': Step,
-    'interpolate': Interpolate
+    'string': Assertion,
+    'to-color': Coercion,
+    'to-number': Coercion,
+    'var': Var
 };
 
 function rgba(ctx, [r, g, b, a]) {
@@ -74,8 +76,6 @@ function length(ctx, [v]) {
     return v.evaluate(ctx).length;
 }
 
-function eq(ctx, [a, b]) { return a.evaluate(ctx) === b.evaluate(ctx); }
-function ne(ctx, [a, b]) { return a.evaluate(ctx) !== b.evaluate(ctx); }
 function lt(ctx, [a, b]) { return a.evaluate(ctx) < b.evaluate(ctx); }
 function gt(ctx, [a, b]) { return a.evaluate(ctx) > b.evaluate(ctx); }
 function lteq(ctx, [a, b]) { return a.evaluate(ctx) <= b.evaluate(ctx); }
@@ -315,24 +315,6 @@ CompoundExpression.register(expressions, {
         varargs(NumberType),
         (ctx, args) => Math.max(...args.map(arg => arg.evaluate(ctx)))
     ],
-    '==': {
-        type: BooleanType,
-        overloads: [
-            [[NumberType, NumberType], eq],
-            [[StringType, StringType], eq],
-            [[BooleanType, BooleanType], eq],
-            [[NullType, NullType], eq]
-        ]
-    },
-    '!=': {
-        type: BooleanType,
-        overloads: [
-            [[NumberType, NumberType], ne],
-            [[StringType, StringType], ne],
-            [[BooleanType, BooleanType], ne],
-            [[NullType, NullType], ne]
-        ]
-    },
     '>': {
         type: BooleanType,
         overloads: [
diff --git a/test/expression.test.js b/test/expression.test.js
index 2fdb9e706ab..2bec0845786 100644
--- a/test/expression.test.js
+++ b/test/expression.test.js
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ expressionSuite.run('js', { ignores, tests }, (fixture) => {
         }
     };
 
-    for (const input of fixture.inputs) {
+    for (const input of fixture.inputs || []) {
         try {
             const feature = { properties: input[1].properties || {} };
             if ('id' in input[1]) {
diff --git a/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/array/test.json b/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/array/test.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..40b9285dd25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/array/test.json
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+{
+  "expression": ["==", ["get", "x"], ["literal", [1]]],
+  "expected": {
+    "compiled": {
+      "result": "error",
+      "errors": [
+        {
+          "key": "",
+          "error": "Expected at least one argument to be a string, number, boolean, or null, but found (value, array<number, 1>) instead."
+        }
+      ]
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/color/test.json b/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/color/test.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..37b3339adb1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/color/test.json
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+{
+  "expression": ["==", ["get", "x"], ["to-color", "red"]],
+  "expected": {
+    "compiled": {
+      "result": "error",
+      "errors": [
+        {
+          "key": "",
+          "error": "Expected at least one argument to be a string, number, boolean, or null, but found (value, color) instead."
+        }
+      ]
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/mismatch/test.json b/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/mismatch/test.json
index 150c74dfb2f..02a5ce690bb 100644
--- a/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/mismatch/test.json
+++ b/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/mismatch/test.json
@@ -3,12 +3,7 @@
   "expected": {
     "compiled": {
       "result": "error",
-      "errors": [
-        {
-          "key": "",
-          "error": "Expected arguments of type (number, number) | (string, string) | (boolean, boolean) | (null, null), but found (string, number) instead."
-        }
-      ]
+      "errors": [{"key": "", "error": "Cannot compare string and number."}]
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/null-lhs/test.json b/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/null-lhs/test.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..dfc092a478c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/null-lhs/test.json
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+{
+  "expression": ["==", null, ["get", "x"]],
+  "inputs": [[{}, {"properties": {}}], [{}, {"properties": {"x": 1}}]],
+  "expected": {
+    "outputs": [true, false],
+    "compiled": {
+      "result": "success",
+      "isZoomConstant": true,
+      "isFeatureConstant": false,
+      "type": "boolean"
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/null-rhs/test.json b/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/null-rhs/test.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..dfc092a478c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/null-rhs/test.json
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+{
+  "expression": ["==", null, ["get", "x"]],
+  "inputs": [[{}, {"properties": {}}], [{}, {"properties": {"x": 1}}]],
+  "expected": {
+    "outputs": [true, false],
+    "compiled": {
+      "result": "success",
+      "isZoomConstant": true,
+      "isFeatureConstant": false,
+      "type": "boolean"
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/number/test.json b/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/number/test.json
index f6e8674fe2d..cffb5e260ab 100644
--- a/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/number/test.json
+++ b/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/number/test.json
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 {
-  "expression": ["==", ["number", ["get", "x"]], ["number", ["get", "y"]]],
+  "expression": ["==", ["number", ["get", "x"]], ["get", "y"]],
   "inputs": [
     [{}, {"properties": {"x": 1, "y": 1}}],
-    [{}, {"properties": {"x": 1, "y": 2}}]
+    [{}, {"properties": {"x": 1, "y": 2}}],
+    [{}, {"properties": {"x": 1, "y": "1"}}]
   ],
   "expected": {
-    "outputs": [true, false],
+    "outputs": [true, false, false],
     "compiled": {
       "result": "success",
       "isZoomConstant": true,
diff --git a/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/object/test.json b/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/object/test.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f3eb3d67df6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/object/test.json
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+{
+  "expression": ["==", ["get", "x"], ["literal", {}]],
+  "expected": {
+    "compiled": {
+      "result": "error",
+      "errors": [
+        {
+          "key": "",
+          "error": "Expected at least one argument to be a string, number, boolean, or null, but found (value, object) instead."
+        }
+      ]
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/string/test.json b/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/string/test.json
index 22a4f8d06c7..3e412bc9f43 100644
--- a/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/string/test.json
+++ b/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/string/test.json
@@ -1,15 +1,12 @@
 {
-  "expression": [
-    "==",
-    ["to-string", ["get", "x"]],
-    ["to-string", ["get", "y"]]
-  ],
+  "expression": ["==", ["string", ["get", "x"]], ["get", "y"]],
   "inputs": [
-    [{}, {"properties": {"x": 1, "y": 1}}],
-    [{}, {"properties": {"x": 1, "y": 2}}]
+    [{}, {"properties": {"x": "1", "y": "1"}}],
+    [{}, {"properties": {"x": "1", "y": 2}}],
+    [{}, {"properties": {"x": "1", "y": 1}}]
   ],
   "expected": {
-    "outputs": [true, false],
+    "outputs": [true, false, false],
     "compiled": {
       "result": "success",
       "isZoomConstant": true,
diff --git a/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/untagged/test.json b/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/untagged/test.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 0d8565fd977..00000000000
--- a/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/untagged/test.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "expression": ["==", ["string", ["get", "x"]], ["get", "y"]],
-  "expected": {
-    "compiled": {
-      "result": "error",
-      "errors": [
-        {
-          "key": "",
-          "error": "Expected arguments of type (number, number) | (string, string) | (boolean, boolean) | (null, null), but found (string, value) instead."
-        }
-      ]
-    }
-  }
-}
diff --git a/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/value/test.json b/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/value/test.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..253e95b190e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/expression-tests/equal/value/test.json
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+{
+  "expression": ["==", ["get", "x"], ["get", "y"]],
+  "inputs": [
+    [{}, {"properties": {"x": 0, "y": 0}}],
+    [{}, {"properties": {"x": "0", "y": "0"}}],
+    [{}, {"properties": {"x": 0, "y": false}}],
+    [{}, {"properties": {"x": 0, "y": "0"}}]
+  ],
+  "expected": {
+    "compiled": {
+      "result": "error",
+      "errors": [
+        {
+          "key": "",
+          "error": "Expected at least one argument to be a string, number, boolean, or null, but found (value, value) instead."
+        }
+      ]
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test/integration/expression-tests/not_equal/mismatch/test.json b/test/integration/expression-tests/not_equal/mismatch/test.json
index 180f3e68b98..568aa6bc23c 100644
--- a/test/integration/expression-tests/not_equal/mismatch/test.json
+++ b/test/integration/expression-tests/not_equal/mismatch/test.json
@@ -3,12 +3,7 @@
   "expected": {
     "compiled": {
       "result": "error",
-      "errors": [
-        {
-          "key": "",
-          "error": "Expected arguments of type (number, number) | (string, string) | (boolean, boolean) | (null, null), but found (string, number) instead."
-        }
-      ]
+      "errors": [{"key": "", "error": "Cannot compare string and number."}]
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/integration/expression-tests/not_equal/number/test.json b/test/integration/expression-tests/not_equal/number/test.json
index 19a51b0cb9c..e3f75d74272 100644
--- a/test/integration/expression-tests/not_equal/number/test.json
+++ b/test/integration/expression-tests/not_equal/number/test.json
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 {
-  "expression": ["!=", ["number", ["get", "x"]], ["number", ["get", "y"]]],
+  "expression": ["!=", ["number", ["get", "x"]], ["get", "y"]],
   "inputs": [
     [{}, {"properties": {"x": 1, "y": 1}}],
+    [{}, {"properties": {"x": 1, "y": "1"}}],
     [{}, {"properties": {"x": 1, "y": 2}}]
   ],
   "expected": {
-    "outputs": [false, true],
+    "outputs": [false, true, true],
     "compiled": {
       "result": "success",
       "isZoomConstant": true,
diff --git a/test/integration/expression-tests/not_equal/string/test.json b/test/integration/expression-tests/not_equal/string/test.json
index 33107f7448c..ab15fa49f15 100644
--- a/test/integration/expression-tests/not_equal/string/test.json
+++ b/test/integration/expression-tests/not_equal/string/test.json
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 {
-  "expression": ["!=", ["string", ["get", "x"]], ["string", ["get", "y"]]],
+  "expression": ["!=", ["string", ["get", "x"]], ["get", "y"]],
   "inputs": [
     [{}, {"properties": {"x": "1", "y": "1"}}],
+    [{}, {"properties": {"x": "1", "y": 1}}],
     [{}, {"properties": {"x": "1", "y": "2"}}]
   ],
   "expected": {
-    "outputs": [false, true],
+    "outputs": [false, true, true],
     "compiled": {
       "result": "success",
       "isZoomConstant": true,
diff --git a/test/integration/expression-tests/not_equal/untagged/test.json b/test/integration/expression-tests/not_equal/untagged/test.json
deleted file mode 100644
index a66a9f90a28..00000000000
--- a/test/integration/expression-tests/not_equal/untagged/test.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "expression": ["!=", ["string", ["get", "x"]], ["get", "y"]],
-  "expected": {
-    "compiled": {
-      "result": "error",
-      "errors": [
-        {
-          "key": "",
-          "error": "Expected arguments of type (number, number) | (string, string) | (boolean, boolean) | (null, null), but found (string, value) instead."
-        }
-      ]
-    }
-  }
-}
diff --git a/test/integration/expression-tests/not_equal/value/test.json b/test/integration/expression-tests/not_equal/value/test.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0eb625b44d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/expression-tests/not_equal/value/test.json
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+{
+  "expression": ["!=", ["get", "x"], ["get", "y"]],
+  "inputs": [
+    [{}, {"properties": {"x": 0, "y": 0}}],
+    [{}, {"properties": {"x": "0", "y": "0"}}],
+    [{}, {"properties": {"x": 0, "y": false}}],
+    [{}, {"properties": {"x": 0, "y": "0"}}]
+  ],
+  "expected": {
+    "compiled": {
+      "result": "error",
+      "errors": [
+        {
+          "key": "",
+          "error": "Expected at least one argument to be a string, number, boolean, or null, but found (value, value) instead."
+        }
+      ]
+    }
+  }
+}