diff --git a/src/Valitron/Validator.php b/src/Valitron/Validator.php
index c629ca4..4be39e3 100644
--- a/src/Valitron/Validator.php
+++ b/src/Valitron/Validator.php
@@ -173,9 +173,9 @@ class Validator
      */
     protected function validateEquals($field, $value, array $params)
     {
-        $field2 = $params[0];
-
-        return isset($this->_fields[$field2]) && $value == $this->_fields[$field2];
+        // extract the second field value, this accounts for nested array values
+        list($field2Value, $multiple) = $this->getPart($this->_fields, explode('.', $params[0]));
+        return isset($field2Value) && $value == $field2Value;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -189,9 +189,9 @@ class Validator
      */
     protected function validateDifferent($field, $value, array $params)
     {
-        $field2 = $params[0];
-
-        return isset($this->_fields[$field2]) && $value != $this->_fields[$field2];
+        // extract the second field value, this accounts for nested array values
+        list($field2Value, $multiple) = $this->getPart($this->_fields, explode('.', $params[0]));
+        return isset($field2Value) && $value != $field2Value;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/tests/Valitron/ValidateTest.php b/tests/Valitron/ValidateTest.php
index adf296e..7f07e5f 100644
--- a/tests/Valitron/ValidateTest.php
+++ b/tests/Valitron/ValidateTest.php
@@ -1271,6 +1271,34 @@ class ValidateTest extends BaseTestCase
         $v2->rule('required', array('empty_text', 'null_value', 'in_array.empty_text'), true);
         $this->assertTrue($v2->validate());
     }
+
+    public function testNestedEqualsValid()
+    {
+        $v = new Validator(array('foo' => array('one' => 'bar', 'two' => 'bar')));
+        $v->rule('equals', 'foo.one', 'foo.two');
+        $this->assertTrue($v->validate());
+    }
+
+    public function testNestedEqualsInvalid()
+    {
+        $v = new Validator(array('foo' => array('one' => 'bar', 'two' => 'baz')));
+        $v->rule('equals', 'foo.one', 'foo.two');
+        $this->assertFalse($v->validate());
+    }
+
+    public function testNestedDifferentValid()
+    {
+        $v = new Validator(array('foo' => array('one' => 'bar', 'two' => 'baz')));
+        $v->rule('different', 'foo.one', 'foo.two');
+        $this->assertTrue($v->validate());
+    }
+
+    public function testNestedDifferentInvalid()
+    {
+        $v = new Validator(array('foo' => array('one' => 'baz', 'two' => 'baz')));
+        $v->rule('different', 'foo.one', 'foo.two');
+        $this->assertFalse($v->validate());
+    }
 }
 
 function sampleFunctionCallback($field, $value, array $params) {