diff --git a/src/Valitron/Validator.php b/src/Valitron/Validator.php
index 4eae399..3d83788 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 d599cb6..8945032 100644
--- a/tests/Valitron/ValidateTest.php
+++ b/tests/Valitron/ValidateTest.php
@@ -70,6 +70,36 @@ class ValidateTest extends BaseTestCase
         $this->assertFalse($v->validate());
     }
 
+    public function testEqualsBothNull()
+    {
+        $v = new Validator(array('foo' => null, 'bar' => null));
+        $v->rule('equals', 'foo', 'bar');
+        $this->assertTrue($v->validate());
+    }
+
+    public function testEqualsBothNullRequired()
+    {
+        $v = new Validator(array('foo' => null, 'bar' => null));
+        $v->rule('required', array('foo', 'bar'));
+        $v->rule('equals', 'foo', 'bar');
+        $this->assertFalse($v->validate());
+    }
+
+    public function testEqualsBothUnset()
+    {
+        $v = new Validator(array('foo' => 1));
+        $v->rule('equals', 'bar', 'baz');
+        $this->assertTrue($v->validate());
+    }
+
+    public function testEqualsBothUnsetRequired()
+    {
+        $v = new Validator(array('foo' => 1));
+        $v->rule('required', array('bar', 'baz'));
+        $v->rule('equals', 'bar', 'baz');
+        $this->assertFalse($v->validate());
+    }
+
     public function testDifferentValid()
     {
         $v = new Validator(array('foo' => 'bar', 'bar' => 'baz'));
@@ -84,6 +114,36 @@ class ValidateTest extends BaseTestCase
         $this->assertFalse($v->validate());
     }
 
+    public function testDifferentBothNull()
+    {
+        $v = new Validator(array('foo' => null, 'bar' => null));
+        $v->rule('equals', 'foo', 'bar');
+        $this->assertTrue($v->validate());
+    }
+
+    public function testDifferentBothNullRequired()
+    {
+        $v = new Validator(array('foo' => null, 'bar' => null));
+        $v->rule('required', array('foo', 'bar'));
+        $v->rule('equals', 'foo', 'bar');
+        $this->assertFalse($v->validate());
+    }
+
+    public function testDifferentBothUnset()
+    {
+        $v = new Validator(array('foo' => 1));
+        $v->rule('equals', 'bar', 'baz');
+        $this->assertTrue($v->validate());
+    }
+
+    public function testDifferentBothUnsetRequired()
+    {
+        $v = new Validator(array('foo' => 1));
+        $v->rule('required', array('bar', 'baz'));
+        $v->rule('equals', 'bar', 'baz');
+        $this->assertFalse($v->validate());
+    }
+
     public function testAcceptedValid()
     {
         $v = new Validator(array('agree' => 'yes'));
@@ -1283,6 +1343,95 @@ 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 testNestedEqualsBothNull()
+    {
+        $v = new Validator(array('foo' => array('bar' => null, 'baz' => null)));
+        $v->rule('equals', 'foo.bar', 'foo.baz');
+        $this->assertTrue($v->validate());
+    }
+
+    public function testNestedEqualsBothNullRequired()
+    {
+        $v = new Validator(array('foo' => array('bar' => null, 'baz' => null)));
+        $v->rule('required', array('foo.bar', 'foo.baz'));
+        $v->rule('equals', 'foo.bar', 'foo.baz');
+        $this->assertFalse($v->validate());
+    }
+
+    public function testNestedEqualsBothUnset()
+    {
+        $v = new Validator(array('foo' => 'bar'));
+        $v->rule('equals', 'foo.one', 'foo.two');
+        $this->assertTrue($v->validate());
+    }
+
+    public function testNestedEqualsBothUnsetRequired()
+    {
+        $v = new Validator(array('foo' => 'bar'));
+        $v->rule('required', array('foo.one', 'foo.two'));
+        $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());
+    }
+
+    public function testNestedDifferentBothNull()
+    {
+        $v = new Validator(array('foo' => array('bar' => null, 'baz' => null)));
+        $v->rule('different', 'foo.bar', 'foo.baz');
+        $this->assertTrue($v->validate());
+    }
+
+    public function testNestedDifferentBothNullRequired()
+    {
+        $v = new Validator(array('foo' => array('bar' => null, 'baz' => null)));
+        $v->rule('required', array('foo.bar', 'foo.baz'));
+        $v->rule('different', 'foo.bar', 'foo.baz');
+        $this->assertFalse($v->validate());
+    }
+
+    public function testNestedDifferentBothUnset()
+    {
+        $v = new Validator(array('foo' => 'bar'));
+        $v->rule('different', 'foo.bar', 'foo.baz');
+        $this->assertTrue($v->validate());
+    }
+
+    public function testNestedDifferentBothUnsetRequired()
+    {
+        $v = new Validator(array('foo' => 'bar'));
+        $v->rule('required', array('foo.bar', 'foo.baz'));
+        $v->rule('different', 'foo.bar', 'foo.baz');
+        $this->assertFalse($v->validate());
+    }
+
 }
 
 function sampleFunctionCallback($field, $value, array $params) {