diff --git a/red/runtime/util.js b/red/runtime/util.js
index 9e96bc4b6..8c51f2cda 100644
--- a/red/runtime/util.js
+++ b/red/runtime/util.js
@@ -62,31 +62,55 @@ function cloneMessage(msg) {
 }
 
 function compareObjects(obj1,obj2) {
+    var i;
     if (obj1 === obj2) {
         return true;
     }
     if (obj1 == null || obj2 == null) {
         return false;
     }
-    if (!(obj1 instanceof Object) && !(obj2 instanceof Object)) {
-        return false;
-    }
+
     var isArray1 = Array.isArray(obj1);
     var isArray2 = Array.isArray(obj2);
     if (isArray1 != isArray2) {
         return false;
     }
     if (isArray1 && isArray2) {
-        if (obj1.length != obj2.length) {
+        if (obj1.length !== obj2.length) {
             return false;
         }
-        for (var i=0;i<obj1.length;i++) {
+        for (i=0;i<obj1.length;i++) {
             if (!compareObjects(obj1[i],obj2[i])) {
                 return false;
             }
         }
         return true;
     }
+    var isBuffer1 = Buffer.isBuffer(obj1);
+    var isBuffer2 = Buffer.isBuffer(obj2);
+    if (isBuffer1 != isBuffer2) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    if (isBuffer1 && isBuffer2) {
+        if (Buffer.compare) {
+            // For node 4.x+ - use the native compare
+            return Buffer.compare(obj1,obj2);
+        } else {
+            if (obj1.length !== obj2.length) {
+                return false;
+            }
+            for (i=0;i<obj1.length;i++) {
+                if (obj1.readUInt8(i) !== obj2.readUInt8(i)) {
+                    return false;
+                }
+            }
+            return true;
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (typeof obj1 !== 'object' || typeof obj2 !== 'object') {
+        return false;
+    }
     var keys1 = Object.keys(obj1);
     var keys2 = Object.keys(obj2);
     if (keys1.length != keys2.length) {
diff --git a/test/red/runtime/util_spec.js b/test/red/runtime/util_spec.js
index 4922ab8c9..e113321f7 100644
--- a/test/red/runtime/util_spec.js
+++ b/test/red/runtime/util_spec.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /**
- * Copyright 2014, 2015 IBM Corp.
+ * Copyright 2014, 2016 IBM Corp.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -25,12 +25,41 @@ describe("red/util", function() {
         });
     });
     describe('compareObjects', function() {
-        it('unequal arrays are unequal', function() {
+        it('numbers', function() {
+            util.compareObjects(0,0).should.equal(true);
+            util.compareObjects(0,1).should.equal(false);
+            util.compareObjects(1000,1001).should.equal(false);
+            util.compareObjects(1000,1000).should.equal(true);
+            util.compareObjects(0,"0").should.equal(false);
+            util.compareObjects(1,"1").should.equal(false);
+            util.compareObjects(0,null).should.equal(false);
+            util.compareObjects(0,undefined).should.equal(false);
+        });
+        it('strings', function() {
+            util.compareObjects("","").should.equal(true);
+            util.compareObjects("a","a").should.equal(true);
+            util.compareObjects("",null).should.equal(false);
+            util.compareObjects("",undefined).should.equal(false);
+        });
+
+        it('arrays', function() {
+            util.compareObjects(["a"],["a"]).should.equal(true);
+            util.compareObjects(["a"],["a","b"]).should.equal(false);
+            util.compareObjects(["a","b"],["b"]).should.equal(false);
             util.compareObjects(["a"],"a").should.equal(false);
+            util.compareObjects([[1],["a"]],[[1],["a"]]).should.equal(true);
+            util.compareObjects([[1],["a"]],[["a"],[1]]).should.equal(false);
         });
-        it('unequal key lengths are unequal', function() {
+        it('objects', function() {
             util.compareObjects({"a":1},{"a":1,"b":1}).should.equal(false);
+            util.compareObjects({"a":1,"b":1},{"a":1,"b":1}).should.equal(true);
+            util.compareObjects({"b":1,"a":1},{"a":1,"b":1}).should.equal(true);
         });
+        it('Buffer', function() {
+            util.compareObjects(new Buffer("hello"),new Buffer("hello")).should.equal(true);
+            util.compareObjects(new Buffer("hello"),new Buffer("hello ")).should.equal(false);
+        });
+
     });
 
     describe('ensureString', function() {