diff --git a/arangod/V8Server/v8-vocbase.cpp b/arangod/V8Server/v8-vocbase.cpp
index ad6627e27b..b9dc4adf37 100755
--- a/arangod/V8Server/v8-vocbase.cpp
+++ b/arangod/V8Server/v8-vocbase.cpp
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
 #include "VocBase/general-cursor.h"
 #include "VocBase/document-collection.h"
 #include "VocBase/voc-shaper.h"
+#include "Basics/Utf8Helper.h"
 
 using namespace std;
 using namespace triagens::basics;
@@ -1625,6 +1626,30 @@ static v8::Handle<v8::Value> JS_normalize_string (v8::Arguments const& argv) {
   return scope.Close(v8::String::New(*x, x.length()));
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+/// @brief compare two UTF 16 strings
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+static v8::Handle<v8::Value> JS_compare_string (v8::Arguments const& argv) {
+  v8::HandleScope scope;
+
+  if (argv.Length() != 2) {
+    return scope.Close(v8::ThrowException(
+                         TRI_CreateErrorObject(TRI_ERROR_ILLEGAL_OPTION,
+                                               "usage: COMPARE_STRING(<left string>, <right string>)")));
+  }
+
+  // TODO: get collation language
+  Utf8Helper u8("");
+  
+  v8::String::Value left(argv[0]);
+  v8::String::Value right(argv[1]);
+  
+  int result = u8.compareUtf16(*left, left.length(), *right, right.length());
+  
+  return scope.Close(v8::Integer::New(result));
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 /// @brief generates a general cursor from a list
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -5664,6 +5689,10 @@ TRI_v8_global_t* TRI_InitV8VocBridge (v8::Handle<v8::Context> context, TRI_vocba
                          v8::FunctionTemplate::New(JS_normalize_string)->GetFunction(),
                          v8::ReadOnly);
 
+  context->Global()->Set(v8::String::New("COMPARE_STRING"),
+                         v8::FunctionTemplate::New(JS_compare_string)->GetFunction(),
+                         v8::ReadOnly);
+
   // .............................................................................
   // create the global variables
   // .............................................................................
diff --git a/js/server/ahuacatl.js b/js/server/ahuacatl.js
index e416ee36a3..932dddb878 100755
--- a/js/server/ahuacatl.js
+++ b/js/server/ahuacatl.js
@@ -671,6 +671,10 @@ function AHUACATL_RELATIONAL_EQUAL (lhs, rhs) {
     rhs = null;
   }
 
+  if (leftWeight === AHUACATL_TYPEWEIGHT_STRING) {
+    return COMPARE_STRING(lhs, rhs) == 0;
+  }
+
   return (lhs === rhs);
 }
 
diff --git a/js/server/js-ahuacatl.h b/js/server/js-ahuacatl.h
index c26fb78bcf..7b3507f260 100644
--- a/js/server/js-ahuacatl.h
+++ b/js/server/js-ahuacatl.h
@@ -672,6 +672,10 @@ static string JS_server_ahuacatl =
   "    rhs = null;\n"
   "  }\n"
   "\n"
+  "  if (leftWeight === AHUACATL_TYPEWEIGHT_STRING) {\n"
+  "    return COMPARE_STRING(lhs, rhs) == 0;\n"
+  "  }\n"
+  "\n"
   "  return (lhs === rhs);\n"
   "}\n"
   "\n"