diff --git a/tablex.lua b/tablex.lua
index ac4ef5b..4611c6a 100644
--- a/tablex.lua
+++ b/tablex.lua
@@ -417,8 +417,9 @@ function tablex.shallow_equal(a, b)
 			return false
 		end
 	end
+	-- second loop to ensure a isn't missing any keys from b.
 	for k, v in pairs(b) do
-		if a[k] ~= v then
+		if a[k] == nil then
 			return false
 		end
 	end
@@ -442,8 +443,10 @@ function tablex.deep_equal(a, b)
 			return false
 		end
 	end
+	-- second loop to ensure a isn't missing any keys from b, so we can skip
+	-- recursion.
 	for k, v in pairs(b) do
-		if not tablex.deep_equal(v, a[k]) then
+		if a[k] == nil then
 			return false
 		end
 	end
diff --git a/tests.lua b/tests.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e45f4a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+-- Run this file with testy:
+--	  testy.lua tests.lua
+-- testy sets `...` to "module.test", so ignore that and use module top-level paths.
+package.path = package.path .. ";../?.lua"
+
+local assert = require("batteries.assert")
+local tablex = require("batteries.tablex")
+
+
+-- tablex {{{
+
+local function test_shallow_equal()
+	local x,y
+	x = { a = { b = { 2 }, } }
+	y = { a = { b = { 2 }, } }
+	assert(not tablex.shallow_equal(x, y))
+
+	x = { 3, 4, "hello", [20] = "end", }
+	y = { 3, 4, "hello", [20] = "end", }
+	assert(tablex.shallow_equal(x, y))
+
+	local z = { 1, 2, }
+	x = { a = z, b = 10, c = true, }
+	y = { a = z, b = 10, c = true, }
+	assert(tablex.shallow_equal(x, y))
+	assert(tablex.shallow_equal(y, x))
+end
+
+local function test_deep_equal()
+	local x,y
+	x = { a = { b = { 2 }, c = { 3 }, } }
+	y = { a = { b = { 2 }, c = { 3 }, } }
+	assert(tablex.deep_equal(x, y))
+
+	x = { a = { b = { 1, 2 }, c = { 3 }, } }
+	y = { a = { c = { 3 }, b = { [2] = 2, [1] = 1 }, } }
+	assert(tablex.deep_equal(x, y))
+	assert(tablex.deep_equal(y, x))
+
+	x = { a = { b = { 2 }, c = { 3 }, 2 } }
+	y = { a = { b = { 2 }, c = { 3 }, } }
+	assert(not tablex.deep_equal(x, y))
+	assert(not tablex.deep_equal(y, x))
+end
+