diff --git a/src/util/assert.jam b/src/util/assert.jam
index a1c23cf71..abedad525 100644
--- a/src/util/assert.jam
+++ b/src/util/assert.jam
@@ -244,6 +244,81 @@ rule variable-not-empty ( name )
 
 rule __test__ ( )
 {
+    # Helper rule used to avoid test duplication related to different list
+    # equality test rules.
+    #
+    local rule run-equality-test ( equality-assert : ignore-trailing-empty-strings ? )
+    {
+        local not-equality-assert = not-$(equality-assert) ;
+
+        # When the given equality test is expected to ignore trailing empty
+        # strings some of the test results should be inverted.
+        local not-equality-assert-i = not-$(equality-assert) ;
+        if $(ignore-trailing-empty-strings)
+        {
+            not-equality-assert-i = $(equality-assert) ;
+        }
+
+            $(equality-assert)         :       ;
+            $(equality-assert)   "" "" : "" "" ;
+        $(not-equality-assert-i)       : "" "" ;
+            $(equality-assert)   x     : x     ;
+        $(not-equality-assert)         : x     ;
+        $(not-equality-assert)   ""    : x     ;
+        $(not-equality-assert)   "" "" : x     ;
+        $(not-equality-assert-i) x     : x ""  ;
+            $(equality-assert)   x ""  : x ""  ;
+        $(not-equality-assert)   x     : "" x  ;
+            $(equality-assert)   "" x  : "" x  ;
+
+            $(equality-assert) 1 2 3 : 1 2 3   ;
+        $(not-equality-assert) 1 2 3 : 3 2 1   ;
+        $(not-equality-assert) 1 2 3 : 1 5 3   ;
+        $(not-equality-assert) 1 2 3 : 1 "" 3  ;
+        $(not-equality-assert) 1 2 3 : 1 1 2 3 ;
+        $(not-equality-assert) 1 2 3 : 1 2 2 3 ;
+        $(not-equality-assert) 1 2 3 : 5 6 7   ;
+
+        # Extra variables used here just to make sure Boost Jam or Boost Build
+        # do not handle lists with empty strings differently depending on
+        # whether they are literals or stored in variables.
+
+        local empty           =         ;
+        local empty-strings   = "" ""   ;
+        local x-empty-strings = x "" "" ;
+        local empty-strings-x = "" "" x ;
+
+            $(equality-assert)                      : $(empty)           ;
+        $(not-equality-assert-i) ""                 : $(empty)           ;
+        $(not-equality-assert-i) "" ""              : $(empty)           ;
+        $(not-equality-assert-i)                    : $(empty-strings)   ;
+        $(not-equality-assert-i) ""                 : $(empty-strings)   ;
+            $(equality-assert)   "" ""              : $(empty-strings)   ;
+            $(equality-assert)   $(empty)           : $(empty)           ;
+            $(equality-assert)   $(empty-strings)   : $(empty-strings)   ;
+        $(not-equality-assert-i) $(empty)           : $(empty-strings)   ;
+            $(equality-assert)   $(x-empty-strings) : $(x-empty-strings) ;
+            $(equality-assert)   $(empty-strings-x) : $(empty-strings-x) ;
+        $(not-equality-assert)   $(empty-strings-x) : $(x-empty-strings) ;
+        $(not-equality-assert-i) x                  : $(x-empty-strings) ;
+        $(not-equality-assert)   x                  : $(empty-strings-x) ;
+        $(not-equality-assert-i) x                  : $(x-empty-strings) ;
+        $(not-equality-assert-i) x ""               : $(x-empty-strings) ;
+            $(equality-assert)   x "" ""            : $(x-empty-strings) ;
+        $(not-equality-assert)   x                  : $(empty-strings-x) ;
+        $(not-equality-assert)   "" x               : $(empty-strings-x) ;
+            $(equality-assert)   "" "" x            : $(empty-strings-x) ;
+    }                                    
+
+
+    # ---------------
+    # Equality tests.
+    # ---------------
+
+    run-equality-test equal : ignore-trailing-empty-strings ;
+    run-equality-test exact-equal ;
+
+
     # -------------------------
     # assert.set-equal() tests.
     # -------------------------