diff --git a/src/ikarus.boot b/src/ikarus.boot
index 5fcb497..058326f 100644
Binary files a/src/ikarus.boot and b/src/ikarus.boot differ
diff --git a/src/ikarus.core.ss b/src/ikarus.core.ss
index d122886..8a16944 100644
--- a/src/ikarus.core.ss
+++ b/src/ikarus.core.ss
@@ -61,23 +61,6 @@
     (primitive-set! x v)
     (set-top-level-value! x v)))
 
-
-
-
- 
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- 
-
-
-
-
 (primitive-set! 'string->symbol
   (lambda (x)
     (unless (string? x) 
@@ -147,38 +130,6 @@
       (f ($symbol-plist x) '()))))
 
 
-(let ()
-   (define vector-loop
-     (lambda (x y i n)
-       (or ($fx= i n)
-           (and (equal? ($vector-ref x i) ($vector-ref y i))
-                (vector-loop x y ($fxadd1 i) n)))))
-   (define string-loop
-     (lambda (x y i n)
-       (or ($fx= i n)
-           (and ($char= ($string-ref x i) ($string-ref y i))
-                (string-loop x y ($fxadd1 i) n)))))
-   (define equal?
-     (lambda (x y)
-       (cond
-         [(eq? x y) #t]
-         [(pair? x) 
-          (and (pair? y)
-               (equal? ($car x) ($car y))
-               (equal? ($cdr x) ($cdr y)))]
-         [(vector? x)
-          (and (vector? y)
-               (let ([n ($vector-length x)])
-                 (and ($fx= n ($vector-length y))
-                      (vector-loop x y 0 n))))]
-         [(string? x)
-          (and (string? y)
-               (let ([n ($string-length x)])
-                 (and ($fx= n ($string-length y))
-                      (string-loop x y 0 n))))]
-         [(number? x) (and (number? y) (= x y))]
-         [else #f])))
-   (primitive-set! 'equal? equal?))
 
 
 
diff --git a/src/ikarus.predicates.ss b/src/ikarus.predicates.ss
index 27cf737..be42475 100644
--- a/src/ikarus.predicates.ss
+++ b/src/ikarus.predicates.ss
@@ -4,15 +4,16 @@
   (export fixnum? flonum? bignum? number? complex? real? rational?
           integer? exact? eof-object? immediate? boolean? char?
           vector? string? procedure? null? pair? symbol? not 
-          eq? eqv?) 
+          eq? eqv? equal?) 
 
   (import 
 
     (except (ikarus) fixnum? flonum? bignum? number? complex? real?
             rational? integer? exact? eof-object?  immediate?
             boolean?  char?  vector?  string?  procedure?  null?
-            pair? symbol? not eq? eqv?)
-
+            pair? symbol? not eq? eqv? equal?)
+    (only (scheme) $fxadd1 $vector-ref $fx= $char= $string-ref
+          $string-length $vector-length $car $cdr)
     (rename (only (ikarus) fixnum? flonum? bignum? eof-object?
               immediate? boolean? char? vector? string? procedure? 
               null? pair? symbol? eq?)
@@ -96,4 +97,39 @@
     (lambda (x y)
       (or (sys:eq? x y)
           (and (number? x) (number? y) (= x y)))))
+
+
+
+  (module (equal?)
+    (define vector-loop
+      (lambda (x y i n)
+        (or ($fx= i n)
+            (and (equal? ($vector-ref x i) ($vector-ref y i))
+                 (vector-loop x y ($fxadd1 i) n)))))
+    (define string-loop
+      (lambda (x y i n)
+        (or ($fx= i n)
+            (and ($char= ($string-ref x i) ($string-ref y i))
+                 (string-loop x y ($fxadd1 i) n)))))
+    (define equal?
+      (lambda (x y)
+        (cond
+          [(sys:eq? x y) #t]
+          [(pair? x) 
+           (and (pair? y)
+                (equal? ($car x) ($car y))
+                (equal? ($cdr x) ($cdr y)))]
+          [(vector? x)
+           (and (vector? y)
+                (let ([n ($vector-length x)])
+                  (and ($fx= n ($vector-length y))
+                       (vector-loop x y 0 n))))]
+          [(string? x)
+           (and (string? y)
+                (let ([n ($string-length x)])
+                  (and ($fx= n ($string-length y))
+                       (string-loop x y 0 n))))]
+          [(number? x) (and (number? y) (= x y))]
+          [else #f]))))
+
   )