diff --git a/libpromises/rlist.c b/libpromises/rlist.c
index 909ef7633f..d98c1063ad 100644
--- a/libpromises/rlist.c
+++ b/libpromises/rlist.c
@@ -1657,8 +1657,8 @@ bool RlistEqual(const Rlist *list1, const Rlist *list2)
             assert(rp1->val.item == NULL && rp2->val.item == NULL);
         }
     }
-
-    return true;
+    // return false if lengths are different
+    return (rp1 == NULL && rp2 == NULL);
 }
 
 bool RlistEqual_untyped(const void *list1, const void *list2)
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/01_vars/04_containers/execresult_and_as_data.cf b/tests/acceptance/01_vars/04_containers/execresult_and_as_data.cf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8404a26236
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/acceptance/01_vars/04_containers/execresult_and_as_data.cf
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+#######################################################
+#
+# Test the ability to call the same command with execresult and execresult_as_data
+#
+#######################################################
+
+body common control
+{
+      inputs => { "../../default.cf.sub" };
+      bundlesequence  => { default("$(this.promise_filename)") };
+      version => "1.0";
+}
+
+#######################################################
+
+
+bundle agent init
+{
+}
+
+#######################################################
+
+bundle agent test
+{
+  vars:
+    !windows::
+     "res1" string => execresult("echo test", "useshell");
+     "res2" data   => execresult_as_data("echo test", "useshell", "stdout");
+    windows::
+     "res1" string => execresult("echo test", "powershell");
+     "res2" data   => execresult_as_data("echo test", "powershell", "stdout");
+}
+
+
+#######################################################
+
+bundle agent check
+{
+  methods:
+      "any" usebundle => dcs_check_strcmp("${test.res1}", "${test.res2[output]}", "$(this.promise_filename)", "no");
+}
diff --git a/tests/unit/rlist_test.c b/tests/unit/rlist_test.c
index e713368ad9..5064fe08a7 100644
--- a/tests/unit/rlist_test.c
+++ b/tests/unit/rlist_test.c
@@ -31,6 +31,23 @@ static void test_length(void)
     RlistDestroy(list);
 }
 
+static void test_equality(void)
+{
+    Rlist *list1 = RlistFromSplitString("a,b,c", ',');
+    Rlist *list2 = RlistFromSplitString("a,b,c", ',');
+    Rlist *list3 = RlistFromSplitString("z,b,c", ',');
+    Rlist *list4 = RlistFromSplitString("a,b,c,d", ',');
+
+    assert_true(RlistEqual(list1, list2));
+    assert_false(RlistEqual(list1, list3));
+    assert_false(RlistEqual(list1, list4));
+
+    RlistDestroy(list1);
+    RlistDestroy(list2);
+    RlistDestroy(list3);
+    RlistDestroy(list4);
+}
+
 static void test_prepend_scalar_idempotent(void)
 {
     Rlist *list = NULL;
@@ -750,6 +767,7 @@ int main()
     {
         unit_test(test_prepend_scalar_idempotent),
         unit_test(test_length),
+        unit_test(test_equality),
         unit_test(test_copy),
         unit_test(test_rval_to_scalar),
         unit_test(test_rval_to_scalar2),