diff --git a/Objects/stringobject.c b/Objects/stringobject.c
--- a/Objects/stringobject.c
+++ b/Objects/stringobject.c
@@ -1255,7 +1255,6 @@
     PyStringObject *a = (PyStringObject*) o1;
     PyStringObject *b = (PyStringObject*) o2;
     return Py_SIZE(a) == Py_SIZE(b)
-      && *a->ob_sval == *b->ob_sval
       && memcmp(a->ob_sval, b->ob_sval, Py_SIZE(a)) == 0;
 }