diff --git a/expr/expr.go b/expr/expr.go
index 8f11c06..31df543 100644
--- a/expr/expr.go
+++ b/expr/expr.go
@@ -14,27 +14,22 @@ import (
 // TODO empty blocks
 // TODO empty parenthesis
 
-// TODO having Equal as part of the Actual interface is going to be annoying.
-// The built in macros which return their own expressions don't really care
-// about it, and it's really only needed for tests I think.
-//
-// Alternatively, don't have token be embedded in the expression. I'm not sure
-// if that's actually possible.
-
 // TODO need to figure out how to test LLVMVal stuff
 
 // Actual represents the actual expression in question, and has certain
 // properties. It is wrapped by Expr which also holds onto contextual
 // information, like the token to which Actual was originally parsed from
 type Actual interface {
-	// Equal should return true if the type and value of the other expression
-	// are equal.
-	Equal(Actual) bool
-
 	// Initializes an llvm.Value and returns it.
 	LLVMVal(llvm.Builder) llvm.Value
 }
 
+// equaler is used to compare two expressions. The comparison should not take
+// into account Token values, only the actual value being represented
+type equaler interface {
+	equal(equaler) bool
+}
+
 // Expr contains the actual expression as well as some contextual information
 // wrapping it. Most interactions will be with this and not with the Actual
 // directly.
@@ -47,6 +42,9 @@ type Expr struct {
 	val *llvm.Value
 }
 
+// LLVMVal passes its arguments to the underlying Actual instance. It caches the
+// result, so if this is called multiple times the underlying one is only called
+// the first time.
 func (e Expr) LLVMVal(builder llvm.Builder) llvm.Value {
 	if e.val == nil {
 		v := e.Actual.LLVMVal(builder)
@@ -55,13 +53,27 @@ func (e Expr) LLVMVal(builder llvm.Builder) llvm.Value {
 	return *e.val
 }
 
+// will panic if either Expr's Actual doesn't implement equaler
+func (e Expr) equal(e2 Expr) bool {
+	eq1, ok1 := e.Actual.(equaler)
+	eq2, ok2 := e2.Actual.(equaler)
+	if !ok1 || !ok2 {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("can't compare %T and %T", e.Actual, e2.Actual))
+	}
+	return eq1.equal(eq2)
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 // Bool represents a true or false value
 type Bool bool
 
-// Equal implements the Actual method
-func (b Bool) Equal(e Actual) bool {
+// LLVMVal implements the Actual interface method
+func (b Bool) LLVMVal(builder llvm.Builder) llvm.Value {
+	return llvm.Value{}
+}
+
+func (b Bool) equal(e equaler) bool {
 	bb, ok := e.(Bool)
 	if !ok {
 		return false
@@ -69,17 +81,19 @@ func (b Bool) Equal(e Actual) bool {
 	return bb == b
 }
 
-func (b Bool) LLVMVal(builder llvm.Builder) llvm.Value {
-	return llvm.Value{}
-}
-
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 // Int represents an integer value
 type Int int64
 
-// Equal implements the Actual method
-func (i Int) Equal(e Actual) bool {
+// LLVMVal implements the Actual interface method
+func (i Int) LLVMVal(builder llvm.Builder) llvm.Value {
+	v := builder.CreateAlloca(llvm.Int64Type(), "")
+	builder.CreateStore(llvm.ConstInt(llvm.Int64Type(), uint64(i), false), v)
+	return v
+}
+
+func (i Int) equal(e equaler) bool {
 	ii, ok := e.(Int)
 	if !ok {
 		return false
@@ -87,20 +101,17 @@ func (i Int) Equal(e Actual) bool {
 	return ii == i
 }
 
-// LLVMVal creates a new llvm value using the builder and returns it
-func (i Int) LLVMVal(builder llvm.Builder) llvm.Value {
-	v := builder.CreateAlloca(llvm.Int64Type(), "")
-	builder.CreateStore(llvm.ConstInt(llvm.Int64Type(), uint64(i), false), v)
-	return v
-}
-
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 // String represents a string value
 type String string
 
-// Equal implements the Actual method
-func (s String) Equal(e Actual) bool {
+// LLVMVal implements the Actual interface method
+func (s String) LLVMVal(builder llvm.Builder) llvm.Value {
+	return llvm.Value{}
+}
+
+func (s String) equal(e equaler) bool {
 	ss, ok := e.(String)
 	if !ok {
 		return false
@@ -108,18 +119,18 @@ func (s String) Equal(e Actual) bool {
 	return ss == s
 }
 
-func (s String) LLVMVal(builder llvm.Builder) llvm.Value {
-	return llvm.Value{}
-}
-
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 // Identifier represents a binding to some other value which has been given a
 // name
 type Identifier string
 
-// Equal implements the Actual method
-func (id Identifier) Equal(e Actual) bool {
+// LLVMVal implements the Actual interface method
+func (id Identifier) LLVMVal(builder llvm.Builder) llvm.Value {
+	return llvm.Value{}
+}
+
+func (id Identifier) equal(e equaler) bool {
 	idid, ok := e.(Identifier)
 	if !ok {
 		return false
@@ -127,10 +138,6 @@ func (id Identifier) Equal(e Actual) bool {
 	return idid == id
 }
 
-func (id Identifier) LLVMVal(builder llvm.Builder) llvm.Value {
-	return llvm.Value{}
-}
-
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 // Macro is an identifier for a macro which can be used to transform
@@ -143,8 +150,12 @@ func (m Macro) String() string {
 	return "%" + string(m)
 }
 
-// Equal implements the Actual method
-func (m Macro) Equal(e Actual) bool {
+// LLVMVal implements the Actual interface method
+func (m Macro) LLVMVal(builder llvm.Builder) llvm.Value {
+	panic("Macros have no inherent LLVMVal")
+}
+
+func (m Macro) equal(e equaler) bool {
 	mm, ok := e.(Macro)
 	if !ok {
 		return false
@@ -152,10 +163,6 @@ func (m Macro) Equal(e Actual) bool {
 	return m == mm
 }
 
-func (m Macro) LLVMVal(builder llvm.Builder) llvm.Value {
-	panic("Macros have no inherent LLVMVal")
-}
-
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 // Tuple represents a fixed set of expressions which are interacted with as if
@@ -170,24 +177,24 @@ func (tup Tuple) String() string {
 	return "(" + strings.Join(strs, ", ") + ")"
 }
 
-// Equal implements the Actual method
-func (tup Tuple) Equal(e Actual) bool {
+// LLVMVal implements the Actual interface method
+func (tup Tuple) LLVMVal(builder llvm.Builder) llvm.Value {
+	return llvm.Value{}
+}
+
+func (tup Tuple) equal(e equaler) bool {
 	tuptup, ok := e.(Tuple)
 	if !ok || len(tuptup) != len(tup) {
 		return false
 	}
 	for i := range tup {
-		if !tup[i].Actual.Equal(tuptup[i].Actual) {
+		if !tup[i].equal(tuptup[i]) {
 			return false
 		}
 	}
 	return true
 }
 
-func (tup Tuple) LLVMVal(builder llvm.Builder) llvm.Value {
-	return llvm.Value{}
-}
-
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 // Statement represents an actual action which will be taken. The input value is
@@ -202,12 +209,7 @@ func (s Statement) String() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("(%v > %s)", s.In.Actual, s.To.Actual)
 }
 
-// Equal implements the Actual method
-func (s Statement) Equal(e Actual) bool {
-	ss, ok := e.(Statement)
-	return ok && s.In.Actual.Equal(ss.In.Actual) && s.To.Actual.Equal(ss.To.Actual)
-}
-
+// LLVMVal implements the Actual interface method
 func (s Statement) LLVMVal(builder llvm.Builder) llvm.Value {
 	m, ok := s.To.Actual.(Macro)
 	if !ok {
@@ -227,6 +229,11 @@ func (s Statement) LLVMVal(builder llvm.Builder) llvm.Value {
 	return newe.LLVMVal(builder)
 }
 
+func (s Statement) equal(e equaler) bool {
+	ss, ok := e.(Statement)
+	return ok && s.In.equal(ss.In) && s.To.equal(ss.To)
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 // Block represents a set of statements which share a scope, i.e. If one
@@ -242,24 +249,24 @@ func (b Block) String() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("{ %s }", strings.Join(strs, " "))
 }
 
-// Equal implements the Actual method
-func (b Block) Equal(e Actual) bool {
+// LLVMVal implements the Actual interface method
+func (b Block) LLVMVal(builder llvm.Builder) llvm.Value {
+	return llvm.Value{}
+}
+
+func (b Block) equal(e equaler) bool {
 	bb, ok := e.(Block)
 	if !ok {
 		return false
 	}
 	for i := range b {
-		if !b[i].Equal(bb[i]) {
+		if !b[i].equal(bb[i]) {
 			return false
 		}
 	}
 	return true
 }
 
-func (b Block) LLVMVal(builder llvm.Builder) llvm.Value {
-	return llvm.Value{}
-}
-
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 type exprErr struct {
diff --git a/expr/expr_test.go b/expr/expr_test.go
index 29cce2f..e0aaf6b 100644
--- a/expr/expr_test.go
+++ b/expr/expr_test.go
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ func TestSliceEnclosedToks(t *T) {
 func assertParse(t *T, in []lexer.Token, expExpr Expr, expOut []lexer.Token) {
 	expr, out, err := parse(in)
 	require.Nil(t, err)
-	assert.True(t, expExpr.Actual.Equal(expr.Actual), "expr:%v expExpr:%v", expr, expExpr)
+	assert.True(t, expExpr.equal(expr), "expr:%+v expExpr:%+v", expr, expExpr)
 	assert.Equal(t, expOut, out, "out:%v expOut:%v", out, expOut)
 }
 
diff --git a/expr/macros.go b/expr/macros.go
index 401f8b3..29b83c6 100644
--- a/expr/macros.go
+++ b/expr/macros.go
@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@ import (
 
 type addActual []Expr
 
-func (aa addActual) Equal(Actual) bool { return false }
-
 func (aa addActual) LLVMVal(builder llvm.Builder) llvm.Value {
 	a := builder.CreateLoad(aa[0].LLVMVal(builder), "")
 	for i := range aa[1:] {