diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/xmlbeans/impl/values/XmlValueComparison.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/xmlbeans/impl/values/XmlValueComparison.java
index 4e7e5904e..db60a2dfc 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/xmlbeans/impl/values/XmlValueComparison.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/xmlbeans/impl/values/XmlValueComparison.java
@@ -143,6 +143,13 @@ private static boolean content_equal(XmlCursor a, XmlCursor b, boolean mixed) {
             TokenType tokenA = skip_ignorable(a, mixed);
             TokenType tokenB = skip_ignorable(b, mixed);
 
+            // a value rooted at a document - such as one made by copy() - ends
+            // in ENDDOC where an element ends in END: either way, it has run
+            // out of content
+            if (tokenA.isFinish() || tokenB.isFinish()) {
+                return tokenA.isFinish() && tokenB.isFinish();
+            }
+
             if (tokenA != tokenB) {
                 return false;
             }
diff --git a/src/test/java/xmlobject/detailed/ValueEqualsTest.java b/src/test/java/xmlobject/detailed/ValueEqualsTest.java
index f8ef962a8..82d68a3bd 100755
--- a/src/test/java/xmlobject/detailed/ValueEqualsTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/xmlobject/detailed/ValueEqualsTest.java
@@ -95,6 +95,27 @@ void testNestedElementDifference() throws Exception {
             .valueEquals(clm3.getCarLocationMessage().getEventStatusArray(0)));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void testCopyEqualsOriginal() throws Exception {
+        CarLocationMessageDocument clm = CarLocationMessageDocument.Factory.parse(CLM);
+
+        // copy() roots the copy at a document, the original is an element in one
+        CarLocationMessageDocument.CarLocationMessage msg = clm.getCarLocationMessage();
+        XmlObject copy = msg.copy();
+        assertTrue(copy.valueEquals(msg));
+        assertTrue(msg.valueEquals(copy));
+
+        XmlObject eventStatus = msg.getEventStatusArray(0);
+        XmlObject eventStatusCopy = eventStatus.copy();
+        assertTrue(eventStatusCopy.valueEquals(eventStatus));
+        assertTrue(eventStatus.valueEquals(eventStatusCopy));
+
+        CarLocationMessageDocument other =
+            CarLocationMessageDocument.Factory.parse(CLM.replace("DALLAS", "AUSTIN"));
+        assertFalse(copy.valueEquals(other.getCarLocationMessage()));
+        assertFalse(other.getCarLocationMessage().valueEquals(copy));
+    }
+
     @Test
     void testAttributesCompared() throws Exception {
         CarLocationMessageDocument clm1 = CarLocationMessageDocument.Factory.parse(CLM);