diff --git a/internal/core/adt/equality.go b/internal/core/adt/equality.go
index e808f1798..0e0cbfb75 100644
--- a/internal/core/adt/equality.go
+++ b/internal/core/adt/equality.go
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ func equalVertex(ctx *OpContext, x *Vertex, v Value, flags Flag) bool {
 	}
 
 	// TODO: this really should be subsumption.
-	if flags != 0 {
+	if flags&CheckStructural != 0 {
 		if x.IsClosedStruct() != y.IsClosedStruct() {
 			return false
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/list/testdata/unique.txtar b/pkg/list/testdata/unique.txtar
index b7a993925..fc1bc3bac 100644
--- a/pkg/list/testdata/unique.txtar
+++ b/pkg/list/testdata/unique.txtar
@@ -196,17 +196,16 @@ fail: {
 diff old new
 --- old
 +++ new
-@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
+@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
  fail.ignoreHidden: invalid value [1,1] (does not satisfy list.UniqueItems): equal value (1) at position 0 and 1:
      ./in.cue:3:21
      ./in.cue:48:16
+-fail.ignoreOptError: invalid value [{a:1},{a:1,b?:_|_(fail.ignoreOptError.1.b: conflicting values int and string (mismatched types int and string))}] (does not satisfy list.UniqueItems): equal values at position 0 and 1:
 +fail.ignoreOptError: invalid value [~(#a),~(#abErr)] (does not satisfy list.UniqueItems): equal values at position 0 and 1:
-+    ./in.cue:3:21
-+    ./in.cue:52:18
- fail.ints: invalid value [1,2,1] (does not satisfy list.UniqueItems): equal value (1) at position 0 and 2:
      ./in.cue:3:21
-     ./in.cue:44:8
-@@ -8,7 +11,7 @@
+     ./in.cue:52:18
+ fail.ints: invalid value [1,2,1] (does not satisfy list.UniqueItems): equal value (1) at position 0 and 2:
+@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
  fail.structOrderIrrelevant: invalid value [{b:1,a:0},{a:0,b:1}] (does not satisfy list.UniqueItems): equal values at position 0 and 1:
      ./in.cue:3:21
      ./in.cue:72:30
@@ -215,21 +214,7 @@ diff old new
      ./in.cue:3:21
      ./in.cue:45:11
  
-@@ -67,12 +70,7 @@
- 	}]
- 
- 	// Ditto. This time with actually closed fields.
--	withOptional3: [{
--		a: 1
--	}, {
--		a:  1
--		b?: int
--	}]
-+	withOptional3: list.UniqueItems() & [#a, #ab]
- 
- 	// Ditto. There are not optional fields, but the structs are open.
- 	openSpecific: list.UniqueItems() & [{
-@@ -100,7 +98,7 @@
+@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@
  }
  fail: {
  	ints:    _|_ // fail.ints: invalid value [1,2,1] (does not satisfy list.UniqueItems): equal value (1) at position 0 and 2
@@ -238,16 +223,11 @@ diff old new
  
  	// Hidden values do not play a role in the comparisson.
  	ignoreHidden: _|_ // fail.ignoreHidden: invalid value [1,1] (does not satisfy list.UniqueItems): equal value (1) at position 0 and 1
-@@ -107,12 +105,7 @@
+@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@
  
  	// This can be a permanent error, as the optional field of the second
  	// element is erroneous an cannot match.
--	ignoreOptError: [{
--		a: 1
--	}, {
--		a:  1
--		b?: int & string
--	}]
+-	ignoreOptError: _|_ // fail.ignoreOptError: invalid value [{a:1},{a:1,b?:_|_(fail.ignoreOptError.1.b: conflicting values int and string (mismatched types int and string))}] (does not satisfy list.UniqueItems): equal values at position 0 and 1
 +	ignoreOptError: _|_ // fail.ignoreOptError: invalid value [~(#a),~(#abErr)] (does not satisfy list.UniqueItems): equal values at position 0 and 1
  
  	// Struct field order is irrelevant. We simulate finalising
@@ -257,6 +237,9 @@ Errors:
 fail.ignoreHidden: invalid value [1,1] (does not satisfy list.UniqueItems): equal value (1) at position 0 and 1:
     ./in.cue:3:21
     ./in.cue:48:16
+fail.ignoreOptError: invalid value [{a:1},{a:1,b?:_|_(fail.ignoreOptError.1.b: conflicting values int and string (mismatched types int and string))}] (does not satisfy list.UniqueItems): equal values at position 0 and 1:
+    ./in.cue:3:21
+    ./in.cue:52:18
 fail.ints: invalid value [1,2,1] (does not satisfy list.UniqueItems): equal value (1) at position 0 and 2:
     ./in.cue:3:21
     ./in.cue:44:8
@@ -322,12 +305,7 @@ incomplete: {
 	}]
 
 	// Ditto. This time with actually closed fields.
-	withOptional3: [{
-		a: 1
-	}, {
-		a:  1
-		b?: int
-	}]
+	withOptional3: list.UniqueItems() & [#a, #ab]
 
 	// Ditto. There are not optional fields, but the structs are open.
 	openSpecific: list.UniqueItems() & [{
@@ -362,12 +340,7 @@ fail: {
 
 	// This can be a permanent error, as the optional field of the second
 	// element is erroneous an cannot match.
-	ignoreOptError: [{
-		a: 1
-	}, {
-		a:  1
-		b?: int & string
-	}]
+	ignoreOptError: _|_ // fail.ignoreOptError: invalid value [{a:1},{a:1,b?:_|_(fail.ignoreOptError.1.b: conflicting values int and string (mismatched types int and string))}] (does not satisfy list.UniqueItems): equal values at position 0 and 1
 
 	// Struct field order is irrelevant. We simulate finalising
 	// these values here via close(), which gives the same behaviour