diff --git a/phosphorus/phival.py b/phosphorus/phival.py
index e1fd91b..57e8cae 100644
--- a/phosphorus/phival.py
+++ b/phosphorus/phival.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 from numbers import Number
 import builtins; import ast
 import re; import time
+
 from .parse import Span, errors_on, log, debugging
 
 ip = get_ipython()
@@ -633,6 +634,10 @@ def type(x):
         if x is None:
             return ConstantVal('t') # small hack for uninterpretable lambda bodies
         
+        from .semval import SemLiteral
+        if isinstance(x, SemLiteral): # can't check equality of SemLiterals
+            return ConstantVal("t") 
+
         for t in SemType.D:
             if x in SemType.D[t]: return ConstantVal(t)
             
@@ -816,7 +821,8 @@ def ext(f,domain=map(ConstantVal,SemType.D["e"]),memoize=True):
         return out
     except Exception as e:
         #raise e
-        return Span.parse(f"ext({f})")
+        from .semval import SemLiteral
+        return SemLiteral(f"ext({f})")
     
 def ι(f, domain=None):
     try:
diff --git a/phosphorus/semval.py b/phosphorus/semval.py
index 01ab1f7..25ed3e3 100644
--- a/phosphorus/semval.py
+++ b/phosphorus/semval.py
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ def __ror__(self,other):
 
     def __invert__(self): return SpanVal("¬" + self)
 
+    # NOTE: a little dangerous, since we basically can't compare SemLiterals
+    def __eq__(self,other):
+        return opcode(self, "==", other)
+
     # Since SemLiterals do not have a known value, we don't want them
     # short-circuiting boolean "and" and "or" in python. 
     # We use & and | instead