diff --git a/helper/diffPlaces.js b/helper/diffPlaces.js
index 537a2d960..6909034f2 100644
--- a/helper/diffPlaces.js
+++ b/helper/diffPlaces.js
@@ -46,6 +46,26 @@ function isUsState(item) {
   return item.parent.country_a[0] === 'USA' && item.layer === 'region';
 }
 
+// Geonames records in the locality and localadmin layer are parented by themselves
+// This breaks our other hierarchy logic, so check for this special case
+function isGeonamesWithSelfParent(item, placeType) {
+  if (item.source !== 'geonames') { return false; }
+  if (item.layer !== placeType) { return false; }
+
+  if (!item.parent) { return false; }
+
+  // get the relevant parent id(s) for the placeType in question
+  const parent_records = item.parent[`${placeType}_id`] || [];
+
+  // check if the parent ids at this layer match this Geonames record
+  // we have special cased Geonames parents in many cases
+  // handle both array and scalar values
+  if (item.source_id === parent_records) { return true; }
+  if (parent_records.includes(item.source_id)) { return true; }
+
+  return false;
+}
+
 /**
  * Compare the parent properties if they exist.
  * Returns false if the objects are the same, else true.
@@ -108,6 +128,11 @@ function isParentHierarchyDifferent(item1, item2){
     // skip layers that are more granular than $maxRank
     if (rank > maxRank){ return false; }
 
+    // Special case Geonames records that are parented by themselves and would otherwise break these checks
+    if (isGeonamesWithSelfParent(item1, placeType) || isGeonamesWithSelfParent(item2, placeType)) {
+      return false;
+    }
+
     // ensure the parent ids are the same for all placetypes
     return isPropertyDifferent( parent1, parent2, `${placeType}_id` );
   });
diff --git a/test/unit/helper/diffPlaces.js b/test/unit/helper/diffPlaces.js
index 5910219bb..3ad68b95a 100644
--- a/test/unit/helper/diffPlaces.js
+++ b/test/unit/helper/diffPlaces.js
@@ -790,6 +790,40 @@ module.exports.tests.geonames = function (test, common) {
   });
 };
 
+module.exports.tests.geonames_self_parent = function (test, common) {
+  test('geonames records that parent themselves should not break hierarchy checks', function(t) {
+    const gn_record = {
+      source: 'geonames',
+      layer: 'localadmin',
+      source_id: '7163824',
+      name: {
+        default: 'City of New York'
+      },
+      parent: {
+        country_id: ['85633793'], // USA, WOF
+        region_id: ['85688543'], // NY, WOF
+        localadmin_id: ['7163824'] // New York County, Geonames
+      }
+    };
+    const wof_record = {
+      source: 'whosonfirst',
+      layer: 'locality',
+      source_id: '85977539',
+      name: {
+        default: 'New York'
+      },
+      parent: {
+        country_id: ['85633793'], // USA, WOF
+        region_id: ['85688543'], // NY, WOF
+        //localadmin_id: null // no localadmin is set for NYC in WOF
+      }
+    };
+
+    t.false(isDifferent(gn_record, wof_record), 'should be the same based on hierarchy');
+    t.end();
+  });
+};
+
 module.exports.all = function (tape, common) {
 
   function test(name, testFunction) {