diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/jboss/jandex/AnnotationInstance.java b/core/src/main/java/org/jboss/jandex/AnnotationInstance.java
index 82404ee6..941ab8e6 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/jboss/jandex/AnnotationInstance.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/jboss/jandex/AnnotationInstance.java
@@ -527,4 +527,11 @@ public int equivalenceHashCode() {
         result = 31 * result + Arrays.hashCode(values);
         return result;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns an {@linkplain AnnotationInstanceEquivalenceProxy equivalence proxy} for this annotation instance.
+     */
+    public AnnotationInstanceEquivalenceProxy createEquivalenceProxy() {
+        return new AnnotationInstanceEquivalenceProxy(this);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/jboss/jandex/AnnotationInstanceEquivalenceProxy.java b/core/src/main/java/org/jboss/jandex/AnnotationInstanceEquivalenceProxy.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cdceba37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/jboss/jandex/AnnotationInstanceEquivalenceProxy.java
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+package org.jboss.jandex;
+
+import java.util.Objects;
+
+/**
+ * Holds an {@link AnnotationInstance} and implements equality and hash code as equivalence.
+ * <p>
+ * When using equivalence proxies, it is usually a mistake to obtain
+ * the {@linkplain AnnotationInstance#target() target} of the delegate annotation instance.
+ * <p>
+ * <b>Thread-Safety</b>
+ * </p>
+ * This class is immutable and can be shared between threads without safe
+ * publication.
+ *
+ * @see AnnotationInstance#equivalentTo(AnnotationInstance)
+ * @see AnnotationInstance#equivalenceHashCode()
+ */
+public final class AnnotationInstanceEquivalenceProxy {
+    private final AnnotationInstance annotation;
+
+    AnnotationInstanceEquivalenceProxy(AnnotationInstance annotation) {
+        this.annotation = Objects.requireNonNull(annotation);
+    }
+
+    public AnnotationInstance get() {
+        return annotation;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public boolean equals(Object o) {
+        if (this == o)
+            return true;
+        if (o == null || getClass() != o.getClass())
+            return false;
+        return annotation.equivalentTo(((AnnotationInstanceEquivalenceProxy) o).annotation);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public int hashCode() {
+        return annotation.equivalenceHashCode();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/jboss/jandex/test/AnnotationInstanceTest.java b/core/src/test/java/org/jboss/jandex/test/AnnotationInstanceTest.java
index 7212bb82..95f69c2e 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/jboss/jandex/test/AnnotationInstanceTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/jboss/jandex/test/AnnotationInstanceTest.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 import java.io.IOException;
 
 import org.jboss.jandex.AnnotationInstance;
+import org.jboss.jandex.AnnotationInstanceEquivalenceProxy;
 import org.jboss.jandex.Index;
 import org.jboss.jandex.test.util.IndexingUtil;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
@@ -51,5 +52,19 @@ private void testEqualityEquivalence(Index index) {
         assertFalse(foo2.equivalentTo(bar));
 
         assertEquals(foo.equivalenceHashCode(), foo2.equivalenceHashCode());
+
+        AnnotationInstanceEquivalenceProxy fooEquiv = foo.createEquivalenceProxy();
+        AnnotationInstanceEquivalenceProxy foo2Equiv = foo2.createEquivalenceProxy();
+        AnnotationInstanceEquivalenceProxy barEquiv = bar.createEquivalenceProxy();
+
+        assertNotNull(fooEquiv);
+        assertNotNull(foo2Equiv);
+        assertNotNull(barEquiv);
+
+        assertEquals(fooEquiv, foo2Equiv);
+        assertNotEquals(fooEquiv, barEquiv);
+        assertNotEquals(foo2Equiv, barEquiv);
+
+        assertEquals(fooEquiv.hashCode(), foo2Equiv.hashCode());
     }
 }