diff --git a/lib/rspec/matchers/built_in/eq.rb b/lib/rspec/matchers/built_in/eq.rb
index 1ebae0bbd..c6f6c3e7a 100644
--- a/lib/rspec/matchers/built_in/eq.rb
+++ b/lib/rspec/matchers/built_in/eq.rb
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ module Matchers
     module BuiltIn
       class Eq < BaseMatcher
         def match(expected, actual)
-          expected == actual
+          actual == expected
         end
 
         def failure_message_for_should
diff --git a/spec/rspec/matchers/eq_spec.rb b/spec/rspec/matchers/eq_spec.rb
index b5523a180..9863ee118 100644
--- a/spec/rspec/matchers/eq_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/rspec/matchers/eq_spec.rb
@@ -14,23 +14,35 @@ module Matchers
       it "does not match when actual != expected" do
         1.should_not eq(2)
       end
-      
+
+      it "compares by sending == to actual (not expected)" do
+        called = false
+        actual = Class.new do
+          define_method :== do |other|
+            called = true
+          end
+        end.new
+
+        actual.should eq :anything # to trigger the matches? method
+        called.should be_true
+      end
+
       it "describes itself" do
         matcher = eq(1)
         matcher.matches?(1)
-        matcher.description.should == "eq 1"
+        matcher.description.should eq "eq 1"
       end
       
       it "provides message, expected and actual on #failure_message" do
         matcher = eq("1")
         matcher.matches?(1)
-        matcher.failure_message_for_should.should == "\nexpected: \"1\"\n     got: 1\n\n(compared using ==)\n"
+        matcher.failure_message_for_should.should eq "\nexpected: \"1\"\n     got: 1\n\n(compared using ==)\n"
       end
       
       it "provides message, expected and actual on #negative_failure_message" do
         matcher = eq(1)
         matcher.matches?(1)
-        matcher.failure_message_for_should_not.should == "\nexpected: value != 1\n     got: 1\n\n(compared using ==)\n"
+        matcher.failure_message_for_should_not.should eq "\nexpected: value != 1\n     got: 1\n\n(compared using ==)\n"
       end
     end
   end