diff --git a/base/netcmp.c b/base/netcmp.c
index 496d9af..55f70ff 100644
--- a/base/netcmp.c
+++ b/base/netcmp.c
@@ -6393,9 +6393,13 @@ struct nlist *addproxies(struct hashlist *p, void *clientdata)
 /* circuit pair has been matched with automorphisms,	*/
 /* then some pins may be matched arbitrarily.		*/
 /*							*/
-/* Return 1 on success, 0 on failure.			*/
 /* If "dolist" is 1, append the list representing the	*/
 /* output (if any) to variable tcl_out, if it exists.	*/
+/*							*/
+/* Return codes:					*/
+/* 2: Neither cell had pins, so matching is unnecessary	*/
+/* 1: Exact match					*/
+/* 0: Inexact match resolved by proxy pin insertion	*/
 /*------------------------------------------------------*/
 
 int MatchPins(struct nlist *tc1, struct nlist *tc2, int dolist)
@@ -6432,7 +6436,7 @@ int MatchPins(struct nlist *tc1, struct nlist *tc2, int dolist)
    if (haspins == 0) {
       // Neither cell has any ports, so this is probably a top-level
       // cell and there is nothing to do.
-      return 1;
+      return 2;
    }
 
    cover = (char *)CALLOC(numnodes, sizeof(char));
diff --git a/tcltk/tclnetgen.c b/tcltk/tclnetgen.c
index 242aee6..94d04fd 100644
--- a/tcltk/tclnetgen.c
+++ b/tcltk/tclnetgen.c
@@ -2910,15 +2910,26 @@ _netcmp_equate(ClientData clientData,
 	    Circuit1 = tp1;
 	    Circuit2 = tp2;
 	 }
-	 if (MatchPins(tp1, tp2, dolist)) {
+
+	 // Check for and remove duplicate pins.  Normally this is called
+	 // from "compare", but since "equate pins" may be called outside
+	 // of and before "compare", pin uniqueness needs to be ensured.
+
+	 UniquePins(tp1->name, tp1->file);
+	 UniquePins(tp2->name, tp2->file);
+
+	 result = MatchPins(tp1, tp2, dolist);
+	 if (result == 2) {
+	    Fprintf(stdout, "Cells have no pins;  pin matching not needed.\n");
+	 }
+	 else if (result > 0) {
 	    Fprintf(stdout, "Cell pin lists are equivalent.\n");
-	    Tcl_SetObjResult(interp, Tcl_NewBooleanObj(1));
 	 }
 	 else {
 	    Fprintf(stdout, "Cell pin lists for %s and %s altered to match.\n",
 			name1, name2);
-	    Tcl_SetObjResult(interp, Tcl_NewBooleanObj(0));
 	 }
+	 Tcl_SetObjResult(interp, Tcl_NewIntObj(result));
 	 if (ElementClasses == NULL) {
 	    /* Recover temporarily set global variables (see above) */
 	    Circuit1 = SaveC1;