diff --git a/src/librustc/middle/astencode.rs b/src/librustc/middle/astencode.rs
index a67be995171f..f9a3c0fab724 100644
--- a/src/librustc/middle/astencode.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/middle/astencode.rs
@@ -1336,7 +1336,17 @@ fn roundtrip(in_item: Option<@ast::item>) {
     let ebml_doc = reader::Doc(@bytes);
     let out_item = decode_item_ast(ebml_doc);
 
-    assert_eq!(in_item, out_item);
+    let exp_str = do io::with_str_writer |w| {
+        in_item.encode(&prettyprint::Serializer(w))
+    };
+    let out_str = do io::with_str_writer |w| {
+        out_item.encode(&prettyprint::Serializer(w))
+    };
+
+    debug!("expected string: %s", exp_str);
+    debug!("actual string  : %s", out_str);
+
+    assert!(exp_str == out_str);
 }
 
 #[test]
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/auto-encode.rs b/src/test/run-pass/auto-encode.rs
index bfc15acaa763..372f8ab4bc8f 100644
--- a/src/test/run-pass/auto-encode.rs
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/auto-encode.rs
@@ -25,6 +25,20 @@ use std::ebml;
 use std::serialize::{Decodable, Encodable};
 use std::time;
 
+<<<<<<< HEAD
+=======
+fn test_prettyprint<A:Encodable<prettyprint::Serializer>>(
+    a: &A,
+    expected: &~str
+) {
+    let s = do io::with_str_writer |w| {
+        a.encode(&prettyprint::Serializer(w))
+    };
+    debug!("s == %?", s);
+    assert!(s == *expected);
+}
+
+>>>>>>> librustc: Remove `fail_unless!`
 fn test_ebml<A:
     Eq +
     Encodable<EBWriter::Encoder> +