diff --git a/src/kernel.c b/src/kernel.c
index 336aae670..e6368e397 100644
--- a/src/kernel.c
+++ b/src/kernel.c
@@ -61,6 +61,38 @@ mrb_obj_inspect(mrb_state *mrb, mrb_value obj)
   return mrb_any_to_s(mrb, obj);
 }
 
+MRB_API mrb_bool
+mrb_equal(mrb_state *mrb, mrb_value obj1, mrb_value obj2)
+{
+  mrb_value result;
+
+  if (mrb_obj_eq(mrb, obj1, obj2)) return TRUE;
+#ifndef MRB_NO_FLOAT
+  /* value mixing with integer and float */
+  if (mrb_integer_p(obj1) && mrb_float_p(obj2)) {
+    if ((mrb_float)mrb_integer(obj1) == mrb_float(obj2))
+      return TRUE;
+    return FALSE;
+  }
+  else if (mrb_float_p(obj1) && mrb_integer_p(obj2)) {
+    if (mrb_float(obj1) == (mrb_float)mrb_integer(obj2))
+      return TRUE;
+    return FALSE;
+  }
+#endif
+#ifdef MRB_USE_BIGINT
+  if (mrb_bigint_p(obj1) &&
+      (mrb_integer_p(obj2) || mrb_bigint_p(obj2) || mrb_float_p(obj2))) {
+    if (mrb_bint_cmp(mrb, obj1, obj2) == 0)
+      return TRUE;
+    return FALSE;
+  }
+#endif
+  result = mrb_funcall_argv(mrb, obj1, MRB_OPSYM(eq), 1, &obj2);
+  if (mrb_test(result)) return TRUE;
+  return FALSE;
+}
+
 /* 15.3.1.3.2  */
 /*
  *  call-seq:
diff --git a/src/object.c b/src/object.c
index 0ca2e7b4d..61357175e 100644
--- a/src/object.c
+++ b/src/object.c
@@ -50,38 +50,6 @@ mrb_obj_equal(mrb_state *mrb, mrb_value v1, mrb_value v2)
   return mrb_obj_eq(mrb, v1, v2);
 }
 
-MRB_API mrb_bool
-mrb_equal(mrb_state *mrb, mrb_value obj1, mrb_value obj2)
-{
-  mrb_value result;
-
-  if (mrb_obj_eq(mrb, obj1, obj2)) return TRUE;
-#ifndef MRB_NO_FLOAT
-  /* value mixing with integer and float */
-  if (mrb_integer_p(obj1) && mrb_float_p(obj2)) {
-    if ((mrb_float)mrb_integer(obj1) == mrb_float(obj2))
-      return TRUE;
-    return FALSE;
-  }
-  else if (mrb_float_p(obj1) && mrb_integer_p(obj2)) {
-    if (mrb_float(obj1) == (mrb_float)mrb_integer(obj2))
-      return TRUE;
-    return FALSE;
-  }
-#endif
-#ifdef MRB_USE_BIGINT
-  if (mrb_bigint_p(obj1) &&
-      (mrb_integer_p(obj2) || mrb_bigint_p(obj2) || mrb_float_p(obj2))) {
-    if (mrb_bint_cmp(mrb, obj1, obj2) == 0)
-      return TRUE;
-    return FALSE;
-  }
-#endif
-  result = mrb_funcall_argv(mrb, obj1, MRB_OPSYM(eq), 1, &obj2);
-  if (mrb_test(result)) return TRUE;
-  return FALSE;
-}
-
 /*
  * Document-class: NilClass
  *