diff --git a/schema.cc b/schema.cc
index 360c17eaab..87d40c8bc4 100644
--- a/schema.cc
+++ b/schema.cc
@@ -75,6 +75,14 @@ column_mapping_entry& column_mapping_entry::operator=(const column_mapping_entry
     return operator=(std::move(copy));
 }
 
+bool operator==(const column_mapping_entry& lhs, const column_mapping_entry& rhs) {
+    return lhs.name() == rhs.name() && lhs.type() == rhs.type();
+}
+
+bool operator!=(const column_mapping_entry& lhs, const column_mapping_entry& rhs) {
+    return !(lhs == rhs);
+}
+
 bool operator==(const column_mapping& lhs, const column_mapping& rhs) {
     const auto& lhs_columns = lhs.columns(), rhs_columns = rhs.columns();
     if (lhs_columns.size() != rhs_columns.size()) {
@@ -82,7 +90,7 @@ bool operator==(const column_mapping& lhs, const column_mapping& rhs) {
     }
     for (size_t i = 0, end = lhs_columns.size(); i < end; ++i) {
         const column_mapping_entry& lhs_entry = lhs_columns[i], rhs_entry = rhs_columns[i];
-        if (lhs_entry.name() != rhs_entry.name() || lhs_entry.type() != rhs_entry.type()) {
+        if (lhs_entry != rhs_entry) {
             return false;
         }
     }
diff --git a/schema.hh b/schema.hh
index 616584168e..355f130c69 100644
--- a/schema.hh
+++ b/schema.hh
@@ -447,6 +447,9 @@ public:
     bool is_atomic() const { return _is_atomic; }
 };
 
+bool operator==(const column_mapping_entry& lhs, const column_mapping_entry& rhs);
+bool operator!=(const column_mapping_entry& lhs, const column_mapping_entry& rhs);
+
 // Encapsulates information needed for converting mutations between different schema versions.
 //
 // Unsafe to access across shards.