diff --git a/include/maxscale/session_command.hh b/include/maxscale/session_command.hh
index 956e4f0ca..b18f076ea 100644
--- a/include/maxscale/session_command.hh
+++ b/include/maxscale/session_command.hh
@@ -89,22 +89,6 @@ public:
      */
     bool eq(const SessionCommand& rhs) const;
 
-    class Equals: public std::unary_function<const SSessionCommand&, bool>
-    {
-    public:
-        Equals(const SSessionCommand& base):
-        m_base(base)
-        {}
-
-        bool operator ()(const SSessionCommand& rhs)
-        {
-            return m_base->eq(*rhs);
-        }
-
-    private:
-        const SSessionCommand& m_base;
-    };
-
 private:
     mxs::Buffer m_buffer;    /**< The buffer containing the command */
     uint8_t     m_command;   /**< The command being executed */
diff --git a/include/maxscale/utils.hh b/include/maxscale/utils.hh
index 9dafe95f7..022d4af8f 100644
--- a/include/maxscale/utils.hh
+++ b/include/maxscale/utils.hh
@@ -268,4 +268,31 @@ private:
     ContainerType m_registry;
 };
 
+// binary compare of pointed-to objects
+template<typename Ptr>
+bool equal_pointees(const Ptr& lhs, const Ptr& rhs)
+{
+   return *lhs == *rhs;
+}
+
+// Unary predicate for equality of pointed-to objects
+template<typename T>
+class EqualPointees
+{
+public:
+   EqualPointees(const T& lhs) : m_ppLhs(&lhs) {}
+   bool operator()(const T& pRhs)
+   {
+       return **m_ppLhs == *pRhs;
+   }
+private:
+   const T* m_ppLhs;
+};
+
+template<typename T>
+EqualPointees<T> equal_pointees(const T& t)
+{
+   return EqualPointees<T>(t);
+}
+
 }