diff --git a/src/pvxs/unittest.h b/src/pvxs/unittest.h
index cadc479..562919d 100644
--- a/src/pvxs/unittest.h
+++ b/src/pvxs/unittest.h
@@ -146,8 +146,22 @@ testCase testNotEq(const char *sLHS, const LHS& lhs, const char *sRHS, const RHS
     return ret;
 }
 
+template<typename T>
+struct as_str {
+    static const char* op(const T& v) { return v; }
+};
+template<> struct as_str<std::string> {
+    static const char* op(const std::string& v) { return v.c_str(); }
+};
+template<> struct as_str<const std::string> {
+    static const char* op(const std::string& v) { return v.c_str(); }
+};
+
+template<typename T>
+const char* asStr(const T& v) { return as_str<T>::op(v); }
+
 PVXS_API
-testCase _testStrEq(const char *sLHS, const std::string& lhs, const char *sRHS, const std::string& rhs);
+testCase _testStrTest(unsigned op, const char *sLHS, const char* lhs, const char *sRHS, const char* rhs);
 
 PVXS_API
 testCase _testStrMatch(const char *spat, const std::string& pat, const char *sstr, const std::string& str);
@@ -263,7 +277,14 @@ testCase testThrowsMatch(const std::string& expr, FN fn)
 //! Evaluates to a pvxs::testCase
 //! Functionally equivalent to testEq() with two std::string instances.
 //! Prints diff-like output which is friendlier to multi-line strings.
-#define testStrEq(LHS, RHS) ::pvxs::detail::_testStrEq(#LHS, LHS, #RHS, RHS)
+#define testStrEq(LHS, RHS) ::pvxs::detail::_testStrTest(1, #LHS, ::pvxs::detail::asStr(LHS), #RHS, ::pvxs::detail::asStr(RHS))
+
+//! Macro which asserts inequality between LHS and RHS.
+//! Evaluates to a pvxs::testCase
+//! Functionally equivalent to testNotEq() with two std::string instances.
+//! Prints diff-like output which is friendlier to multi-line strings.
+//! @since UNRELEASED
+#define testStrNotEq(LHS, RHS) ::pvxs::detail::_testStrTest(0, #LHS, ::pvxs::detail::asStr(LHS), #RHS, ::pvxs::detail::asStr(RHS))
 
 //! Macro which asserts that STR matches the regular expression EXPR
 //! Evaluates to a pvxs::testCase
diff --git a/src/unittest.cpp b/src/unittest.cpp
index b1d2fef..6ada8d5 100644
--- a/src/unittest.cpp
+++ b/src/unittest.cpp
@@ -118,10 +118,20 @@ size_t findNextLine(const std::string& s, size_t pos=0u)
     return next;
 }
 
-testCase _testStrEq(const char *sLHS, const std::string& lhs, const char *sRHS, const std::string& rhs)
+testCase _testStrTest(unsigned op, const char *sLHS, const char* rlhs, const char *sRHS, const char* rrhs)
 {
-    testCase ret(lhs==rhs);
-    ret<<sLHS<<" == "<<sRHS<<"\n";
+    bool eq;
+    if(rlhs==rrhs) // same string.  handles NULL==NULL
+        eq = true;
+    else if(!rlhs ^ !rrhs) // one NULL
+        eq = false;
+    else
+        eq = strcmp(rlhs, rrhs)==0;
+    testCase ret(eq==op);
+    ret<<sLHS<<(op ? " == " : " != ")<<sRHS<<"\n";
+
+    std::string lhs(rlhs ? rlhs : "<null>");
+    std::string rhs(rrhs ? rrhs : "<null>");
 
     size_t posL=0u, posR=0u;
 
diff --git a/test/testutil.cpp b/test/testutil.cpp
index 439bd30..e3d72d8 100644
--- a/test/testutil.cpp
+++ b/test/testutil.cpp
@@ -182,16 +182,37 @@ void testAccount()
     }
 }
 
+void testTestEq()
+{
+    testShow()<<__func__;
+
+    testStrNotEq((char*)nullptr, std::string());
+    testStrNotEq(std::string(), (char*)nullptr);
+    testStrEq((char*)nullptr, (char*)nullptr);
+    testStrEq(std::string(), std::string());
+
+    testStrEq("hello", "hello");
+    testStrEq("hello", std::string("hello"));
+    testStrEq(std::string("hello"), "hello");
+    testStrEq(std::string("hello"), std::string("hello"));
+
+    testStrNotEq("hello", "world");
+    testStrNotEq("hello", std::string("world"));
+    testStrNotEq(std::string("hello"), "world");
+    testStrNotEq(std::string("hello"), std::string("world"));
+}
+
 } // namespace
 
 MAIN(testutil)
 {
-    testPlan(12);
+    testPlan(24);
     testTrue(version_abi_check())<<" 0x"<<std::hex<<PVXS_VERSION<<" ~= 0x"<<std::hex<<PVXS_ABI_VERSION;
     testServerGUID();
     testFill();
     testSpam();
     testSpamMany();
     testAccount();
+    testTestEq();
     return testDone();
 }