diff --git a/include/boost/mpl/empty_sequence.hpp b/include/boost/mpl/empty_sequence.hpp
index 94f5f5a..f32cc6e 100644
--- a/include/boost/mpl/empty_sequence.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/mpl/empty_sequence.hpp
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ namespace boost { namespace mpl {
 
 struct empty_sequence
 {
-    struct tag; 
+    struct tag;
+    typedef empty_sequence type;
     struct begin { typedef random_access_iterator_tag category; };    
     typedef begin end;
 };
diff --git a/test/empty_sequence.cpp b/test/empty_sequence.cpp
index a9501cc..2fa989f 100644
--- a/test/empty_sequence.cpp
+++ b/test/empty_sequence.cpp
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include <boost/mpl/distance.hpp>
 #include <boost/mpl/advance.hpp>
 #include <boost/mpl/begin_end.hpp>
+#include <boost/mpl/equal.hpp>
 #include <boost/mpl/aux_/test.hpp>
 
 #include <boost/type_traits/is_same.hpp>
@@ -33,4 +34,6 @@ MPL_TEST_CASE()
 
     typedef advance_c<begin,0>::type advanced;
     MPL_ASSERT(( is_same<advanced,end> ));
+
+    MPL_ASSERT(( equal< empty_sequence, empty_sequence::type > ));
 }