diff --git a/include/taco/index_notation/index_notation.h b/include/taco/index_notation/index_notation.h
index 76822bc09..640d87dd1 100644
--- a/include/taco/index_notation/index_notation.h
+++ b/include/taco/index_notation/index_notation.h
@@ -269,6 +269,11 @@ class Access : public IndexExpr {
   Assignment operator+=(const IndexExpr&);
 
   typedef AccessNode Node;
+
+  // Equality and comparison are overridden on Access to perform a deep
+  // comparison of the access rather than a pointer check.
+  friend bool operator==(const Access& a, const Access& b);
+  friend bool operator<(const Access& a, const Access &b);
 };
 
 
diff --git a/include/taco/index_notation/index_notation_nodes.h b/include/taco/index_notation/index_notation_nodes.h
index 3df5a1d32..d3284f0ab 100644
--- a/include/taco/index_notation/index_notation_nodes.h
+++ b/include/taco/index_notation/index_notation_nodes.h
@@ -28,6 +28,12 @@ struct AccessWindow {
   friend bool operator==(const AccessWindow& a, const AccessWindow& b) {
     return a.lo == b.lo && a.hi == b.hi;
   }
+  friend bool operator<(const AccessWindow& a, const AccessWindow& b) {
+    if (a.lo != b.lo) {
+      return a.lo < b.lo;
+    }
+    return a.hi < b.hi;
+  }
 };
 
 struct AccessNode : public IndexExprNode {
diff --git a/src/index_notation/index_notation.cpp b/src/index_notation/index_notation.cpp
index efb330668..6b3fd71b4 100644
--- a/src/index_notation/index_notation.cpp
+++ b/src/index_notation/index_notation.cpp
@@ -999,6 +999,38 @@ int Access::getWindowUpperBound(int mode) const {
   return getNode(*this)->windowedModes.at(mode).hi;
 }
 
+bool operator==(const Access& a, const Access& b) {
+  // Short-circuit for when the Access pointers are the same.
+  if (getNode(a) == getNode(b)) {
+    return true;
+  }
+  if (a.getTensorVar() != b.getTensorVar()) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  if (a.getIndexVars() != b.getIndexVars()) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  if (getNode(a)->windowedModes != getNode(b)->windowedModes) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  return true;
+}
+
+bool operator<(const Access& a, const Access& b) {
+  // First branch on tensorVar.
+  if(a.getTensorVar() != b.getTensorVar()) {
+    return a.getTensorVar() < b.getTensorVar();
+  }
+
+  // Then branch on the indexVars used in the access.
+  if (a.getIndexVars() != b.getIndexVars()) {
+    return a.getIndexVars() < b.getIndexVars();
+  }
+
+  // Lastly, branch on the windows.
+  return getNode(a)->windowedModes < getNode(b)->windowedModes;
+}
+
 static void check(Assignment assignment) {
   auto lhs = assignment.getLhs();
   auto tensorVar = lhs.getTensorVar();
diff --git a/src/lower/mode_access.cpp b/src/lower/mode_access.cpp
index fcb0d19c4..f682e915e 100644
--- a/src/lower/mode_access.cpp
+++ b/src/lower/mode_access.cpp
@@ -13,43 +13,18 @@ size_t ModeAccess::getModePos() const {
   return mode;
 }
 
-static bool accessEqual(const Access& a, const Access& b) {
-  return a == b ||
-         (a.getTensorVar() == b.getTensorVar() && a.getIndexVars() == b.getIndexVars());
-}
-
 bool operator==(const ModeAccess& a, const ModeAccess& b) {
-  return accessEqual(a.getAccess(), b.getAccess()) && a.getModePos() == b.getModePos();
+  return a.getAccess() == b.getAccess() && a.getModePos() == b.getModePos();
 }
 
 bool operator<(const ModeAccess& a, const ModeAccess& b) {
-
-  // fast path for when access pointers are equal
-  if(a.getAccess() == b.getAccess()) {
+  // First break on the mode position.
+  if (a.getModePos() != b.getModePos()) {
     return a.getModePos() < b.getModePos();
   }
 
-  // First break on tensorVars
-  if(a.getAccess().getTensorVar() != b.getAccess().getTensorVar()) {
-    return a.getAccess().getTensorVar() < b.getAccess().getTensorVar();
-  }
-
-  // Then break on the indexVars used in the access
-  std::vector<IndexVar> aVars = a.getAccess().getIndexVars();
-  std::vector<IndexVar> bVars = b.getAccess().getIndexVars();
-
-  if(aVars.size() != bVars.size()) {
-    return aVars.size() < bVars.size();
-  }
-
-  for(size_t i = 0; i < aVars.size(); ++i) {
-    if(aVars[i] != bVars[i]) {
-      return aVars[i] < bVars[i];
-    }
-  }
-
-  // Finally, break on the mode position
-  return a.getModePos() < b.getModePos();
+  // Then, return a deep comparison of the underlying access.
+  return a.getAccess() <b.getAccess();
 }
 
 std::ostream &operator<<(std::ostream &os, const ModeAccess & modeAccess) {