diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/lucene/index/TermInfo.java b/src/java/org/apache/lucene/index/TermInfo.java
index 5fd0b920bbb..475bb09175d 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/lucene/index/TermInfo.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/lucene/index/TermInfo.java
@@ -42,28 +42,6 @@ class TermInfo {
     skipOffset = ti.skipOffset;
   }
 
-  public boolean equals(Object obj) {
-    if (obj instanceof TermInfo) {
-      TermInfo other = (TermInfo) obj;
-      return other.docFreq == docFreq &&
-        other.freqPointer == freqPointer &&
-        other.proxPointer == proxPointer &&
-        other.skipOffset == skipOffset;
-    } else {
-      return false;
-    }
-  }
-
-  public int hashCode() {
-    final int PRIME = 17;
-    int result = 1;
-    result = PRIME * result + docFreq;
-    result = (int) (PRIME * result + freqPointer);
-    result = (int) (PRIME * result + proxPointer);
-    result = (int) (PRIME * result + skipOffset);
-    return result;
-  }
-
   final void set(int docFreq,
                  long freqPointer, long proxPointer, int skipOffset) {
     this.docFreq = docFreq;
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/lucene/index/TermInfosReader.java b/src/java/org/apache/lucene/index/TermInfosReader.java
index 7d90f308c36..4013f511913 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/lucene/index/TermInfosReader.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/lucene/index/TermInfosReader.java
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ final class TermInfosReader {
             if (tiOrd == null) {
               termsCache.put(term, new TermInfoAndOrd(ti, (int) enumerator.position));
             } else {
-              assert ti.equals(tiOrd);
+              assert sameTermInfo(ti, tiOrd, enumerator);
               assert (int) enumerator.position == tiOrd.termOrd;
             }
           }
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ final class TermInfosReader {
       if (tiOrd == null) {
         termsCache.put(term, new TermInfoAndOrd(ti, (int) enumerator.position));
       } else {
-        assert ti.equals(tiOrd);
+        assert sameTermInfo(ti, tiOrd, enumerator);
         assert (int) enumerator.position == tiOrd.termOrd;
       }
     } else {
@@ -261,6 +261,25 @@ final class TermInfosReader {
     return ti;
   }
 
+  // called only from asserts
+  private final boolean sameTermInfo(TermInfo ti1, TermInfo ti2, SegmentTermEnum enumerator) {
+    if (ti1.docFreq != ti2.docFreq) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    if (ti1.freqPointer != ti2.freqPointer) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    if (ti1.proxPointer != ti2.proxPointer) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    // skipOffset is only valid when docFreq >= skipInterval:
+    if (ti1.docFreq >= enumerator.skipInterval &&
+        ti1.skipOffset != ti2.skipOffset) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    return true;
+  }
+
   /** Returns the nth term in the set. */
   final Term get(int position) throws IOException {
     if (size == 0) return null;