diff --git a/openjpa-kernel/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/meta/InheritanceComparator.java b/openjpa-kernel/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/meta/InheritanceComparator.java
index 97a726bd1..077b5c86e 100644
--- a/openjpa-kernel/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/meta/InheritanceComparator.java
+++ b/openjpa-kernel/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/meta/InheritanceComparator.java
@@ -77,6 +77,8 @@ public class InheritanceComparator
      * Count the levels of inheritance between this class and our base class.
      */
     private int levels(Class to) {
+        if (to.isInterface())
+            return to.getInterfaces().length;
         for (int i = 0; to != null; i++, to = to.getSuperclass())
             if (to == _base)
                 return i;
diff --git a/openjpa-kernel/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/meta/MetaDataInheritanceComparator.java b/openjpa-kernel/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/meta/MetaDataInheritanceComparator.java
index 1c5e0c4d1..65d429048 100644
--- a/openjpa-kernel/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/meta/MetaDataInheritanceComparator.java
+++ b/openjpa-kernel/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/meta/MetaDataInheritanceComparator.java
@@ -27,9 +27,6 @@ public class MetaDataInheritanceComparator
     protected Class toClass(Object elem) {
         if (elem == null)
             return null;
-        ClassMetaData meta = (ClassMetaData) elem;
-        if (meta.getInterfaceImpl() != null)
-            return meta.getInterfaceImpl();
-        return meta.getDescribedType();
+        return ((ClassMetaData) elem).getDescribedType();
     }
 }