diff --git a/hapi-fhir-base/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/util/TerserUtil.java b/hapi-fhir-base/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/util/TerserUtil.java
index 75266c1de53..46af6925776 100644
--- a/hapi-fhir-base/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/util/TerserUtil.java
+++ b/hapi-fhir-base/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/util/TerserUtil.java
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ public final class TerserUtil {
 
 	public static final String FIELD_NAME_IDENTIFIER = "identifier";
 
+	private static final String EQUALS_DEEP="equalsDeep";
+
 	public static final Collection<String> IDS_AND_META_EXCLUDES =
 		Collections.unmodifiableSet(Stream.of("id", "identifier", "meta").collect(Collectors.toSet()));
 
@@ -158,10 +160,10 @@ public final class TerserUtil {
 		});
 	}
 
-	private static Method getMethod(IBase item){
+	private static Method getMethod(IBase item, String methodName){
 		Method method = null;
 		for (Method m : item.getClass().getDeclaredMethods()) {
-			if (m.getName().equals("equalsDeep")) {
+			if (m.getName().equals(methodName)) {
 				method = m;
 				break;
 			}
@@ -170,7 +172,7 @@ public final class TerserUtil {
 	}
 
 	public static boolean equals(IBase theItem1, IBase theItem2){
-		final Method m = getMethod(theItem1);
+		final Method m = getMethod(theItem1, EQUALS_DEEP);
 
 		return equals(theItem1, theItem2, m);
 	}
@@ -187,7 +189,7 @@ public final class TerserUtil {
 	}
 
 	private static boolean contains(IBase theItem, List<IBase> theItems) {
-		final Method m = getMethod(theItem);
+		final Method m = getMethod(theItem, EQUALS_DEEP);
 		return theItems.stream().anyMatch(i -> equals(i, theItem, m));
 	}