diff --git a/lib/src/atom/matcher.rs b/lib/src/atom/matcher.rs
index 102bcf58c..fa7af10d9 100644
--- a/lib/src/atom/matcher.rs
+++ b/lib/src/atom/matcher.rs
@@ -1343,6 +1343,9 @@ mod test {
 
     #[test]
     fn test_atoms_are_equivalent() {
+        assert!(atoms_are_equivalent(&expr!(x "b" {"c"}), &expr!(x "b" {"c"})));
+        assert!(atoms_are_equivalent(&expr!(x "b" x), &expr!(x "b" x)));
+        assert!(atoms_are_equivalent(&expr!(a a "b" {"c"}), &expr!(x x "b" {"c"})));
         assert!(atoms_are_equivalent(&expr!(a "b" {"c"}), &expr!(x "b" {"c"})));
         assert!(atoms_are_equivalent(&expr!(a b), &expr!(c d)));
         assert!(!atoms_are_equivalent(&expr!(a "b" {"c"}), &expr!(a "x" {"c"})));
diff --git a/lib/src/metta/runner/stdlib/debug.rs b/lib/src/metta/runner/stdlib/debug.rs
index 5f8006784..03bf284ab 100644
--- a/lib/src/metta/runner/stdlib/debug.rs
+++ b/lib/src/metta/runner/stdlib/debug.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ use crate::metta::*;
 use crate::metta::text::Tokenizer;
 use crate::space::*;
 use crate::common::assert::vec_eq_no_order;
-
+use crate::atom::matcher::atoms_are_equivalent;
 use crate::metta::runner::stdlib::{grounded_op, atom_to_string, regex, interpret_no_error, unit_result};
 
 use std::convert::TryInto;
@@ -18,6 +18,15 @@ fn assert_results_equal(actual: &Vec<Atom>, expected: &Vec<Atom>, atom: &Atom) -
     }
 }
 
+fn assert_alpha_equal(actual: &Vec<Atom>, expected: &Vec<Atom>, atom: &Atom) -> Result<Vec<Atom>, ExecError> {
+    log::debug!("assert_alpha_equal: actual: {:?}, expected: {:?}, actual atom: {:?}", actual, expected, atom);
+    let report = format!("\nExpected: {:?}\nGot: {:?}", expected, actual);
+    match atoms_are_equivalent(actual.get(0).unwrap(), expected.get(0).unwrap()) {
+        true => unit_result(),
+        false => Err(ExecError::Runtime(format!("{}", report)))
+    }
+}
+
 /// Implement trace! built-in.
 ///
 /// It is equivalent to Idris or Haskell Trace, that is, it prints a
@@ -141,6 +150,42 @@ impl CustomExecute for AssertEqualOp {
     }
 }
 
+#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+pub struct AssertAlphaEqualOp {
+    space: DynSpace,
+}
+
+grounded_op!(AssertAlphaEqualOp, "assertAlphaEqual");
+
+impl AssertAlphaEqualOp {
+    pub fn new(space: DynSpace) -> Self {
+        Self{ space }
+    }
+}
+
+impl Grounded for AssertAlphaEqualOp {
+    fn type_(&self) -> Atom {
+        Atom::expr([ARROW_SYMBOL, ATOM_TYPE_ATOM, ATOM_TYPE_ATOM, ATOM_TYPE_ATOM])
+    }
+
+    fn as_execute(&self) -> Option<&dyn CustomExecute> {
+        Some(self)
+    }
+}
+
+impl CustomExecute for AssertAlphaEqualOp {
+    fn execute(&self, args: &[Atom]) -> Result<Vec<Atom>, ExecError> {
+        log::debug!("AssertAlphaEqualOp::execute: {:?}", args);
+        let arg_error = || ExecError::from("assertAlphaEqual expects two atoms as arguments: actual and expected");
+        let actual_atom = args.get(0).ok_or_else(arg_error)?;
+        let expected_atom = args.get(1).ok_or_else(arg_error)?;
+
+        let actual = interpret_no_error(self.space.clone(), actual_atom)?;
+        let expected = interpret_no_error(self.space.clone(), expected_atom)?;
+        assert_alpha_equal(&actual, &expected, actual_atom)
+    }
+}
+
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 pub struct AssertEqualToResultOp {
     space: DynSpace,
@@ -191,6 +236,8 @@ pub fn register_runner_tokens(tref: &mut Tokenizer, space: &DynSpace) {
     tref.register_token(regex(r"assertEqual"), move |_| { assert_equal_op.clone() });
     let assert_equal_to_result_op = Atom::gnd(AssertEqualToResultOp::new(space.clone()));
     tref.register_token(regex(r"assertEqualToResult"), move |_| { assert_equal_to_result_op.clone() });
+    let assert_alpha_equal_op = Atom::gnd(AssertAlphaEqualOp::new(space.clone()));
+    tref.register_token(regex(r"assertAlphaEqual"), move |_| { assert_alpha_equal_op.clone() });
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
@@ -198,6 +245,7 @@ mod tests {
     use super::*;
     use crate::metta::runner::{Metta, EnvBuilder, SExprParser};
     use crate::common::test_utils::metta_space;
+    use crate::metta::runner::stdlib::tests::run_program;
 
     use regex::Regex;
 
@@ -229,6 +277,11 @@ mod tests {
         ]));
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn metta_assert_alpha_equal_op() {
+        assert_eq!(run_program(&format!("(= (foo) (R $x $y)) (= (bar) (R $z $x)) !(assertAlphaEqual ((foo) (bar)) ((R $x $y) (R $z $a)))")), Ok(vec![vec![expr!(())]]));
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn metta_assert_equal_to_result_op() {
         let metta = Metta::new(Some(EnvBuilder::test_env()));