diff --git a/src/client.rs b/src/client.rs
index a7fa16a2f..8f4b02176 100644
--- a/src/client.rs
+++ b/src/client.rs
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ impl NodeFilter {
         node.tag == self.tag.as_str()
             && self.attrs.iter().all(|(k, v)| {
                 node.get_attr(k.as_str())
-                    .is_some_and(|attr| attr.as_str() == v.as_str())
+                    .is_some_and(|attr| attr == v.as_str())
             })
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/handlers/notification/device.rs b/src/handlers/notification/device.rs
index d8096b9ed..edb781112 100644
--- a/src/handlers/notification/device.rs
+++ b/src/handlers/notification/device.rs
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn handle_encrypt_notification(client: &Arc<Client>, nr: &NodeR
         handle_identity_change(client, nr).await;
     } else if nr
         .get_attr("from")
-        .is_some_and(|v| v.as_str() == wacore_binary::SERVER_JID)
+        .is_some_and(|v| v == wacore_binary::SERVER_JID)
     {
         let first_child_tag = nr
             .children()
diff --git a/src/pair.rs b/src/pair.rs
index e830af64f..63714827f 100644
--- a/src/pair.rs
+++ b/src/pair.rs
@@ -58,10 +58,7 @@ impl Client {
 )]
 pub async fn handle_iq(client: &Arc<Client>, node: &NodeRef<'_>) -> bool {
     // Server JID is "s.whatsapp.net" (no @ prefix for server-only JIDs)
-    if node
-        .get_attr("from")
-        .is_none_or(|v| v.as_str() != SERVER_JID)
-    {
+    if node.get_attr("from").is_none_or(|v| v != SERVER_JID) {
         return false;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/passkey/flow.rs b/src/passkey/flow.rs
index 0996cc55b..7b1c755c0 100644
--- a/src/passkey/flow.rs
+++ b/src/passkey/flow.rs
@@ -482,11 +482,7 @@ impl Client {
 /// auto-drive it if an authenticator is registered).
 pub(crate) async fn handle_passkey_notification(client: &Arc<Client>, node: Arc<OwnedNodeRef>) {
     // The staged rotation is security-sensitive: only honor a server request.
-    if node
-        .get()
-        .get_attr("from")
-        .is_none_or(|v| v.as_str() != SERVER_JID)
-    {
+    if node.get().get_attr("from").is_none_or(|v| v != SERVER_JID) {
         warn!("ignoring passkey notification from a non-server JID");
         return;
     }
@@ -575,11 +571,7 @@ async fn auto_drive_response(
 /// Handle a `crsc_continuation` notification. Spawned: it awaits an IQ round-trip
 /// and must not block the receive loop.
 pub(crate) async fn handle_passkey_continuation(client: &Arc<Client>, node: Arc<OwnedNodeRef>) {
-    if node
-        .get()
-        .get_attr("from")
-        .is_none_or(|v| v.as_str() != SERVER_JID)
-    {
+    if node.get().get_attr("from").is_none_or(|v| v != SERVER_JID) {
         warn!("ignoring passkey continuation from a non-server JID");
         return;
     }
diff --git a/wacore/binary/src/node.rs b/wacore/binary/src/node.rs
index 5ef1f0498..0c85fb1e6 100644
--- a/wacore/binary/src/node.rs
+++ b/wacore/binary/src/node.rs
@@ -1008,6 +1008,77 @@ impl OwnedNodeRef {
     }
 }
 
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod value_ref_compare_tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use crate::jid::Server;
+    use std::str::FromStr;
+
+    /// Callers compare a `ValueRef` against a literal to decide whether a
+    /// stanza came from the server, so `v == needle` has to answer exactly what
+    /// `v.as_str() == needle` answered — including for the server-only shape
+    /// (`s.whatsapp.net`, no user), which is the one those checks actually use.
+    #[test]
+    fn comparing_a_jid_value_matches_comparing_its_rendered_form() {
+        let jids = [
+            "s.whatsapp.net",
+            "5511999998888@s.whatsapp.net",
+            "5511999998888:7@s.whatsapp.net",
+            "5511999998888.2@s.whatsapp.net",
+            "120363012345678901@g.us",
+            "123456789012345@lid",
+            "123456789012345:9@lid",
+            "123456789.4:17@interop",
+            "status@broadcast",
+            "12345.6@hosted.lid",
+        ];
+        let needles = [
+            "s.whatsapp.net",
+            "5511999998888@s.whatsapp.net",
+            "5511999998888:7@s.whatsapp.net",
+            "123456789012345@lid",
+            "",
+            "not-a-jid",
+        ];
+
+        for raw in jids {
+            let owned = Jid::from_str(raw).unwrap_or_else(|e| panic!("{raw}: {e}"));
+            let borrowed = ValueRef::Jid(JidRef {
+                user: NodeStr::Borrowed(&owned.user),
+                server: owned.server,
+                agent: owned.agent,
+                device: owned.device,
+                integrator: owned.integrator,
+            });
+            let as_string = ValueRef::String(NodeStr::Borrowed(raw));
+
+            for needle in needles {
+                assert_eq!(
+                    borrowed.as_str() == needle,
+                    borrowed == needle,
+                    "jid value {raw:?} vs {needle:?}"
+                );
+                assert_eq!(
+                    as_string.as_str() == needle,
+                    as_string == needle,
+                    "string value {raw:?} vs {needle:?}"
+                );
+            }
+        }
+
+        // The server-only shape is the one the server checks compare against.
+        let server_only = ValueRef::Jid(JidRef {
+            user: NodeStr::Borrowed(""),
+            server: Server::Pn,
+            agent: 0,
+            device: 0,
+            integrator: 0,
+        });
+        assert!(server_only == "s.whatsapp.net");
+        assert!(server_only != "5511999998888@s.whatsapp.net");
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod owned_node_ref_tests {
     use super::*;