Index: django/template/defaulttags.py
===================================================================
--- django/template/defaulttags.py	(revision 6996)
+++ django/template/defaulttags.py	(working copy)
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 except NameError:
     from django.utils.itercompat import reversed     # Python 2.3 fallback
 
-from django.template import Node, NodeList, Template, Context, Variable
+from django.template import Node, NodeList, Template, Context, Variable, FilterExpression
 from django.template import TemplateSyntaxError, VariableDoesNotExist, BLOCK_TAG_START, BLOCK_TAG_END, VARIABLE_TAG_START, VARIABLE_TAG_END, SINGLE_BRACE_START, SINGLE_BRACE_END, COMMENT_TAG_START, COMMENT_TAG_END
 from django.template import get_library, Library, InvalidTemplateLibrary
 from django.conf import settings
@@ -188,8 +188,8 @@
             return ''
 
 class IfEqualNode(Node):
-    def __init__(self, var1, var2, nodelist_true, nodelist_false, negate):
-        self.var1, self.var2 = Variable(var1), Variable(var2)
+    def __init__(self, var1, var2, nodelist_true, nodelist_false, negate, parser):
+        self.var1, self.var2 = FilterExpression(var1, parser), FilterExpression(var2, parser)
         self.nodelist_true, self.nodelist_false = nodelist_true, nodelist_false
         self.negate = negate
 
@@ -647,7 +647,7 @@
         parser.delete_first_token()
     else:
         nodelist_false = NodeList()
-    return IfEqualNode(bits[1], bits[2], nodelist_true, nodelist_false, negate)
+    return IfEqualNode(bits[1], bits[2], nodelist_true, nodelist_false, negate, parser)
 
 #@register.tag
 def ifequal(parser, token):
Index: tests/regressiontests/templates/tests.py
===================================================================
--- tests/regressiontests/templates/tests.py	(revision 6996)
+++ tests/regressiontests/templates/tests.py	(working copy)
@@ -570,6 +570,10 @@
             'ifequal08': ('{% ifequal a "test" %}yes{% else %}no{% endifequal %}', {"a": "no"}, "no"),
             'ifequal09': ('{% ifequal a "test" %}yes{% else %}no{% endifequal %}', {}, "no"),
             'ifequal10': ('{% ifequal a b %}yes{% else %}no{% endifequal %}', {}, "yes"),
+            'ifequal11': ('{% ifequal a|first b %}yes{% else %}no{% endifequal %}',{"a": [1, 2], "b": 1}, "yes"),
+            'ifequal12': ('{% ifequal a|first b %}yes{% else %}no{% endifequal %}',{"a": [2, 1], "b": 1}, "no"),
+            'ifequal13': ('{% ifequal a|first b %}yes{% else %}no{% endifequal %}',{"a": ["django", "python"], "b": "django"}, "yes"),
+            'ifequal14': ('{% ifequal a|last "python" %}yes{% else %}no{% endifequal %}',{"a": ["django", "python"]}, "yes"),
 
             # SMART SPLITTING
             'ifequal-split01': ('{% ifequal a "test man" %}yes{% else %}no{% endifequal %}', {}, "no"),
Index: AUTHORS
===================================================================
--- AUTHORS	(revision 6996)
+++ AUTHORS	(working copy)
@@ -351,6 +351,7 @@
     ymasuda@ethercube.com
     Jarek Zgoda <jarek.zgoda@gmail.com>
     Cheng Zhang
+    Thejaswi Puthraya <thejaswi.puthraya@gmail.com>
 
 A big THANK YOU goes to: