diff --git a/compiler/vm.nim b/compiler/vm.nim
index 09226988a6..5ef782abde 100644
--- a/compiler/vm.nim
+++ b/compiler/vm.nim
@@ -1397,8 +1397,8 @@ proc rawExecute(c: PCtx, start: int, tos: PStackFrame): TFullReg =
       let bNode = regs[rc].node
       # these are cstring to prevent string copy, and cmpIgnoreStyle from
       # takes cstring arguments
-      var aStrVal: cstring
-      var bStrVal: cstring
+      var aStrVal: cstring = nil
+      var bStrVal: cstring = nil
       # extract strVal from argument ``a``
       case aNode.kind
       of {nkStrLit..nkTripleStrLit}:
@@ -1407,8 +1407,10 @@ proc rawExecute(c: PCtx, start: int, tos: PStackFrame): TFullReg =
         aStrVal = aNode.ident.s.cstring
       of nkSym:
         aStrVal = aNode.sym.name.s.cstring
+      of nkOpenSymChoice, nkClosedSymChoice:
+        aStrVal = aNode[0].sym.name.s.cstring
       else:
-        stackTrace(c, tos, pc, errFieldXNotFound, "strVal")
+        discard
       # extract strVal from argument ``b``
       case bNode.kind
       of {nkStrLit..nkTripleStrLit}:
@@ -1417,11 +1419,17 @@ proc rawExecute(c: PCtx, start: int, tos: PStackFrame): TFullReg =
         bStrVal = bNode.ident.s.cstring
       of nkSym:
         bStrVal = bNode.sym.name.s.cstring
+      of nkOpenSymChoice, nkClosedSymChoice:
+        bStrVal = bNode[0].sym.name.s.cstring
       else:
-        stackTrace(c, tos, pc, errFieldXNotFound, "strVal")
+        discard
       # set result
       regs[ra].intVal =
-        ord(idents.cmpIgnoreStyle(aStrVal,bStrVal,high(int)) == 0)
+        if aStrVal != nil and bStrVal != nil:
+          ord(idents.cmpIgnoreStyle(aStrVal,bStrVal,high(int)) == 0)
+        else:
+          0
+
     of opcStrToIdent:
       decodeB(rkNode)
       if regs[rb].node.kind notin {nkStrLit..nkTripleStrLit}:
diff --git a/tests/macros/tmacro1.nim b/tests/macros/tmacro1.nim
index 0b83345a14..ac2bf90945 100644
--- a/tests/macros/tmacro1.nim
+++ b/tests/macros/tmacro1.nim
@@ -27,11 +27,19 @@ import strutils
 template assertNot(arg: untyped): untyped =
   assert(not(arg))
 
+
+proc foo(arg: int): void =
+  discard
+
+proc foo(arg: float): void =
+  discard
+
 static:
   ## test eqIdent
   let a = "abc_def"
   let b = "abcDef"
   let c = "AbcDef"
+  let d = nnkBracketExpr.newTree() # not an identifier at all
 
   assert eqIdent(             a ,              b )
   assert eqIdent(newIdentNode(a),              b )
@@ -62,3 +70,12 @@ static:
   assertNot eqIdent(genSym(nskLet, c), newIdentNode(  b))
   assertNot eqIdent(newIdentNode(  c), genSym(nskLet, b))
   assertNot eqIdent(genSym(nskLet, c), genSym(nskLet, b))
+
+  # eqIdent on non identifier at all
+  assertNot eqIdent(a,d)
+
+  # eqIdent on sym choice
+  let fooSym = bindSym"foo"
+  assert fooSym.kind in {nnkOpenSymChoice, nnkClosedSymChoice}
+  assert    fooSym.eqIdent("fOO")
+  assertNot fooSym.eqIdent("bar")