diff --git a/tests/common.py b/tests/common.py
index 16715006..5521c412 100644
--- a/tests/common.py
+++ b/tests/common.py
@@ -42,6 +42,30 @@ def urlcompare(url, *args):
 
     return True
 
+
+def xml_equal(actual, exp):
+    try:
+        actual_xml = ET.fromstring(actual)
+        exp_xml = ET.fromstring(exp)
+    except ET.ParseError:
+        return False
+    todo = [(actual_xml, exp_xml)]
+    while todo:
+        actual_xml, exp_xml = todo.pop(0)
+        if actual_xml.tag != exp_xml.tag:
+            return False
+        if actual_xml.attrib != exp_xml.attrib:
+            return False
+        if actual_xml.text != exp_xml.text:
+            return False
+        if actual_xml.tail != exp_xml.tail:
+            return False
+        if len(actual_xml) != len(exp_xml):
+            return False
+        todo.extend(list(zip(actual_xml, exp_xml)))
+    return True
+
+
 class RequestWrongOrder(Exception):
     """raised if an unexpected request is issued to urllib2"""
     def __init__(self, url, exp_url, method, exp_method):
@@ -98,7 +122,14 @@ class MyHTTPHandler(HTTPHandler):
         if hasattr(data, 'read'):
             data = data.read()
         if data != exp:
-            raise RequestDataMismatch(req.get_full_url(), repr(data), repr(exp))
+            # We do not have a notion to explicitly mark xml content. In case
+            # of xml, we do not care about the exact xml representation (for
+            # now). Hence, if both, data and exp, are xml and are "equal",
+            # everything is fine (for now); otherwise, error out
+            # (of course, this is problematic if we want to ensure that XML
+            # documents are bit identical...)
+            if not xml_equal(data, exp):
+                raise RequestDataMismatch(req.get_full_url(), repr(data), repr(exp))
         return self.__get_response(req.get_full_url(), **kwargs)
 
     def __get_response(self, url, **kwargs):
@@ -192,14 +223,27 @@ class OscTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def _check_digests(self, fname, *skipfiles):
         fname = os.path.join(self._get_fixtures_dir(), fname)
-        self.assertEqual(open(os.path.join('.osc', '_files'), 'r').read(), open(fname, 'r').read())
-        root = ET.parse(fname).getroot()
+        with open(os.path.join('.osc', '_files'), 'r') as f:
+            files_act = f.read()
+        with open(fname, 'r') as f:
+            files_exp = f.read()
+        self.assertXMLEqual(files_act, files_exp)
+        root = ET.fromstring(files_act)
         for i in root.findall('entry'):
             if i.get('name') in skipfiles:
                 continue
             self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(os.path.join('.osc', i.get('name'))))
             self.assertEqual(osc.core.dgst(os.path.join('.osc', i.get('name'))), i.get('md5'))
 
+    def assertXMLEqual(self, act, exp):
+        if xml_equal(act, exp):
+            return
+        # ok, xmls are different, hence, assertEqual is expected to fail
+        # (we just use it in order to get a "nice" error message)
+        self.assertEqual(act, exp)
+        # not reached (unless assertEqual is overridden in an incompatible way)
+        raise RuntimeError('assertEqual assumptions violated')
+
     def assertEqualMultiline(self, got, exp):
         if (got + exp).find('\n') == -1:
             self.assertEqual(got, exp)
diff --git a/tests/test_request.py b/tests/test_request.py
index 96b5ba40..aa05aab7 100644
--- a/tests/test_request.py
+++ b/tests/test_request.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ class TestRequest(OscTestCase):
     <target package="bar" project="foobar" />
   </action>
 </request>"""
-        self.assertEqual(exp, r.to_str())
+        self.assertXMLEqual(exp, r.to_str())
 
     def test_createsr_with_option(self):
         """create a submitrequest with option"""
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ class TestRequest(OscTestCase):
     </options>
   </action>
 </request>"""
-        self.assertEqual(exp, r.to_str())
+        self.assertXMLEqual(exp, r.to_str())
 
     def test_createsr_missing_tgt_package(self):
         """create a submitrequest with missing target package"""
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ class TestRequest(OscTestCase):
     <target project="foobar" />
   </action>
 </request>"""
-        self.assertEqual(exp, r.to_str())
+        self.assertXMLEqual(exp, r.to_str())
 
     def test_createsr_invalid_argument(self):
         """create a submitrequest with invalid action argument"""
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ class TestRequest(OscTestCase):
     <person name="user" role="reader" />
   </action>
 </request>"""
-        self.assertEqual(exp, r.to_str())
+        self.assertXMLEqual(exp, r.to_str())
 
     def test_create_add_role_group(self):
         """create an add_role request (group element)"""
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ class TestRequest(OscTestCase):
     <group name="group" role="reviewer" />
   </action>
 </request>"""
-        self.assertEqual(exp, r.to_str())
+        self.assertXMLEqual(exp, r.to_str())
 
     def test_create_add_role_person_group(self):
         """create an add_role request (person+group element)"""
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ class TestRequest(OscTestCase):
     <group name="group" role="reviewer" />
   </action>
 </request>"""
-        self.assertEqual(exp, r.to_str())
+        self.assertXMLEqual(exp, r.to_str())
 
     def test_create_set_bugowner_project(self):
         """create a set_bugowner request for a project"""
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ class TestRequest(OscTestCase):
     <person name="buguser" />
   </action>
 </request>"""
-        self.assertEqual(exp, r.to_str())
+        self.assertXMLEqual(exp, r.to_str())
 
     def test_create_set_bugowner_package(self):
         """create a set_bugowner request for a package"""
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ class TestRequest(OscTestCase):
     <person name="buguser" />
   </action>
 </request>"""
-        self.assertEqual(exp, r.to_str())
+        self.assertXMLEqual(exp, r.to_str())
 
     def test_create_delete_project(self):
         """create a delete request for a project"""
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ class TestRequest(OscTestCase):
     <target project="foo" />
   </action>
 </request>"""
-        self.assertEqual(exp, r.to_str())
+        self.assertXMLEqual(exp, r.to_str())
 
     def test_create_delete_package(self):
         """create a delete request for a package"""
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ class TestRequest(OscTestCase):
     <target package="deleteme" project="foo" />
   </action>
 </request>"""
-        self.assertEqual(exp, r.to_str())
+        self.assertXMLEqual(exp, r.to_str())
 
     def test_create_change_devel(self):
         """create a change devel request"""
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ class TestRequest(OscTestCase):
     <target package="devpkg" project="devprj" />
   </action>
 </request>"""
-        self.assertEqual(exp, r.to_str())
+        self.assertXMLEqual(exp, r.to_str())
 
     def test_action_from_xml1(self):
         """create action from xml"""
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ class TestRequest(OscTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(action.person_role, 'reader')
         self.assertEqual(action.group_name, 'group')
         self.assertEqual(action.group_role, 'reviewer')
-        self.assertEqual(xml, action.to_str())
+        self.assertXMLEqual(xml, action.to_str())
 
     def test_action_from_xml2(self):
         """create action from xml"""
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ class TestRequest(OscTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(action.opt_sourceupdate, 'cleanup')
         self.assertEqual(action.opt_updatelink, '1')
         self.assertTrue(action.src_rev is None)
-        self.assertEqual(xml, action.to_str())
+        self.assertXMLEqual(xml, action.to_str())
 
     def test_action_from_xml3(self):
         """create action from xml (with acceptinfo element)"""
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ class TestRequest(OscTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(action.acceptinfo_xsrcmd5, 'ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff')
         self.assertTrue(action.acceptinfo_osrcmd5 is None)
         self.assertTrue(action.acceptinfo_oxsrcmd5 is None)
-        self.assertEqual(xml, action.to_str())
+        self.assertXMLEqual(xml, action.to_str())
 
     def test_action_from_xml_unknown_type(self):
         """try to create action from xml with unknown type"""
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ class TestRequest(OscTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(r.description, 'this is a\nvery long\ndescription')
         self.assertTrue(len(r.statehistory) == 1)
         self.assertTrue(len(r.reviews) == 0)
-        self.assertEqual(xml, r.to_str())
+        self.assertXMLEqual(xml, r.to_str())
 
     def test_read_request2(self):
         """read in a request (with reviews)"""
@@ -389,7 +389,7 @@ class TestRequest(OscTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(r.creator, 'creator')
         self.assertTrue(len(r.statehistory) == 1)
         self.assertTrue(len(r.reviews) == 1)
-        self.assertEqual(xml, r.to_str())
+        self.assertXMLEqual(xml, r.to_str())
 
     def test_read_request3(self):
         """read in a request (with an "empty" comment+description)"""
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ class TestRequest(OscTestCase):
   <state name="new" when="2010-12-28T12:36:29" who="xyz" />
 </request>"""
 
-        self.assertEqual(exp, r.to_str())
+        self.assertXMLEqual(exp, r.to_str())
 
     def test_request_list_view1(self):
         """test the list_view method"""
@@ -559,7 +559,7 @@ Comment: <no comment>"""
   </action>
   <state name="new" when="2010-12-30T02:11:22" who="olduser" />
 </request>"""
-        self.assertEqual(exp, r.to_str())
+        self.assertXMLEqual(exp, r.to_str())
 
     def test_get_actions(self):
         """test get_actions method"""