diff --git a/pcl/defcombin.lisp b/pcl/defcombin.lisp
index 3680599e987dc77d42851134fe423e29f571af22..a8c2d9b2a505be18566a52d1101289c14c4ab498 100644
--- a/pcl/defcombin.lisp
+++ b/pcl/defcombin.lisp
@@ -371,7 +371,10 @@
   (loop (cond ((and (null pattern) (null qualifiers))
 	       (return t))
 	      ((eq pattern '*) (return t))
-	      ((and pattern qualifiers (eq (car pattern) (car qualifiers)))
+	      ((and pattern qualifiers
+		    (let ((element (car pattern)))
+		      (or (eq element (car qualifiers))
+			  (eq element '*))))
 	       (pop pattern)
 	       (pop qualifiers))	      
 	      (t (return nil)))))