diff --git a/compiler/ir/backend.jvm/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/jvm/intrinsics/Equals.kt b/compiler/ir/backend.jvm/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/jvm/intrinsics/Equals.kt
index 576f6c53218..dbf08c79efb 100644
--- a/compiler/ir/backend.jvm/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/jvm/intrinsics/Equals.kt
+++ b/compiler/ir/backend.jvm/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/jvm/intrinsics/Equals.kt
@@ -30,9 +30,29 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.types.isNullable
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.types.typeUtil.isPrimitiveNumberOrNullableType
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.types.typeUtil.upperBoundedByPrimitiveNumberOrNullableType
 import org.jetbrains.org.objectweb.asm.Label
+import org.jetbrains.org.objectweb.asm.Opcodes
 import org.jetbrains.org.objectweb.asm.Type
 import org.jetbrains.org.objectweb.asm.commons.InstructionAdapter
 
+class ExplicitEquals : IntrinsicMethod() {
+    override fun invoke(expression: IrFunctionAccessExpression, codegen: ExpressionCodegen, data: BlockInfo): PromisedValue? {
+        val (a, b) = expression.receiverAndArgs()
+
+        // TODO use specialized boxed type - this might require types like 'java.lang.Integer' in IR
+        a.accept(codegen, data).coerce(AsmTypes.OBJECT_TYPE, codegen.context.irBuiltIns.anyNType).materialize()
+        b.accept(codegen, data).coerce(AsmTypes.OBJECT_TYPE, codegen.context.irBuiltIns.anyNType).materialize()
+        codegen.mv.visitMethodInsn(
+            Opcodes.INVOKEVIRTUAL,
+            AsmTypes.OBJECT_TYPE.internalName,
+            "equals",
+            Type.getMethodDescriptor(Type.BOOLEAN_TYPE, AsmTypes.OBJECT_TYPE),
+            false
+        )
+
+        return MaterialValue(codegen, Type.BOOLEAN_TYPE, codegen.context.irBuiltIns.booleanType)
+    }
+}
+
 class Equals(val operator: IElementType) : IntrinsicMethod() {
     private class BooleanConstantFalseCheck(val value: PromisedValue) : BooleanValue(value.codegen) {
         override fun materialize() = value.discard().let { mv.iconst(0) }
diff --git a/compiler/ir/backend.jvm/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/jvm/intrinsics/IrIntrinsicMethods.kt b/compiler/ir/backend.jvm/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/jvm/intrinsics/IrIntrinsicMethods.kt
index 82a7ad98d84..a21b7fd6c47 100644
--- a/compiler/ir/backend.jvm/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/jvm/intrinsics/IrIntrinsicMethods.kt
+++ b/compiler/ir/backend.jvm/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/backend/jvm/intrinsics/IrIntrinsicMethods.kt
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ class IrIntrinsicMethods(val irBuiltIns: IrBuiltIns, val symbols: JvmSymbols) {
                     unaryFunForPrimitives("inc", INC) +
                     unaryFunForPrimitives("dec", DEC) +
                     unaryFunForPrimitives("hashCode", HashCode) +
-                    binaryFunForPrimitives("equals", EQUALS, irBuiltIns.anyClass) +
+                    binaryFunForPrimitives("equals", EXPLICIT_EQUALS, irBuiltIns.anyClass) +
                     binaryFunForPrimitivesAcrossPrimitives("rangeTo", RangeTo) +
                     binaryOp("plus", IADD) +
                     binaryOp("minus", ISUB) +
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ class IrIntrinsicMethods(val irBuiltIns: IrBuiltIns, val symbols: JvmSymbols) {
         private val INC = Increment(1)
 
         private val DEC = Increment(-1)
-        private val EQUALS = Equals(KtTokens.EQEQ)
+        private val EXPLICIT_EQUALS = ExplicitEquals()
 
         private fun IrFunctionSymbol.toKey(): Key? {
             val parent = owner.parent
diff --git a/compiler/testData/codegen/box/platformTypes/primitives/equalsNull.kt b/compiler/testData/codegen/box/platformTypes/primitives/equalsNull.kt
index 95866d77b19..f43b8c96106 100644
--- a/compiler/testData/codegen/box/platformTypes/primitives/equalsNull.kt
+++ b/compiler/testData/codegen/box/platformTypes/primitives/equalsNull.kt
@@ -1,10 +1,7 @@
 // IGNORE_BACKEND_FIR: JVM_IR
 // TARGET_BACKEND: JVM
 // WITH_RUNTIME
-// FILE: equalsNull_lv12.kt
-
-// IGNORE_BACKEND: JVM_IR
-// ^ TODO: fix intrinsic for 'equals' for boxed primitives
+// FILE: equalsNull.kt
 
 import kotlin.test.*
 
diff --git a/compiler/testData/codegen/box/platformTypes/primitives/equalsNull_withExplicitFlag.kt b/compiler/testData/codegen/box/platformTypes/primitives/equalsNull_withExplicitFlag.kt
index 536ceb5d142..8a5a423771e 100644
--- a/compiler/testData/codegen/box/platformTypes/primitives/equalsNull_withExplicitFlag.kt
+++ b/compiler/testData/codegen/box/platformTypes/primitives/equalsNull_withExplicitFlag.kt
@@ -4,8 +4,7 @@
 // WITH_RUNTIME
 // FILE: equalsNull_withExplicitFlag.kt
 
-// Should be ignored on JVM IR.
-// ^ TODO: fix intrinsic for 'equals' for boxed primitives
+// IGNORE_BACKEND: JVM_IR
 // JVM_IR supports behavior since Kotlin 1.3,
 // and '-Xno-exception-on-explicit-equals-for-boxed-null' is a fallback flag introduced in 1.2.