diff --git a/llvmlite/ir/module.py b/llvmlite/ir/module.py
index 464f91ec3..3b7eeca67 100644
--- a/llvmlite/ir/module.py
+++ b/llvmlite/ir/module.py
@@ -42,6 +42,15 @@ def _fix_di_operands(self, operands):
             fixed_ops.append((name, op))
         return fixed_ops
 
+    def str_ditok_operands(self, operands):
+        str_ops = []
+        for name, op in operands:
+            if name == 'encoding' and isinstance(op, values.DIToken):
+                # use string value instead of address of object
+                op = op.value
+            str_ops.append((name, op))
+        return str_ops
+
     def add_metadata(self, operands):
         """
         Add an unnamed metadata to the module with the given *operands*
@@ -73,7 +82,8 @@ def add_debug_info(self, kind, operands, is_distinct=False):
         an instruction.
         """
         operands = tuple(sorted(self._fix_di_operands(operands.items())))
-        key = (kind, operands, is_distinct)
+        str_op_key = tuple(sorted(self.str_ditok_operands(operands)))
+        key = (kind, str_op_key, is_distinct)
         if key not in self._metadatacache:
             n = len(self.metadata)
             di = values.DIValue(self, is_distinct, kind, operands, name=str(n))
diff --git a/llvmlite/tests/test_ir.py b/llvmlite/tests/test_ir.py
index 5b29aa82f..2d2407f5b 100644
--- a/llvmlite/tests/test_ir.py
+++ b/llvmlite/tests/test_ir.py
@@ -490,6 +490,71 @@ def test_debug_info_2(self):
                             '"foo")', strmod)
         self.assert_valid_ir(mod)
 
+    def test_debug_info_3(self):
+        # Identical DIBasicType metadata nodes should be merged
+        mod = self.module()
+        di1 = mod.add_debug_info("DIBasicType", {
+            "name": "i8",
+            "size": 8,
+            "encoding": ir.DIToken("DW_ATE_unsigned")
+        })
+        di2 = mod.add_debug_info("DIBasicType", {
+            "name": "i8",
+            "size": 8,
+            "encoding": ir.DIToken("DW_ATE_unsigned")
+        })
+        di3 = mod.add_debug_info("DIBasicType", {
+            "name": "i32",
+            "size": 32,
+            "encoding": ir.DIToken("DW_ATE_unsigned")
+        })
+        di4 = mod.add_debug_info("DIBasicType", {
+            "name": "i8",
+            "size": 8,
+            "encoding": ir.DIToken("DW_ATE_unsigned")
+        })
+        di5 = mod.add_debug_info("DIBasicType", {
+            "name": "i8",
+            "size": 8,
+            "encoding": ir.DIToken("DW_ATE_unsigned")
+        })
+        di6 = mod.add_debug_info("DIBasicType", {
+            "name": "i32",
+            "size": 32,
+            "encoding": ir.DIToken("DW_ATE_unsigned")
+        })
+        di7 = mod.add_debug_info("DIBasicType", {
+            "name": "i64",
+            "size": 64,
+            "encoding": ir.DIToken("DW_ATE_signed")
+        })
+        di8 = mod.add_debug_info("DIBasicType", {
+            "name": "i64",
+            "size": 64,
+            "encoding": ir.DIToken("DW_ATE_signed")
+        })
+        di9 = mod.add_debug_info("DIBasicType", {
+            "name": "i64",
+            "size": 64,
+            "encoding": ir.DIToken("DW_ATE_signed")
+        })
+        self.assertIs(di1, di2)
+        self.assertIs(di1, di4)
+        self.assertIs(di1, di5)
+        self.assertIs(di3, di6)
+        self.assertIs(di7, di8)
+        self.assertIs(di7, di9)
+        self.assertEqual(len({di1, di2, di3, di4, di5, di6, di7, di8, di9}), 3)
+        # Check output
+        strmod = str(mod)
+        self.assert_ir_line('!0 = !DIBasicType(encoding: DW_ATE_unsigned, '
+                            'name: "i8", size: 8)', strmod)
+        self.assert_ir_line('!1 = !DIBasicType(encoding: DW_ATE_unsigned, '
+                            'name: "i32", size: 32)', strmod)
+        self.assert_ir_line('!2 = !DIBasicType(encoding: DW_ATE_signed, '
+                            'name: "i64", size: 64)', strmod)
+        self.assert_valid_ir(mod)
+
     def test_debug_info_gvar(self):
         # This test defines a module with a global variable named 'gvar'.
         # When the module is compiled and linked with a main function, gdb can