diff --git a/src/caosdb/apiutils.py b/src/caosdb/apiutils.py
index 6c2ba6f25269735d3b058dfe840d3e432b6f706c..60a75a1252d3b28b6306b1d784536bc2ba5267e3 100644
--- a/src/caosdb/apiutils.py
+++ b/src/caosdb/apiutils.py
@@ -266,8 +266,8 @@ def compare_entities(old_entity: Entity, new_entity: Entity,
         if not old_entity_attr_exists and not new_entity_attr_exists:
             continue
 
-        if ((old_entity_attr_exists ^ new_entity_attr_exists)
-                or (oldattr != newattr)):
+        if ((old_entity_attr_exists != new_entity_attr_exists)
+            or (oldattr != newattr)):
 
             if old_entity_attr_exists:
                 olddiff[attr] = oldattr