diff --git a/src/models/messagefiltermodel.cpp b/src/models/messagefiltermodel.cpp
index e5f025abc..8728ab0f9 100644
--- a/src/models/messagefiltermodel.cpp
+++ b/src/models/messagefiltermodel.cpp
@@ -4,11 +4,13 @@
 #include "messagefiltermodel.h"
 
 #include <KLocalizedString>
+#include <qvariant.h>
 
 #include "enums/delegatetype.h"
 #include "messagecontentmodel.h"
 #include "messageeventmodel.h"
 #include "neochatconfig.h"
+#include "neochatroommember.h"
 #include "timelinemodel.h"
 
 using namespace Quotient;
@@ -120,7 +122,8 @@ bool MessageFilterModel::showAuthor(QModelIndex index) const
         // While the row is removed the subsequent row indexes are not changed so we need to skip over the removed index.
         // See - https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qabstractitemmodel.html#beginRemoveRows
         if (data(i, MessageEventModel::SpecialMarksRole) != EventStatus::Hidden && !itemData(i).empty()) {
-            return data(i, MessageEventModel::AuthorRole) != data(index, MessageEventModel::AuthorRole)
+            return qvariant_cast<NeochatRoomMember *>(data(i, MessageEventModel::AuthorRole))->id()
+                != qvariant_cast<NeochatRoomMember *>(data(index, MessageEventModel::AuthorRole))->id()
                 || data(i, MessageEventModel::DelegateTypeRole) == DelegateType::State
                 || data(i, MessageEventModel::TimeRole).toDateTime().msecsTo(data(index, MessageEventModel::TimeRole).toDateTime()) > 600000
                 || data(i, MessageEventModel::TimeRole).toDateTime().toLocalTime().date().day()
diff --git a/src/neochatroommember.cpp b/src/neochatroommember.cpp
index f2cd18002..b7591e889 100644
--- a/src/neochatroommember.cpp
+++ b/src/neochatroommember.cpp
@@ -23,11 +23,6 @@ NeochatRoomMember::NeochatRoomMember(NeoChatRoom *room, const QString &memberId)
     }
 }
 
-bool NeochatRoomMember::operator==(const NeochatRoomMember &other) const
-{
-    return id() == other.id();
-}
-
 QString NeochatRoomMember::id() const
 {
     return m_memberId;
diff --git a/src/neochatroommember.h b/src/neochatroommember.h
index 7cdeee49c..bb8d8c60b 100644
--- a/src/neochatroommember.h
+++ b/src/neochatroommember.h
@@ -51,8 +51,6 @@ public:
 
     explicit NeochatRoomMember(NeoChatRoom *room, const QString &memberId);
 
-    bool operator==(const NeochatRoomMember &other) const;
-
     /**
      * @brief Get unique stable user id
      *