diff --git a/changelog.markdown b/changelog.markdown
--- a/changelog.markdown
+++ b/changelog.markdown
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+2009.4.21
+---------
+
+### Fix
+
+* starts_with returns true for the same string
+
 2009.4.20
 ---------
 
diff --git a/mps.cabal b/mps.cabal
--- a/mps.cabal
+++ b/mps.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 Name:                 mps
-Version:              2009.4.20
+Version:              2009.4.21
 Build-type:           Simple
 Synopsis:             message passing style helpers
 Description:          message passing style helpers
diff --git a/src/MPS/Snippets.hs b/src/MPS/Snippets.hs
--- a/src/MPS/Snippets.hs
+++ b/src/MPS/Snippets.hs
@@ -356,8 +356,8 @@
 lower = map toLower
 upper = map toUpper
 
-starts_with _ [] = False
 starts_with [] _ = True
+starts_with _ [] = False
 starts_with (x:xs) (y:ys) | x == y = starts_with xs ys
                           | otherwise = False