diff --git a/td/equal.go b/td/equal.go
index 7a611ad2..1445fdbe 100644
--- a/td/equal.go
+++ b/td/equal.go
@@ -140,16 +140,9 @@ func deepValueEqual(ctx ctxerr.Context, got, expected reflect.Value) (err *ctxer
 		expected = op
 	}
 
-	if !got.IsValid() || !expected.IsValid() {
-		if got.IsValid() == expected.IsValid() {
-			return
-		}
-		return nilHandler(ctx, got, expected)
-	}
-
-	// Check if a Smuggle hook matches got type
-	if handled, e := ctx.Hooks.Smuggle(&got); handled {
-		if e != nil {
+	if got.IsValid() {
+		// Check if a Smuggle hook matches got type
+		if handled, e := ctx.Hooks.Smuggle(&got); handled && e != nil {
 			// ctx.BooleanError is always false here as hooks cannot be set globally
 			return ctx.CollectError(&ctxerr.Error{
 				Message:  e.Error(),
@@ -159,6 +152,13 @@ func deepValueEqual(ctx ctxerr.Context, got, expected reflect.Value) (err *ctxer
 		}
 	}
 
+	if !got.IsValid() || !expected.IsValid() {
+		if got.IsValid() == expected.IsValid() {
+			return
+		}
+		return nilHandler(ctx, got, expected)
+	}
+
 	// Check if a Cmp hook matches got & expected types
 	if handled, e := ctx.Hooks.Cmp(got, expected); handled {
 		if e == nil {
diff --git a/td/t_hooks.go b/td/t_hooks.go
index e85e8679..8126ca1e 100644
--- a/td/t_hooks.go
+++ b/td/t_hooks.go
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ import (
 // Each function in fns has to be a function with the following
 // possible signatures:
 //
-//	func (got A, expected A) bool
-//	func (got A, expected A) error
+//	func (got, expected A) bool
+//	func (got, expected A) error
 //
 // First arg is always got, and second is always expected.
 //