diff --git a/docarray/array/doc_list/doc_list.py b/docarray/array/doc_list/doc_list.py
index a9deba3bec6..132cdcb9f66 100644
--- a/docarray/array/doc_list/doc_list.py
+++ b/docarray/array/doc_list/doc_list.py
@@ -292,3 +292,6 @@ def __class_getitem__(cls, item: Union[Type[BaseDoc], TypeVar, str]):
             return AnyDocArray.__class_getitem__.__func__(cls, item)  # type: ignore
         else:
             return super().__class_getitem__(item)
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        return AnyDocArray.__repr__(self)  # type: ignore
diff --git a/docarray/base_doc/doc.py b/docarray/base_doc/doc.py
index 1fa9bc3e376..13e2c6ea254 100644
--- a/docarray/base_doc/doc.py
+++ b/docarray/base_doc/doc.py
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ def __setattr__(self, field, value) -> None:
             object.__setattr__(self, '__dict__', dict_ref)
 
     def __eq__(self, other) -> bool:
-        if self.dict().keys() != other.dict().keys():
+        if self.__fields__.keys() != other.__fields__.keys():
             return False
 
         for field_name in self.__fields__:
diff --git a/tests/units/document/test_base_document.py b/tests/units/document/test_base_document.py
index e986ff0f1bb..0d62c069dd7 100644
--- a/tests/units/document/test_base_document.py
+++ b/tests/units/document/test_base_document.py
@@ -24,3 +24,22 @@ class MyDocument(BaseDoc):
     assert doc1.content == 'Core content updated'
     assert doc1.title == 'Title'
     assert doc1.tags_ == ['python', 'AI', 'docarray']
+
+
+def test_equal_nested_docs():
+    import numpy as np
+
+    from docarray import BaseDoc, DocList
+    from docarray.typing import NdArray
+
+    class SimpleDoc(BaseDoc):
+        simple_tens: NdArray[10]
+
+    class NestedDoc(BaseDoc):
+        docs: DocList[SimpleDoc]
+
+    nested_docs = NestedDoc(
+        docs=DocList[SimpleDoc]([SimpleDoc(simple_tens=np.ones(10)) for j in range(2)]),
+    )
+
+    assert nested_docs == nested_docs