diff --git a/src/Parse/ParseQuery.php b/src/Parse/ParseQuery.php
index be7826b8..ceba054e 100644
--- a/src/Parse/ParseQuery.php
+++ b/src/Parse/ParseQuery.php
@@ -140,7 +140,27 @@ public function get($objectId, $useMasterKey = false)
      */
     public function equalTo($key, $value)
     {
-        $this->addCondition($key, '$eq', $value);
+        $encodedValue = ParseClient::_encode($value, true);
+        if (!isset($this->where[$key])) {
+            $this->where[$key] = $encodedValue;
+        } else {
+            $isConditionMap = false;
+            if (is_array($this->where[$key])) {
+                foreach ($this->where[$key] as $conditionKey => $_) {
+                    if (is_string($conditionKey) && str_starts_with($conditionKey, '$')) {
+                        $isConditionMap = true;
+                        break;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+
+            if (!$isConditionMap) {
+                $this->where[$key] = [
+                    '$eq' => $this->where[$key],
+                ];
+            }
+            $this->where[$key]['$eq'] = $encodedValue;
+        }
 
         return $this;
     }
diff --git a/tests/Parse/ParseQueryTest.php b/tests/Parse/ParseQueryTest.php
index ae251ab1..feb6f6d0 100644
--- a/tests/Parse/ParseQueryTest.php
+++ b/tests/Parse/ParseQueryTest.php
@@ -2663,9 +2663,7 @@ public function testGetAndSetConditions()
 
         $this->assertEquals([
             'where' => [
-                'key'   => [
-                    '$eq' => 'value',
-                ],
+                'key'   => 'value',
                 'key2'  => [
                     '$ne'   => 'value2',
                 ],
@@ -2695,6 +2693,52 @@ public function testGetAndSetConditions()
         );
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @group query-equalTo-conditions
+     */
+    public function testEqualToObjectUsesDirectEqualityForArrayMembershipQueries()
+    {
+        $object = new ParseObject('TestObject', 'testObjectId');
+
+        $query = new ParseQuery('TestObject');
+        $query->equalTo('items', $object);
+
+        $this->assertSame([
+            'where' => [
+                'items' => [
+                    '__type' => 'Pointer',
+                    'className' => 'TestObject',
+                    'objectId' => 'testObjectId',
+                ],
+            ],
+        ], $query->_getOptions());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @group query-equalTo-conditions
+     */
+    public function testEqualToWithRepeatedSameKeyConvertsDirectEqualityToConditionMap()
+    {
+        $firstObject = new ParseObject('TestObject', 'firstObjectId');
+        $secondObject = new ParseObject('TestObject', 'secondObjectId');
+
+        $query = new ParseQuery('TestObject');
+        $query->equalTo('items', $firstObject);
+        $query->equalTo('items', $secondObject);
+
+        $this->assertSame([
+            'where' => [
+                'items' => [
+                    '$eq' => [
+                        '__type' => 'Pointer',
+                        'className' => 'TestObject',
+                        'objectId' => 'secondObjectId',
+                    ],
+                ],
+            ],
+        ], $query->_getOptions());
+    }
+
     /**
      * @group query-count-conditions
      */
@@ -2726,9 +2770,7 @@ public function testCountDoesNotOverrideConditions()
 
         $this->assertSame([
             'where' => [
-                'country' => [
-                    '$eq' => 'US'
-                ]
+                'country' => 'US'
             ],
             'limit' => 1,
         ], $query->_getOptions());