diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 8fe262c0a4..4fbe8c7095 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1,3 +1,16 @@
+7.1.0-rc1.1 | 2024-12-16 13:02:12 -0700
+
+  * ZAM/relexpr-op NE for patterns (Vern Paxson, Corelight)
+
+    (cherry picked from commit 33eaa5ccda4157a34feb5ffc466f7371dc6d8eff)
+
+  * Expr: Fix folding of pattern values to support == and != (Arne Welzel, Corelight)
+    The fatal error is actually triggered at runtime, so it's a bit
+    dangerous for users, but not sure there's many use-cases to
+    compare vectors of patterns.
+
+    (cherry picked from commit 33eaa5ccda4157a34feb5ffc466f7371dc6d8eff)
+
 7.1.0-rc1 | 2024-12-16 11:01:50 -0700
 
   * Update docs submodule [nomail] [skip ci] (Tim Wojtulewicz)
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index db45bc9329..490966df74 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-7.1.0-rc1
+7.1.0-rc1.1
diff --git a/src/Expr.cc b/src/Expr.cc
index cd1c98ebd3..88c2bbd759 100644
--- a/src/Expr.cc
+++ b/src/Expr.cc
@@ -925,12 +925,20 @@ ValPtr BinaryExpr::PatternFold(Val* v1, Val* v2) const {
     const RE_Matcher* re1 = v1->AsPattern();
     const RE_Matcher* re2 = v2->AsPattern();
 
-    if ( tag != EXPR_AND && tag != EXPR_OR )
+    ValPtr res;
+    if ( tag == EXPR_AND || tag == EXPR_OR ) {
+        RE_Matcher* matcher = tag == EXPR_AND ? RE_Matcher_conjunction(re1, re2) : RE_Matcher_disjunction(re1, re2);
+        res = make_intrusive<PatternVal>(matcher);
+    }
+    else if ( tag == EXPR_EQ || tag == EXPR_NE ) {
+        bool cmp = strcmp(re1->PatternText(), re2->PatternText());
+        res = val_mgr->Bool(tag == EXPR_EQ ? cmp == 0 : cmp != 0);
+    }
+    else {
         BadTag("BinaryExpr::PatternFold");
+    }
 
-    RE_Matcher* res = tag == EXPR_AND ? RE_Matcher_conjunction(re1, re2) : RE_Matcher_disjunction(re1, re2);
-
-    return make_intrusive<PatternVal>(res);
+    return res;
 }
 
 ValPtr BinaryExpr::SetFold(Val* v1, Val* v2) const {
diff --git a/src/script_opt/ZAM/OPs/rel-exprs.op b/src/script_opt/ZAM/OPs/rel-exprs.op
index 92c35b7ce6..f4ed1a023f 100644
--- a/src/script_opt/ZAM/OPs/rel-exprs.op
+++ b/src/script_opt/ZAM/OPs/rel-exprs.op
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ eval-type P	strcmp($1->Get()->PatternText(), $2->Get()->PatternText()) == 0
 eval-mixed P S	$1->MatchExactly($2->AsString())
 
 rel-expr-op NE
-op-type I U D S T A N F
+op-type I U D S T A N F P
 vector
 eval $1 != $2
 eval-type S	Bstr_cmp($1->AsString(), $2->AsString()) != 0
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ eval-type T	! $1->EqualTo(*$2)
 eval-type A	$1->AsAddr() != $2->AsAddr()
 eval-type N	$1->AsSubNet() != $2->AsSubNet()
 eval-type F	$1->GetName() != $2->GetName()
+eval-type P	strcmp($1->Get()->PatternText(), $2->Get()->PatternText()) != 0
 eval-mixed P S	! $1->MatchExactly($2->AsString())
 
 # Note, canonicalization means that GE and GT shouldn't occur
diff --git a/testing/btest/Baseline/language.vector/out b/testing/btest/Baseline/language.vector/out
index 5887d66595..03d2d0c894 100644
--- a/testing/btest/Baseline/language.vector/out
+++ b/testing/btest/Baseline/language.vector/out
@@ -84,3 +84,5 @@ negative index (PASS)
 negative index (PASS)
 += of empty vector (PASS)
 += of empty vector (PASS)
+pv1 == pv2 -> [T, F] (PASS)
+pv1 != pv2 -> [F, T] (PASS)
diff --git a/testing/btest/Baseline/opt.validate-ZAM/output b/testing/btest/Baseline/opt.validate-ZAM/output
index 2f91ef7f21..e99ede3a6b 100644
--- a/testing/btest/Baseline/opt.validate-ZAM/output
+++ b/testing/btest/Baseline/opt.validate-ZAM/output
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 ### BTest baseline data generated by btest-diff. Do not edit. Use "btest -U/-u" to update. Requires BTest >= 0.63.
-1248 valid, 1890 tested, 437 skipped
+1255 valid, 1908 tested, 440 skipped
diff --git a/testing/btest/language/vector.zeek b/testing/btest/language/vector.zeek
index 820261e0e8..60f4178358 100644
--- a/testing/btest/language/vector.zeek
+++ b/testing/btest/language/vector.zeek
@@ -241,4 +241,11 @@ event zeek_init()
 	v26 += vector();
 	test_case( "+= of empty vector", |v26| == 0 );
 
+	# Pattern vectors
+	local pv1 = vector(/a/, /b/);
+	local pv2 = vector(/a/, /c/);
+	local pv_eq = pv1 == pv2;
+	local pv_ne = pv1 != pv2;
+	test_case( fmt("pv1 == pv2 -> %s", pv_eq), (pv_eq[0] == T) && (pv_eq[1] == F) );
+	test_case( fmt("pv1 != pv2 -> %s", pv_ne), (pv_ne[0] == F) && (pv_ne[1] == T) );
 }