diff --git a/doc/CHANGELOG b/doc/CHANGELOG
index 5168cb7..417f803 100644
--- a/doc/CHANGELOG
+++ b/doc/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
+1.18
+=====
+- bugfix:  Fixed bug when comparing sender and recipient addresses, like
+	   "sender=$$recipient". This affects only postfwd version 1.17.
+
 1.17
 =====
 - bugfix:  Invalid characters in variable substitutions were not correctly catched when
            the '=' operator was used, like "client_name=$$helo_name". If you can not
            upgrade for some reason change your rule to "client_name=~$$helo_name"
-- code:    Net::DNS internal errors will now be handled gracefully
+- code:    Net::DNS errors will now be handled gracefully
 - code:    default for options --dns_max_ns_a_lookups and --dns_max_mx_a_lookups of 100
 
 1.16
diff --git a/sbin/postfwd b/sbin/postfwd
index acf74be..f294379 100755
--- a/sbin/postfwd
+++ b/sbin/postfwd
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ use vars qw(@ISA);
 
 # Program constants
 our($NAME) 			= 'postfwd';
-our($VERSION)			= '1.17';
+our($VERSION)			= '1.18';
 
 # Networking options (use -i, -p and -R to change)
 our($def_net_pid)		= "/var/run/".$NAME.".pid";
@@ -1471,7 +1471,7 @@ sub compare_item {
 	next ITEM unless $val;
 	# substitute check for $$vars in rule item
 	if ( $var = devar_item ($cmp,$val,$myitem,%request) ) {
-		$val = $var; $val =~ s/([^-_\.\w\s])/\\$1/g;
+		$val = $var; $val =~ s/([^-_@\.\w\s])/\\$1/g unless ($cmp eq '==');
 	};
 	$myresult = &{$postfwd_compare{$postfwd_compare_proc}}($cmp,$val,$myitem,%request);
 	mylogs $syslog_priority, "match $mykey:  ".($myresult ? "TRUE" : "FALSE") if ($opt_verbose > 1);