diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 963737d8a1..d43cacf0b5 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ ClimaCore.jl Release Notes
 main
 -------
 
+ - A `strict = true` keyword was added to `rcompare`, which checks that the types match. If `strict = false`, then `rcompare` will return `true` for `FieldVector`s and `NamedTuple`s with the same properties but permuted order. For example:
+     - `rcompare((;a=1,b=2), (;b=2,a=1); strict = true)` will return `false` and
+     - `rcompare((;a=1,b=2), (;b=2,a=1); strict = false)` will return `true`
  - We've added new datalayouts: `VIJHF`,`IJHF`,`IHF`,`VIHF`, to explore their performance compared to our existing datalayouts: `VIJFH`,`IJFH`,`IFH`,`VIFH`. PR [#2055](https://github.com/CliMA/ClimaCore.jl/pull/2053), PR [#2052](https://github.com/CliMA/ClimaCore.jl/pull/2055).
  - We've refactored some modules to use less internals. PR [#2053](https://github.com/CliMA/ClimaCore.jl/pull/2053), PR [#2052](https://github.com/CliMA/ClimaCore.jl/pull/2052), [#2051](https://github.com/CliMA/ClimaCore.jl/pull/2051), [#2049](https://github.com/CliMA/ClimaCore.jl/pull/2049).
  - Some work was done in attempt to reduce specializations and compile time. PR [#2042](https://github.com/CliMA/ClimaCore.jl/pull/2042), [#2041](https://github.com/CliMA/ClimaCore.jl/pull/2041)
diff --git a/src/Fields/fieldvector.jl b/src/Fields/fieldvector.jl
index 520a86349e..cdb8ce8184 100644
--- a/src/Fields/fieldvector.jl
+++ b/src/Fields/fieldvector.jl
@@ -469,36 +469,54 @@ end
 
 
 # Recursively compare contents of similar fieldvectors
-_rcompare(pass, x::T, y::T) where {T <: Field} =
-    pass && _rcompare(pass, field_values(x), field_values(y))
-_rcompare(pass, x::T, y::T) where {T <: DataLayouts.AbstractData} =
+_rcompare(pass, x::T, y::T; strict) where {T <: Field} =
+    pass && _rcompare(pass, field_values(x), field_values(y); strict)
+_rcompare(pass, x::T, y::T; strict) where {T <: DataLayouts.AbstractData} =
     pass && (parent(x) == parent(y))
-_rcompare(pass, x::T, y::T) where {T} = pass && (x == y)
+_rcompare(pass, x::T, y::T; strict) where {T} = pass && (x == y)
 
-function _rcompare(pass, x::T, y::T) where {T <: Union{FieldVector, NamedTuple}}
+_rcompare(pass, x::NamedTuple, y::NamedTuple; strict) =
+    _rcompare_nt(pass, x, y; strict)
+_rcompare(pass, x::FieldVector, y::FieldVector; strict) =
+    _rcompare_nt(pass, x, y; strict)
+
+function _rcompare_nt(pass, x, y; strict)
+    length(propertynames(x)) ≠ length(propertynames(y)) && return false
+    if strict
+        typeof(x) == typeof(y) || return false
+    end
     for pn in propertynames(x)
-        pass &= _rcompare(pass, getproperty(x, pn), getproperty(y, pn))
+        pass &= _rcompare(pass, getproperty(x, pn), getproperty(y, pn); strict)
     end
     return pass
 end
 
 """
-    rcompare(x::T, y::T) where {T <: Union{FieldVector, NamedTuple}}
+    rcompare(x::T, y::T; strict = true) where {T <: Union{FieldVector, NamedTuple}}
 
 Recursively compare given fieldvectors via `==`.
 Returns `true` if `x == y` recursively.
 
 FieldVectors with different types are considered different.
 """
-rcompare(x::T, y::T) where {T <: Union{FieldVector, NamedTuple}} =
-    _rcompare(true, x, y)
+rcompare(
+    x::T,
+    y::T;
+    strict = true,
+) where {T <: Union{FieldVector, NamedTuple}} = _rcompare(true, x, y; strict)
 
-rcompare(x::T, y::T) where {T <: FieldVector} = _rcompare(true, x, y)
+rcompare(x::T, y::T; strict = true) where {T <: FieldVector} =
+    _rcompare(true, x, y; strict)
 
-rcompare(x::T, y::T) where {T <: NamedTuple} = _rcompare(true, x, y)
+rcompare(x::T, y::T; strict = true) where {T <: NamedTuple} =
+    _rcompare(true, x, y; strict)
 
 # FieldVectors with different types are always different
-rcompare(x::FieldVector, y::FieldVector) = false
+rcompare(x::FieldVector, y::FieldVector; strict::Bool = true) =
+    strict ? false : _rcompare(true, x, y; strict)
+
+rcompare(x::NamedTuple, y::NamedTuple; strict::Bool = true) =
+    strict ? false : _rcompare(true, x, y; strict)
 
 # Define == to call rcompare for two fieldvectors
-Base.:(==)(x::FieldVector, y::FieldVector) = rcompare(x, y)
+Base.:(==)(x::FieldVector, y::FieldVector) = rcompare(x, y; strict = true)
diff --git a/test/Fields/unit_field.jl b/test/Fields/unit_field.jl
index b0362c3b0d..ad17f2dcb2 100644
--- a/test/Fields/unit_field.jl
+++ b/test/Fields/unit_field.jl
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ ClimaComms.@import_required_backends
 using OrderedCollections
 using StaticArrays, IntervalSets
 import ClimaCore
+import ClimaCore.InputOutput
 import ClimaCore.Utilities: PlusHalf
 import ClimaCore.DataLayouts
 import ClimaCore.DataLayouts: IJFH
@@ -330,6 +331,47 @@ end
     @test occursin("==================== Difference found:", s)
 end
 
+@testset "Nested FieldVector broadcasting with permuted order" begin
+    FT = Float32
+    context = ClimaComms.context()
+    vertdomain = Domains.IntervalDomain(
+        Geometry.ZPoint{FT}(-3.5),
+        Geometry.ZPoint{FT}(0);
+        boundary_names = (:bottom, :top),
+    )
+    vertmesh = Meshes.IntervalMesh(vertdomain; nelems = 10)
+    device = ClimaComms.device()
+    vert_center_space = Spaces.CenterFiniteDifferenceSpace(device, vertmesh)
+    horzdomain = Domains.SphereDomain(FT(100))
+    horzmesh = Meshes.EquiangularCubedSphere(horzdomain, 1)
+    horztopology = Topologies.Topology2D(context, horzmesh)
+    quad = Spaces.Quadratures.GLL{2}()
+    space = Spaces.SpectralElementSpace2D(horztopology, quad)
+
+    vars1 = (; # order is different!
+        bucket = (; # nesting is needed!
+            T = Fields.Field(FT, space),
+            W = Fields.Field(FT, space),
+        )
+    )
+    vars2 = (; # order is different!
+        bucket = (; # nesting is needed!
+            W = Fields.Field(FT, space),
+            T = Fields.Field(FT, space),
+        )
+    )
+    Y1 = Fields.FieldVector(; vars1...)
+    Y1.bucket.T .= 280.0
+    Y1.bucket.W .= 0.05
+
+    Y2 = Fields.FieldVector(; vars2...)
+    Y2.bucket.T .= 280.0
+    Y2.bucket.W .= 0.05
+
+    Y1 .= Y2 # FieldVector broadcasting
+    @test Fields.rcompare(Y1, Y2; strict = false)
+end
+
 # https://github.com/CliMA/ClimaCore.jl/issues/1465
 @testset "Diagonal FieldVector broadcast expressions" begin
     FT = Float64