diff --git a/briar-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/api/socialbackup/ReturnShardPayload.java b/briar-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/api/socialbackup/ReturnShardPayload.java
index 68d51ace4..abf927cc1 100644
--- a/briar-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/api/socialbackup/ReturnShardPayload.java
+++ b/briar-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/api/socialbackup/ReturnShardPayload.java
@@ -22,4 +22,9 @@ public class ReturnShardPayload {
 	public BackupPayload getBackupPayload() {
 		return backupPayload;
 	}
+
+	public boolean equals(ReturnShardPayload otherReturnShardPayload) {
+		return shard.equals(otherReturnShardPayload.getShard()) && backupPayload
+				.equals(otherReturnShardPayload.getBackupPayload());
+	}
 }
diff --git a/briar-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/api/socialbackup/Shard.java b/briar-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/api/socialbackup/Shard.java
index 766fb8088..e4b5f5258 100644
--- a/briar-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/api/socialbackup/Shard.java
+++ b/briar-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/api/socialbackup/Shard.java
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ package org.briarproject.briar.api.socialbackup;
 
 import org.briarproject.bramble.api.nullsafety.NotNullByDefault;
 
+import java.util.Arrays;
+
 import javax.annotation.concurrent.Immutable;
 
 @Immutable
@@ -22,4 +24,9 @@ public class Shard {
 	public byte[] getShard() {
 		return shard;
 	}
+
+	public boolean equals(Shard otherShard) {
+		return Arrays.equals(secretId, otherShard.getSecretId()) &&
+				Arrays.equals(shard, otherShard.getShard());
+	}
 }
diff --git a/briar-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/api/socialbackup/recovery/SecretOwnerTask.java b/briar-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/api/socialbackup/recovery/SecretOwnerTask.java
index b67420582..77171be84 100644
--- a/briar-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/api/socialbackup/recovery/SecretOwnerTask.java
+++ b/briar-api/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/api/socialbackup/recovery/SecretOwnerTask.java
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package org.briarproject.briar.api.socialbackup.recovery;
 
 import org.briarproject.bramble.api.crypto.PublicKey;
 import org.briarproject.bramble.api.nullsafety.NotNullByDefault;
+import org.briarproject.briar.api.socialbackup.ReturnShardPayload;
 
 import java.net.InetAddress;
 import java.net.InetSocketAddress;
@@ -39,11 +40,11 @@ public interface SecretOwnerTask {
 		}
 
 		public static class Success extends State {
-			private final byte[] remotePayload;
+			private final ReturnShardPayload remotePayload;
 
-			public Success(byte[] remotePayload) { this.remotePayload = remotePayload; }
+			public Success(ReturnShardPayload remotePayload) { this.remotePayload = remotePayload; }
 
-			public byte[] getRemotePayload() { return remotePayload; }
+			public ReturnShardPayload getRemotePayload() { return remotePayload; }
 		}
 
 		public static class Failure extends State {