diff --git a/gstlal-inspiral/python/snglinspiraltable.py b/gstlal-inspiral/python/snglinspiraltable.py
index 9b40ca3641f4a487392888820fb176e2f776aa2d..065438fca597ee3752e36a53824e74482ea03ee8 100644
--- a/gstlal-inspiral/python/snglinspiraltable.py
+++ b/gstlal-inspiral/python/snglinspiraltable.py
@@ -33,8 +33,30 @@ class GSTLALSnglInspiral(_snglinspiraltable.GSTLALSnglInspiral):
 	spin1 = lsctables.SnglInspiral.spin1
 	spin2 = lsctables.SnglInspiral.spin2
 
+	#
+	# comparison is defined specifically for the coincidence code,
+	# allowing a bisection search of a sorted trigger list to be used
+	# to identify the subset of triggers that fall within a time
+	# interval
+	#
+
 	def __eq__(self, other):
-		return (self.ifo, self.end, self.template_id) == (other.ifo, other.end, other.template_id)
+		return self.end == other
+
+	def __ne__(self, other):
+		return self.end != other
+
+	def __lt__(self, other):
+		return self.end < other
+
+	def __le__(self, other):
+		return self.end <= other
+
+	def __gt__(self, other):
+		return self.end > other
+
+	def __ge__(self, other):
+		return self.end >= other
 
 	@property
 	def process_id(self):
diff --git a/gstlal-inspiral/python/streamthinca.py b/gstlal-inspiral/python/streamthinca.py
index e0b2794056d51708c035a5481c8ee41754bed289..2bd718f8357de40e745db9ddb8f5f73441641e6c 100644
--- a/gstlal-inspiral/python/streamthinca.py
+++ b/gstlal-inspiral/python/streamthinca.py
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ import time
 
 from glue.ligolw import ligolw
 from glue.ligolw import lsctables
-from gstlal import snglinspiraltable
+from gstlal.snglinspiraltable import GSTLALSnglInspiral as SnglInspiral
 import lal
 from lalburst import snglcoinc
 from lalinspiral import thinca
@@ -55,28 +55,6 @@ from ligo import segments
 from ligo.segments import utils as segmentsUtils
 
 
-#
-# =============================================================================
-#
-#                      lalinspiral.thinca Customizations
-#
-# =============================================================================
-#
-
-
-#
-# Custom trigger class that defines comparison the way we need
-#
-
-
-class SnglInspiral(snglinspiraltable.GSTLALSnglInspiral):
-	# copied from thinca.SnglInspiral
-	__slots__ = ()
-
-	def __cmp__(self, other):
-		return cmp(self.end, other)
-
-
 #
 # =============================================================================
 #