diff --git a/spa/include/spa/type.h b/spa/include/spa/type.h
index aa43d3450..4b3f8d959 100644
--- a/spa/include/spa/type.h
+++ b/spa/include/spa/type.h
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ typedef uint32_t SpaType;
 static inline bool
 spa_type_is_a (const char *type, const char *parent)
 {
-  return type != NULL && parent != NULL && strstr (type, parent) == type;
+  return type != NULL && parent != NULL && strncmp (type, parent, strlen (parent)) == 0;
 }
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
diff --git a/spa/tests/test-props.c b/spa/tests/test-props.c
index 16199c68c..1f8dde64b 100644
--- a/spa/tests/test-props.c
+++ b/spa/tests/test-props.c
@@ -270,11 +270,11 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 
   do_static_struct (map);
 
-  printf ("%d\n", spa_type_is_a (SPA_TYPE__MediaType, SPA_TYPE_ENUM_BASE));
-  printf ("%d\n", spa_type_is_a (SPA_TYPE__MediaSubtype, SPA_TYPE_ENUM_BASE));
-  printf ("%d\n", spa_type_is_a (SPA_TYPE__Format, SPA_TYPE_ENUM_BASE));
-  printf ("%d\n", spa_type_is_a (SPA_TYPE__Format, SPA_TYPE_POD_BASE));
-  printf ("%d\n", spa_type_is_a (SPA_TYPE__Format, SPA_TYPE_POD_OBJECT_BASE));
+  printf ("media type is enum %d\n", spa_type_is_a (SPA_TYPE__MediaType, SPA_TYPE_ENUM_BASE));
+  printf ("media sybtype is enum %d\n", spa_type_is_a (SPA_TYPE__MediaSubtype, SPA_TYPE_ENUM_BASE));
+  printf ("format is enum %d\n", spa_type_is_a (SPA_TYPE__Format, SPA_TYPE_ENUM_BASE));
+  printf ("format is pod %d\n", spa_type_is_a (SPA_TYPE__Format, SPA_TYPE_POD_BASE));
+  printf ("format is object %d\n", spa_type_is_a (SPA_TYPE__Format, SPA_TYPE_POD_OBJECT_BASE));
 
   return 0;
 }