diff --git a/modules/controls/src/main/java/javafx/scene/control/Cell.java b/modules/controls/src/main/java/javafx/scene/control/Cell.java
--- a/modules/controls/src/main/java/javafx/scene/control/Cell.java
+++ b/modules/controls/src/main/java/javafx/scene/control/Cell.java
@@ -683,8 +683,13 @@
         if (selected && isEmpty()) return;
         setSelected(selected);
     }
-    
-    
+
+    // default implementation tests against equality
+    protected boolean isChanged(T oldValue, T newValue) {
+        return oldValue != null ? !oldValue.equals(newValue) : newValue != null;
+    }
+
+
     /***************************************************************************
      *                                                                         *
      * Stylesheet Handling                                                     *
diff --git a/modules/controls/src/main/java/javafx/scene/control/ListCell.java b/modules/controls/src/main/java/javafx/scene/control/ListCell.java
--- a/modules/controls/src/main/java/javafx/scene/control/ListCell.java
+++ b/modules/controls/src/main/java/javafx/scene/control/ListCell.java
@@ -461,7 +461,7 @@
             // RT-35864 - if the index didn't change, then avoid calling updateItem
             // unless the item has changed.
             if (oldIndex == index) {
-                if (oldValue != null ? oldValue.equals(newValue) : newValue == null) {
+                if (!isChanged(oldValue, newValue)) {
                     // RT-37054:  we break out of the if/else code here and
                     // proceed with the code following this, so that we may
                     // still update references, listeners, etc as required.
diff --git a/modules/controls/src/main/java/javafx/scene/control/TableCell.java b/modules/controls/src/main/java/javafx/scene/control/TableCell.java
--- a/modules/controls/src/main/java/javafx/scene/control/TableCell.java
+++ b/modules/controls/src/main/java/javafx/scene/control/TableCell.java
@@ -647,7 +647,7 @@
             // RT-35864 - if the index didn't change, then avoid calling updateItem
             // unless the item has changed.
             if (oldIndex == index) {
-                if (oldValue != null ? oldValue.equals(newValue) : newValue == null) {
+                if (!isChanged(oldValue, newValue)) {
                     // RT-36670: we need to check the row item here to prevent
                     // the issue where the cell value and index doesn't change,
                     // but the backing row object does.
diff --git a/modules/controls/src/main/java/javafx/scene/control/TableRow.java b/modules/controls/src/main/java/javafx/scene/control/TableRow.java
--- a/modules/controls/src/main/java/javafx/scene/control/TableRow.java
+++ b/modules/controls/src/main/java/javafx/scene/control/TableRow.java
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@
             // RT-35864 - if the index didn't change, then avoid calling updateItem
             // unless the item has changed.
             if (oldIndex == newIndex) {
-                if (oldValue != null ? oldValue.equals(newValue) : newValue == null) {
+                if (!isChanged(oldValue, newValue)) {
                     // RT-37054:  we break out of the if/else code here and
                     // proceed with the code following this, so that we may
                     // still update references, listeners, etc as required.
diff --git a/modules/controls/src/main/java/javafx/scene/control/TreeCell.java b/modules/controls/src/main/java/javafx/scene/control/TreeCell.java
--- a/modules/controls/src/main/java/javafx/scene/control/TreeCell.java
+++ b/modules/controls/src/main/java/javafx/scene/control/TreeCell.java
@@ -505,7 +505,7 @@
             // RT-35864 - if the index didn't change, then avoid calling updateItem
             // unless the item has changed.
             if (oldIndex == index) {
-                if (oldValue != null ? oldValue.equals(newValue) : newValue == null) {
+                if (!isChanged(oldValue, newValue)) {
                     // RT-37054:  we break out of the if/else code here and
                     // proceed with the code following this, so that we may
                     // still update references, listeners, etc as required.
diff --git a/modules/controls/src/main/java/javafx/scene/control/TreeTableCell.java b/modules/controls/src/main/java/javafx/scene/control/TreeTableCell.java
--- a/modules/controls/src/main/java/javafx/scene/control/TreeTableCell.java
+++ b/modules/controls/src/main/java/javafx/scene/control/TreeTableCell.java
@@ -638,7 +638,7 @@
             // RT-35864 - if the index didn't change, then avoid calling updateItem
             // unless the item has changed.
             if (oldIndex == index) {
-                if (oldValue != null ? oldValue.equals(newValue) : newValue == null) {
+                if (!isChanged(oldValue, newValue)) {
                     // RT-36670: we need to check the row item here to prevent
                     // the issue where the cell value and index doesn't change,
                     // but the backing row object does.