diff --git a/cmp/compare.go b/cmp/compare.go
index 2762733..e95a0f7 100644
--- a/cmp/compare.go
+++ b/cmp/compare.go
@@ -123,8 +123,7 @@ func Equal(x, y interface{}, opts ...Option) bool {
 // Do not depend on this output being stable.
 func Diff(x, y interface{}, opts ...Option) string {
 	r := new(defaultReporter)
-	opts = Options{Options(opts), reporter(r)}
-	eq := Equal(x, y, opts...)
+	eq := Equal(x, y, Options(opts), reporter(r))
 	d := r.String()
 	if (d == "") != eq {
 		panic("inconsistent difference and equality results")
@@ -155,9 +154,7 @@ type state struct {
 func newState(opts []Option) *state {
 	// Always ensure a validator option exists to validate the inputs.
 	s := &state{opts: Options{validator{}}}
-	for _, opt := range opts {
-		s.processOption(opt)
-	}
+	s.processOption(Options(opts))
 	return s
 }
 
@@ -209,8 +206,6 @@ func (s *state) statelessCompare(step PathStep) diff.Result {
 }
 
 func (s *state) compareAny(step PathStep) {
-	// TODO: Support cyclic data structures.
-
 	// Update the path stack.
 	s.curPath.push(step)
 	defer s.curPath.pop()
@@ -234,67 +229,34 @@ func (s *state) compareAny(step PathStep) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	// Rule 3: Recursively descend into each value's underlying kind.
+	// Rule 3: Compare based on the underlying kind.
 	switch t.Kind() {
 	case reflect.Bool:
 		s.report(vx.Bool() == vy.Bool(), 0)
-		return
 	case reflect.Int, reflect.Int8, reflect.Int16, reflect.Int32, reflect.Int64:
 		s.report(vx.Int() == vy.Int(), 0)
-		return
 	case reflect.Uint, reflect.Uint8, reflect.Uint16, reflect.Uint32, reflect.Uint64, reflect.Uintptr:
 		s.report(vx.Uint() == vy.Uint(), 0)
-		return
 	case reflect.Float32, reflect.Float64:
 		s.report(vx.Float() == vy.Float(), 0)
-		return
 	case reflect.Complex64, reflect.Complex128:
 		s.report(vx.Complex() == vy.Complex(), 0)
-		return
 	case reflect.String:
 		s.report(vx.String() == vy.String(), 0)
-		return
 	case reflect.Chan, reflect.UnsafePointer:
 		s.report(vx.Pointer() == vy.Pointer(), 0)
-		return
 	case reflect.Func:
 		s.report(vx.IsNil() && vy.IsNil(), 0)
-		return
 	case reflect.Struct:
 		s.compareStruct(t, vx, vy)
-		return
-	case reflect.Slice:
-		if vx.IsNil() || vy.IsNil() {
-			s.report(vx.IsNil() && vy.IsNil(), 0)
-			return
-		}
-		fallthrough
-	case reflect.Array:
+	case reflect.Slice, reflect.Array:
 		s.compareSlice(t, vx, vy)
-		return
 	case reflect.Map:
 		s.compareMap(t, vx, vy)
-		return
 	case reflect.Ptr:
-		if vx.IsNil() || vy.IsNil() {
-			s.report(vx.IsNil() && vy.IsNil(), 0)
-			return
-		}
-		vx, vy = vx.Elem(), vy.Elem()
-		s.compareAny(&indirect{pathStep{t.Elem(), vx, vy}})
-		return
+		s.comparePtr(t, vx, vy)
 	case reflect.Interface:
-		if vx.IsNil() || vy.IsNil() {
-			s.report(vx.IsNil() && vy.IsNil(), 0)
-			return
-		}
-		vx, vy = vx.Elem(), vy.Elem()
-		if vx.Type() != vy.Type() {
-			s.report(false, 0)
-			return
-		}
-		s.compareAny(&typeAssertion{pathStep{vx.Type(), vx, vy}})
-		return
+		s.compareInterface(t, vx, vy)
 	default:
 		panic(fmt.Sprintf("%v kind not handled", t.Kind()))
 	}
@@ -422,6 +384,14 @@ func (s *state) compareStruct(t reflect.Type, vx, vy reflect.Value) {
 }
 
 func (s *state) compareSlice(t reflect.Type, vx, vy reflect.Value) {
+	isSlice := t.Kind() == reflect.Slice
+	if isSlice && (vx.IsNil() || vy.IsNil()) {
+		s.report(vx.IsNil() && vy.IsNil(), 0)
+		return
+	}
+
+	// TODO: Support cyclic data structures.
+
 	step := &sliceIndex{pathStep: pathStep{typ: t.Elem()}}
 	withIndexes := func(ix, iy int) *sliceIndex {
 		if ix >= 0 {
@@ -491,7 +461,6 @@ func (s *state) compareSlice(t reflect.Type, vx, vy reflect.Value) {
 			iy++
 		}
 	}
-	return
 }
 
 func (s *state) compareMap(t reflect.Type, vx, vy reflect.Value) {
@@ -500,6 +469,8 @@ func (s *state) compareMap(t reflect.Type, vx, vy reflect.Value) {
 		return
 	}
 
+	// TODO: Support cyclic data structures.
+
 	// We combine and sort the two map keys so that we can perform the
 	// comparisons in a deterministic order.
 	step := &mapIndex{pathStep: pathStep{typ: t.Elem()}}
@@ -529,6 +500,31 @@ func (s *state) compareMap(t reflect.Type, vx, vy reflect.Value) {
 	}
 }
 
+func (s *state) comparePtr(t reflect.Type, vx, vy reflect.Value) {
+	if vx.IsNil() || vy.IsNil() {
+		s.report(vx.IsNil() && vy.IsNil(), 0)
+		return
+	}
+
+	// TODO: Support cyclic data structures.
+
+	vx, vy = vx.Elem(), vy.Elem()
+	s.compareAny(&indirect{pathStep{t.Elem(), vx, vy}})
+}
+
+func (s *state) compareInterface(t reflect.Type, vx, vy reflect.Value) {
+	if vx.IsNil() || vy.IsNil() {
+		s.report(vx.IsNil() && vy.IsNil(), 0)
+		return
+	}
+	vx, vy = vx.Elem(), vy.Elem()
+	if vx.Type() != vy.Type() {
+		s.report(false, 0)
+		return
+	}
+	s.compareAny(&typeAssertion{pathStep{vx.Type(), vx, vy}})
+}
+
 func (s *state) report(eq bool, rf reportFlags) {
 	if rf&reportIgnored == 0 {
 		if eq {