diff --git a/deduplify/_version.py b/deduplify/_version.py
index f72802b..c1154e4 100644
--- a/deduplify/_version.py
+++ b/deduplify/_version.py
@@ -7,5 +7,5 @@
 
 from incremental import Version
 
-__version__ = Version("deduplify", 0, 1, 4)
+__version__ = Version("deduplify", 0, 1, 5)
 __all__ = ["__version__"]
diff --git a/deduplify/compare_files.py b/deduplify/compare_files.py
index 159e915..82cdf1b 100644
--- a/deduplify/compare_files.py
+++ b/deduplify/compare_files.py
@@ -66,6 +66,11 @@ def compare_filenames(file_list: list) -> str:
     if len(name_freq) == 1:
         file_list.remove(min(file_list, key=len))
         return file_list
+    elif (len(name_freq) > 1) and (list(set(file_list)) == 1):
+        # there are multiple filepaths that are different,
+        # but by coincidence have the same length
+        file_list = file_list.sort()
+        file_list.remove(file_list[1:])
     else:
         raise ValueError(
             f"The following filenames need investigation.\n{name_freq}\n{file_list}"
diff --git a/tests/test_compare.py b/tests/test_compare.py
index 6c841e8..f4628eb 100644
--- a/tests/test_compare.py
+++ b/tests/test_compare.py
@@ -28,6 +28,18 @@ def test_compare_filenames():
     assert out_file_list == ["different/path/to/test/file.txt"]
 
 
+def test_compare_filenames_same_length():
+    test_file_list = [
+        "path/to/test/file.txt",
+        "diff/xy/path/file.txt",
+    ]
+
+    out_file_list = compare_filenames(test_file_list)
+
+    assert len(out_file_list) == 1
+    assert out_file_list == ["path/to/test/file.txt"]
+
+
 @patch("deduplify.compare_files.os.remove")
 def test_delete_files(mock):
     test_files = ["path/to/file_1.txt", "path/to/file_2.txt"]