diff --git a/cwltest/utils.py b/cwltest/utils.py
index 66da97d..934017a 100644
--- a/cwltest/utils.py
+++ b/cwltest/utils.py
@@ -62,6 +62,17 @@ def compare_location(expected, actual):
         raise CompareFail.format(expected, actual, u"%s does not end with %s" % (actual[comp], expected[comp]))
 
 
+def compare_contents(expected, actual):
+    # type: (Dict[str,Any], Dict[str,Any]) -> None
+    expected_contents = expected["contents"]
+    with open(actual["path"]) as f:
+        actual_contents = f.read()
+    if expected_contents != actual_contents:
+        raise CompareFail.format(expected, actual,
+                                 json.dumps(u"Output file contents do not match: actual '%s' is not equal to expected '%s'"
+                                 % (actual_contents, expected_contents)))
+
+
 def check_keys(keys, expected, actual):
     # type: (Set[str], Dict[str,Any], Dict[str,Any]) -> None
     for k in keys:
@@ -76,7 +87,9 @@ def check_keys(keys, expected, actual):
 def compare_file(expected, actual):
     # type: (Dict[str,Any], Dict[str,Any]) -> None
     compare_location(expected, actual)
-    other_keys = set(expected.keys()) - {'path', 'location', 'listing'}
+    if 'contents' in expected:
+        compare_contents(expected, actual)
+    other_keys = set(expected.keys()) - {'path', 'location', 'listing', 'contents'}
     check_keys(other_keys, expected, actual)
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test-data/cores.txt b/tests/test-data/cores.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0cfbf08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test-data/cores.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+2
diff --git a/tests/test_compare.py b/tests/test_compare.py
index 74ae644..ddaeeea 100644
--- a/tests/test_compare.py
+++ b/tests/test_compare.py
@@ -1,11 +1,20 @@
 import unittest
 from cwltest import CompareFail
-from cwltest.utils import compare_file
+from cwltest.utils import compare_file, compare
 
 
-class TestCompareFile(unittest.TestCase):
+class TestCompare(unittest.TestCase):
 
-    def test_general(self):
+    def compare_success(self, expected, actual):
+        try:
+            compare(expected, actual)
+        except CompareFail:
+            self.fail("Comparison failed unexpectedly")
+
+
+class TestCompareFile(TestCompare):
+
+    def test_compare_file(self):
         expected = {
             "location": "cores.txt",
             "size": 2,
@@ -21,8 +30,44 @@ def test_general(self):
             "path": "/var/folders/8x/2df05_7j20j6r8y81w4qf43r0000gn/T/tmpG0EkrS/cores.txt",
             "size": 2
         }
-
         try:
             compare_file(expected, actual)
         except CompareFail:
-            self.fail("File comparison failed unexpectedly")
\ No newline at end of file
+            self.fail("File comparison failed unexpectedly")
+
+    def test_compare_contents_success(self):
+        expected = {
+            "location": "cores.txt",
+            "size": 2,
+            "class": "File",
+            "contents": "2\n"
+        }
+
+        actual = {
+            "basename": "cores.txt",
+            "checksum": "sha1$7448d8798a4380162d4b56f9b452e2f6f9e24e7a",
+            "class": "File",
+            "location": "file:///var/folders/8x/2df05_7j20j6r8y81w4qf43r0000gn/T/tmpG0EkrS/cores.txt",
+            "path": "tests/test-data/cores.txt",
+            "size": 2
+        }
+        self.compare_success(expected, actual)
+
+    def test_compare_contents_failure(self):
+        expected = {
+            "location": "cores.txt",
+            "size": 2,
+            "class": "File",
+            "contents": "2"
+        }
+
+        actual = {
+            "basename": "cores.txt",
+            "checksum": "sha1$7448d8798a4380162d4b56f9b452e2f6f9e24e7a",
+            "class": "File",
+            "location": "file:///var/folders/8x/2df05_7j20j6r8y81w4qf43r0000gn/T/tmpG0EkrS/cores.txt",
+            "path": "tests/test-data/cores.txt",
+            "size": 2
+        }
+        with self.assertRaises(CompareFail):
+            compare_file(expected, actual)