diff --git a/src/mol-model/structure/structure/symmetry.ts b/src/mol-model/structure/structure/symmetry.ts
index 1b917041444704a539124a1d2800354e8fdebb6e..4f4cfe6f6c6c7058baea70c84c4311fcf37900a8 100644
--- a/src/mol-model/structure/structure/symmetry.ts
+++ b/src/mol-model/structure/structure/symmetry.ts
@@ -83,7 +83,12 @@ namespace StructureSymmetry {
     export function areTransformGroupsEquivalent(a: ReadonlyArray<Unit.SymmetryGroup>, b: ReadonlyArray<Unit.SymmetryGroup>) {
         if (a.length !== b.length) return false
         for (let i = 0, il = a.length; i < il; ++i) {
+            const au = a[i].units, bu = b[i].units;
+            if (au.length !== bu.length) return false;
             if (a[i].hashCode !== b[i].hashCode) return false
+            for (let j = 0, _j = au.length; j < _j; j++) {
+                if (au[j].conformation !== bu[j].conformation) return false;
+            }
         }
         return true
     }
diff --git a/src/mol-repr/structure/units-representation.ts b/src/mol-repr/structure/units-representation.ts
index b54a84c252131a13e1af0c16612e026a309a731b..89e7adc7b8f1fecb5075cc92a5e578e3957c5ee4 100644
--- a/src/mol-repr/structure/units-representation.ts
+++ b/src/mol-repr/structure/units-representation.ts
@@ -65,7 +65,6 @@ export function UnitsRepresentation<P extends UnitsParams>(label: string, ctx: R
                     if (runtime.shouldUpdate) await runtime.update({ message: 'Creating or updating UnitsVisual', current: i, max: _groups.length })
                 }
             } else if (structure && !Structure.areEquivalent(structure, _structure)) {
-                // console.log(label, 'structure not equivalent')
                 // Tries to re-use existing visuals for the groups of the new structure.
                 // Creates additional visuals if needed, destroys left-over visuals.
                 _groups = structure.unitSymmetryGroups;
diff --git a/src/mol-repr/structure/units-visual.ts b/src/mol-repr/structure/units-visual.ts
index 41b74b4d7bf1dce714566390520c8f44bcd3d735..b657c4a7c620bf953023d953c7b1e4a30d71ea5e 100644
--- a/src/mol-repr/structure/units-visual.ts
+++ b/src/mol-repr/structure/units-visual.ts
@@ -120,8 +120,12 @@ export function UnitsVisual<G extends Geometry, P extends UnitsParams & Geometry
         }
 
         // check if the conformation of unit.model has changed
-        if (Unit.conformationId(newStructureGroup.group.units[0]) !== Unit.conformationId(currentStructureGroup.group.units[0])) {
+        // if (Unit.conformationId(newStructureGroup.group.units[0]) !== Unit.conformationId(currentStructureGroup.group.units[0])) {
+        if (Unit.conformationId(newStructureGroup.group.units[0]) !== Unit.conformationId(currentStructureGroup.group.units[0])
+            // TODO: this needs more attention
+            || newStructureGroup.group.units[0].conformation !== currentStructureGroup.group.units[0].conformation) {
             // console.log('new conformation')
+            updateState.updateTransform = true;
             updateState.createGeometry = true
         }