diff --git a/deepmerge/extended_set.py b/deepmerge/extended_set.py
index 63b6e82..a692c01 100644
--- a/deepmerge/extended_set.py
+++ b/deepmerge/extended_set.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from typing import Sequence, Any
+from typing import Sequence, Any, Dict, List
 
 
 class ExtendedSet(set):
@@ -13,10 +13,18 @@ class ExtendedSet(set):
     """
 
     def __init__(self, elements: Sequence) -> None:
-        self._values_by_hash = {self._hash_element(e): e for e in elements}
+        # Elements are grouped into buckets keyed by their (possibly lossy)
+        # hash. Membership and insertion compare a candidate against the
+        # members of the matching bucket using equality, so two distinct
+        # elements that merely collide on the hash are not treated as equal.
+        self._buckets: Dict[int, List[Any]] = {}
+        for element in elements:
+            self._insert(element)
 
     def _insert(self, element: Any) -> None:
-        self._values_by_hash[self._hash_element(element)] = element
+        bucket = self._buckets.setdefault(self._hash_element(element), [])
+        if not any(element == existing for existing in bucket):
+            bucket.append(element)
         return
 
     def _hash_element(self, element: Any) -> int:
@@ -29,4 +37,7 @@ def _hash_element(self, element: Any) -> int:
             return hash(str(element))
 
     def __contains__(self, obj: Any) -> bool:
-        return self._hash_element(obj) in self._values_by_hash
+        bucket = self._buckets.get(self._hash_element(obj))
+        if bucket is None:
+            return False
+        return any(obj == existing for existing in bucket)
diff --git a/deepmerge/strategy/fallback.py b/deepmerge/strategy/fallback.py
index 7cfbaaa..109b21c 100644
--- a/deepmerge/strategy/fallback.py
+++ b/deepmerge/strategy/fallback.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 import deepmerge.merger
 from .core import StrategyList
 
-
 T = TypeVar("T")
 
 
diff --git a/deepmerge/tests/strategy/test_list.py b/deepmerge/tests/strategy/test_list.py
index 7211757..db26d58 100644
--- a/deepmerge/tests/strategy/test_list.py
+++ b/deepmerge/tests/strategy/test_list.py
@@ -43,3 +43,23 @@ def test_strategy_append_similar_dict(custom_merger):
     result = custom_merger.merge(base, nxt)
 
     assert result == [{"bar": "bob", "foo": "baz"}, {"x": "y"}]
+
+
+def test_strategy_append_unique_keeps_hash_colliding_dicts(custom_merger):
+    """append_unique must keep distinct dicts even when their lossy
+    "key:value" hash collides (e.g. ``{"a": "1", "b": "2"}`` and
+    ``{"a": "1,b:2"}`` both hash to ``"a:1,b:2"``), and must not treat an
+    ``int`` value as equal to its ``str`` form.
+    """
+    assert custom_merger.merge([{"a": "1", "b": "2"}], [{"a": "1,b:2"}]) == [
+        {"a": "1", "b": "2"},
+        {"a": "1,b:2"},
+    ]
+    assert custom_merger.merge([{"k": 1}], [{"k": "1"}]) == [{"k": 1}, {"k": "1"}]
+
+
+def test_strategy_append_unique_hashable_hash_collision(custom_merger):
+    """A hashable element must not be considered present just because a
+    different element shares its hash (e.g. ``hash(-1) == hash(-2)``).
+    """
+    assert custom_merger.merge([-1], [-2]) == [-1, -2]