diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/context/properties/source/ConfigurationPropertyName.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/context/properties/source/ConfigurationPropertyName.java
index c0aa460d06..facf2a9539 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/context/properties/source/ConfigurationPropertyName.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/context/properties/source/ConfigurationPropertyName.java
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@ public final class ConfigurationPropertyName
 		boolean indexed2 = e2.getType(i).isIndexed();
 		while (i2 < l2) {
 			char ch2 = e2.charAt(i, i2++);
-			if (indexed2 || ch2 == '-') {
+			if (indexed2 || ch2 != '-') {
 				return false;
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/context/properties/source/ConfigurationPropertyNameTests.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/context/properties/source/ConfigurationPropertyNameTests.java
index 9c803fdb71..942c99d589 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/context/properties/source/ConfigurationPropertyNameTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/context/properties/source/ConfigurationPropertyNameTests.java
@@ -624,6 +624,16 @@ public class ConfigurationPropertyNameTests {
 		assertThat(n1).isNotEqualTo(n2);
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void equalsWhenNameStartsTheSameUsingDashedCompare() {
+		// gh-16855
+		ConfigurationPropertyName n1 = ConfigurationPropertyName
+				.of("management.metrics.web.server.auto-time-request");
+		ConfigurationPropertyName n2 = ConfigurationPropertyName
+				.of("management.metrics.web.server.auto-time-requests");
+		assertThat(n1).isNotEqualTo(n2);
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void isValidWhenValidShouldReturnTrue() {
 		assertThat(ConfigurationPropertyName.isValid("")).isTrue();