diff --git a/pyro/poutine/equalize_messenger.py b/pyro/poutine/equalize_messenger.py
index 1bc79a5521..31e524a651 100644
--- a/pyro/poutine/equalize_messenger.py
+++ b/pyro/poutine/equalize_messenger.py
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ def __init__(
         self,
         sites: Union[str, List[str]],
         type: Optional[str] = "sample",
-        keep_dist: bool = False,
+        keep_dist: Optional[bool] = False,
     ) -> None:
         super().__init__()
         self.sites = [sites] if isinstance(sites, str) else sites
diff --git a/pyro/poutine/handlers.py b/pyro/poutine/handlers.py
index 343b1a1f4b..bc1ba91de8 100644
--- a/pyro/poutine/handlers.py
+++ b/pyro/poutine/handlers.py
@@ -306,7 +306,8 @@ def escape(  # type: ignore[empty-body]
 def equalize(
     sites: Union[str, List[str]],
     type: Optional[str],
-) -> ConditionMessenger: ...
+    keep_dist: Optional[bool],
+) -> EqualizeMessenger: ...
 
 
 @overload
@@ -314,6 +315,7 @@ def equalize(
     fn: Callable[_P, _T],
     sites: Union[str, List[str]],
     type: Optional[str],
+    keep_dist: Optional[bool],
 ) -> Callable[_P, _T]: ...
 
 
@@ -322,6 +324,7 @@ def equalize(  # type: ignore[empty-body]
     fn: Callable[_P, _T],
     sites: Union[str, List[str]],
     type: Optional[str],
+    keep_dist: Optional[bool],
 ) -> Union[EqualizeMessenger, Callable[_P, _T]]: ...