diff --git a/src/api/annotation/AnnotationAPI.js b/src/api/annotation/AnnotationAPI.js
index bb46a805e0..f13a26de58 100644
--- a/src/api/annotation/AnnotationAPI.js
+++ b/src/api/annotation/AnnotationAPI.js
@@ -76,6 +76,9 @@ const ANNOTATION_LAST_CREATED = 'annotationLastCreated';
  * @constructor
  */
 export default class AnnotationAPI extends EventEmitter {
+  /** @type {Map<ANNOTATION_TYPES, Array<(a, b) => boolean >>} */
+  #targetComparatorMap;
+
   /**
    * @param {OpenMCT} openmct
    */
@@ -84,6 +87,7 @@ export default class AnnotationAPI extends EventEmitter {
     this.openmct = openmct;
     this.availableTags = {};
     this.namespaceToSaveAnnotations = '';
+    this.#targetComparatorMap = new Map();
 
     this.ANNOTATION_TYPES = ANNOTATION_TYPES;
     this.ANNOTATION_TYPE = ANNOTATION_TYPE;
@@ -385,7 +389,8 @@ export default class AnnotationAPI extends EventEmitter {
     const combinedResults = [];
     results.forEach((currentAnnotation) => {
       const existingAnnotation = combinedResults.find((annotationToFind) => {
-        return _.isEqual(currentAnnotation.targets, annotationToFind.targets);
+        const { annotationType, targets } = currentAnnotation;
+        return this.areAnnotationTargetsEqual(annotationType, targets, annotationToFind.targets);
       });
       if (!existingAnnotation) {
         combinedResults.push(currentAnnotation);
@@ -461,4 +466,35 @@ export default class AnnotationAPI extends EventEmitter {
 
     return breakApartSeparateTargets;
   }
+
+  /**
+   * Adds a comparator function for a given annotation type.
+   * The comparator functions will be used to determine if two annotations
+   * have the same target.
+   * @param {ANNOTATION_TYPES} annotationType
+   * @param {(t1, t2) => boolean} comparator
+   */
+  addTargetComparator(annotationType, comparator) {
+    const comparatorList = this.#targetComparatorMap.get(annotationType) ?? [];
+    comparatorList.push(comparator);
+    this.#targetComparatorMap.set(annotationType, comparatorList);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Compare two sets of targets to see if they are equal. First checks if
+   * any targets comparators evaluate to true, then falls back to a deep
+   * equality check.
+   * @param {ANNOTATION_TYPES} annotationType
+   * @param {*} targets
+   * @param {*} otherTargets
+   * @returns true if the targets are equal, false otherwise
+   */
+  areAnnotationTargetsEqual(annotationType, targets, otherTargets) {
+    const targetComparatorList = this.#targetComparatorMap.get(annotationType);
+    return (
+      (targetComparatorList?.length &&
+        targetComparatorList.some((targetComparator) => targetComparator(targets, otherTargets))) ||
+      _.isEqual(targets, otherTargets)
+    );
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/plugins/inspectorViews/annotations/AnnotationsInspectorView.vue b/src/plugins/inspectorViews/annotations/AnnotationsInspectorView.vue
index 109c1752fc..5e990943fc 100644
--- a/src/plugins/inspectorViews/annotations/AnnotationsInspectorView.vue
+++ b/src/plugins/inspectorViews/annotations/AnnotationsInspectorView.vue
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@
 
 <script>
 import TagEditor from './tags/TagEditor.vue';
-import _ from 'lodash';
 
 export default {
   components: {
@@ -191,7 +190,6 @@ export default {
       }
     },
     async loadAnnotationForTargetObject(target) {
-      const targetID = this.openmct.objects.makeKeyString(target.identifier);
       // If the user changes targets while annotations are loading,
       // abort the previous request.
       if (this.abortController !== null) {
@@ -199,20 +197,27 @@ export default {
       }
 
       this.abortController = new AbortController();
-      const allAnnotationsForTarget = await this.openmct.annotation.getAnnotations(
-        target.identifier,
-        this.abortController.signal
-      );
-      const filteredAnnotationsForSelection = allAnnotationsForTarget.filter((annotation) => {
-        const matchingTargetID = Object.keys(annotation.targets).filter((loadedTargetID) => {
-          return targetID === loadedTargetID;
-        });
-        const fetchedTargetDetails = annotation.targets[matchingTargetID];
-        const selectedTargetDetails = this.targetDetails[matchingTargetID];
 
-        return _.isEqual(fetchedTargetDetails, selectedTargetDetails);
-      });
-      this.loadNewAnnotations(filteredAnnotationsForSelection);
+      try {
+        const allAnnotationsForTarget = await this.openmct.annotation.getAnnotations(
+          target.identifier,
+          this.abortController.signal
+        );
+        const filteredAnnotationsForSelection = allAnnotationsForTarget.filter((annotation) =>
+          this.openmct.annotation.areAnnotationTargetsEqual(
+            this.annotationType,
+            this.targetDetails,
+            annotation.targets
+          )
+        );
+        this.loadNewAnnotations(filteredAnnotationsForSelection);
+      } catch (err) {
+        if (err.name !== 'AbortError') {
+          throw err;
+        }
+      } finally {
+        this.abortController = null;
+      }
     }
   }
 };