diff --git a/src/formatter/sortObject.js b/src/formatter/sortObject.js
index 6871d0041..85655415c 100644
--- a/src/formatter/sortObject.js
+++ b/src/formatter/sortObject.js
@@ -23,8 +23,13 @@ export default function sortObject(value: any): any {
       if (key === '_owner') {
         return result;
       }
-      // eslint-disable-next-line no-param-reassign
-      result[key] = sortObject(value[key]);
+      if (key === 'current') {
+        // eslint-disable-next-line no-param-reassign
+        result[key] = '[Circular]';
+      } else {
+        // eslint-disable-next-line no-param-reassign
+        result[key] = sortObject(value[key]);
+      }
       return result;
     }, {});
 }
diff --git a/src/index.spec.js b/src/index.spec.js
index 9103d139a..054f6d3c2 100644
--- a/src/index.spec.js
+++ b/src/index.spec.js
@@ -1126,4 +1126,27 @@ describe('reactElementToJSXString(ReactElement)', () => {
     }
     expect(mount(<App />).find('#hello')).toHaveLength(1);
   });
+
+  it('should not cause recursive loop when an element contains a ref', () => {
+    expect.assertions(1);
+    class App extends Component {
+      constructor(props) {
+        super(props);
+        this.inputRef = React.createRef();
+      }
+      componentDidMount() {
+        expect(reactElementToJSXString(<input ref={this.inputRef} />)).toEqual(
+          `<input
+  ref={{
+    current: '[Circular]'
+  }}
+ />`
+        );
+      }
+      render() {
+        return <input ref={this.inputRef} />;
+      }
+    }
+    mount(<App />);
+  });
 });