diff --git a/src/stringify.js b/src/stringify.js
index 2c1a343c3701..8506f37bb624 100644
--- a/src/stringify.js
+++ b/src/stringify.js
@@ -3,18 +3,7 @@
 /* global: toDebugString: true */
 
 function serializeObject(obj) {
-  var seen = [];
-
-  return JSON.stringify(obj, function(key, val) {
-    val = toJsonReplacer(key, val);
-    if (isObject(val)) {
-
-      if (seen.indexOf(val) >= 0) return '<<already seen>>';
-
-      seen.push(val);
-    }
-    return val;
-  });
+  return JSON.stringify(decycleObject(obj), toJsonReplacer);
 }
 
 function toDebugString(obj) {
@@ -27,3 +16,55 @@ function toDebugString(obj) {
   }
   return obj;
 }
+
+/**
+ * Loops through object properties and detects circular references.
+ * Detected circular references are replaced with '...'.
+ *
+ * @param {Object} object Object instance
+ * @param {Array=} seen Private argument, leave it undefined (it is used internally for recursion)
+ * @returns {Object} Simple representation of an object (plain object or array)
+ */
+function decycleObject(object, seen) {
+  // make sure simple types are returned untouched
+  if (!canContainCircularReference(object)) return object;
+
+  // make sure to assign correct type of a safe object
+  var safeObject = isArray(object) ? [] : {};
+
+  // make local copy of the reference array to be sure
+  // objects are referenced in straight line
+  seen = seen ? seen.slice() : [];
+
+  for (var key in object) {
+    var property = object[key];
+
+    if (canContainCircularReference(property)) {
+      if (seen.indexOf(property) >= 0) {
+        safeObject[key] = '...';
+      } else {
+        if (seen.indexOf(object) === -1) seen.push(object);
+        safeObject[key] = decycleObject(property, seen);
+      }
+    } else {
+      safeObject[key] = property;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return safeObject;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Check if passed object is an enumerable object and has at least one key
+ *
+ * @param {Object} object
+ * @returns {Boolean}
+ */
+function canContainCircularReference(object) {
+  if (isObject(object)) {
+    for (var i in object) {
+      return true;
+    }
+  }
+  return false;
+}
diff --git a/test/minErrSpec.js b/test/minErrSpec.js
index 848188c98ab0..bf1af6d60eea 100644
--- a/test/minErrSpec.js
+++ b/test/minErrSpec.js
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ describe('minErr', function() {
     a.b.a = a;
 
     var myError = testError('26', 'a is {0}', a);
-    expect(myError.message).toMatch(/a is {"b":{"a":"<<already seen>>"}}/);
+    expect(myError.message).toMatch(/a is {"b":{"a":"..."}}/);
   });
 
   it('should preserve interpolation markers when fewer arguments than needed are provided', function() {
diff --git a/test/stringifySpec.js b/test/stringifySpec.js
index e849b3e86cb8..632cc128af20 100644
--- a/test/stringifySpec.js
+++ b/test/stringifySpec.js
@@ -7,9 +7,11 @@ describe('toDebugString', function() {
     expect(toDebugString({a:{b:'c'}})).toEqual('{"a":{"b":"c"}}');
     expect(toDebugString(function fn() { var a = 10; })).toEqual('function fn()');
     expect(toDebugString()).toEqual('undefined');
-    var a = { };
+
+    // circular references
+    var a = {};
     a.a = a;
-    expect(toDebugString(a)).toEqual('{"a":"<<already seen>>"}');
-    expect(toDebugString([a,a])).toEqual('[{"a":"<<already seen>>"},"<<already seen>>"]');
+    expect(toDebugString(a)).toEqual('{"a":{"a":"..."}}');
+    expect(toDebugString([a,a])).toEqual('[{"a":{"a":"..."}},{"a":{"a":"..."}}]');
   });
 });