diff --git a/lib/assert.js b/lib/assert.js
index 5fd17a6e03ffea..357dd1bb0c6e1d 100644
--- a/lib/assert.js
+++ b/lib/assert.js
@@ -57,19 +57,6 @@ assert.AssertionError = function AssertionError(options) {
 // assert.AssertionError instanceof Error
 util.inherits(assert.AssertionError, Error);
 
-function replacer(key, value) {
-  if (util.isUndefined(value)) {
-    return '' + value;
-  }
-  if (util.isNumber(value) && !isFinite(value)) {
-    return value.toString();
-  }
-  if (util.isFunction(value) || util.isRegExp(value)) {
-    return value.toString();
-  }
-  return value;
-}
-
 function truncate(s, n) {
   if (util.isString(s)) {
     return s.length < n ? s : s.slice(0, n);
@@ -79,9 +66,9 @@ function truncate(s, n) {
 }
 
 function getMessage(self) {
-  return truncate(JSON.stringify(self.actual, replacer), 128) + ' ' +
+  return truncate(util.inspect(self.actual, {depth: null}), 128) + ' ' +
          self.operator + ' ' +
-         truncate(JSON.stringify(self.expected, replacer), 128);
+         truncate(util.inspect(self.expected, {depth: null}), 128);
 }
 
 // At present only the three keys mentioned above are used and
diff --git a/test/simple/test-assert.js b/test/simple/test-assert.js
index 84ea9249c5972f..58280406bbd098 100644
--- a/test/simple/test-assert.js
+++ b/test/simple/test-assert.js
@@ -258,36 +258,40 @@ console.log('All OK');
 assert.ok(gotError);
 
 
-// #217
+var circular = {y: 1};
+circular.x = circular;
+
 function testAssertionMessage(actual, expected) {
   try {
     assert.equal(actual, '');
   } catch (e) {
     assert.equal(e.toString(),
-        ['AssertionError:', expected, '==', '""'].join(' '));
+        ['AssertionError:', expected, '==', '\'\''].join(' '));
     assert.ok(e.generatedMessage, "Message not marked as generated");
   }
 }
-testAssertionMessage(undefined, '"undefined"');
+testAssertionMessage(undefined, 'undefined');
 testAssertionMessage(null, 'null');
 testAssertionMessage(true, 'true');
 testAssertionMessage(false, 'false');
 testAssertionMessage(0, '0');
 testAssertionMessage(100, '100');
-testAssertionMessage(NaN, '"NaN"');
-testAssertionMessage(Infinity, '"Infinity"');
-testAssertionMessage(-Infinity, '"-Infinity"');
+testAssertionMessage(NaN, 'NaN');
+testAssertionMessage(Infinity, 'Infinity');
+testAssertionMessage(-Infinity, '-Infinity');
 testAssertionMessage('', '""');
-testAssertionMessage('foo', '"foo"');
+testAssertionMessage('foo', '\'foo\'');
 testAssertionMessage([], '[]');
-testAssertionMessage([1, 2, 3], '[1,2,3]');
-testAssertionMessage(/a/, '"/a/"');
-testAssertionMessage(/abc/gim, '"/abc/gim"');
-testAssertionMessage(function f() {}, '"function f() {}"');
+testAssertionMessage([1, 2, 3], '[ 1, 2, 3 ]');
+testAssertionMessage(/a/, '/a/');
+testAssertionMessage(/abc/gim, '/abc/gim');
+testAssertionMessage(function f() {}, '[Function: f]');
+testAssertionMessage(function () {}, '[Function]');
 testAssertionMessage({}, '{}');
-testAssertionMessage({a: undefined, b: null}, '{"a":"undefined","b":null}');
+testAssertionMessage(circular, '{ y: 1, x: [Circular] }');
+testAssertionMessage({a: undefined, b: null}, '{ a: undefined, b: null }');
 testAssertionMessage({a: NaN, b: Infinity, c: -Infinity},
-    '{"a":"NaN","b":"Infinity","c":"-Infinity"}');
+    '{ a: NaN, b: Infinity, c: -Infinity }');
 
 // #2893
 try {