diff --git a/lib/events.js b/lib/events.js
index 2c6262205f7073..b47fadd64752e3 100644
--- a/lib/events.js
+++ b/lib/events.js
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ EventEmitter.usingDomains = false;
 
 EventEmitter.prototype.domain = undefined;
 EventEmitter.prototype[kEvents] = undefined;
+EventEmitter.prototype[kEventsProxy] = undefined;
 EventEmitter.prototype._maxListeners = undefined;
 
 // By default EventEmitters will print a warning if more than 10 listeners are
@@ -78,31 +79,42 @@ EventEmitter.init = function() {
     }
   }
 
-  if (this[kEvents] === Object.getPrototypeOf(this)[kEvents])
-    this[kEvents] = undefined;
-
-  this._maxListeners = this._maxListeners || undefined;
+  if (!this._maxListeners)
+    this._maxListeners = undefined;
 };
 
 // Events proxy for compatibility with older user-land code
 const proxyEventsHandler = {
   deleteProperty({ emitter }, prop) {
     const events = emitter[kEvents];
-    return events === undefined ? false : emitter[kEvents].delete(prop);
+    if (events === undefined)
+      return false;
+    if (!events.has(prop) &&
+        typeof prop !== 'string' &&
+        typeof prop !== 'symbol')
+      prop = String(prop);
+    return events.delete(prop);
   },
   get({ emitter }, prop) {
     const events = emitter[kEvents];
     if (events === undefined)
       return;
-    if (typeof prop !== 'string' && typeof prop !== 'symbol')
-      prop = String(prop);
-    return events.get(prop);
+    let value = events.get(prop);
+    if (value === undefined &&
+        typeof prop !== 'string' &&
+        typeof prop !== 'symbol')
+      value = events.get(String(prop));
+    return value;
   },
   getOwnPropertyDescriptor({ emitter }, prop) {
     const events = emitter[kEvents];
     if (events === undefined)
       return undefined;
-    const value = events.get(prop);
+    let value = events.get(prop);
+    if (value === undefined &&
+        typeof prop !== 'string' &&
+        typeof prop !== 'symbol')
+      value = events.get(String(prop));
     if (value === undefined)
       return undefined;
     return {
@@ -119,22 +131,27 @@ const proxyEventsHandler = {
     const events = emitter[kEvents];
     if (events === undefined)
       return false;
-    if (typeof prop !== 'string' && typeof prop !== 'symbol')
-      prop = String(prop);
-    return events.has(prop);
+    let has = events.has(prop);
+    if (!has && typeof prop !== 'string' && typeof prop !== 'symbol')
+      has = events.has(String(prop));
+    return has;
   },
   ownKeys({ emitter }) {
     const events = emitter[kEvents];
     if (events === undefined)
       return [];
-    return [...events.keys()];
+    const keys = new Array(events.size);
+    var i = 0;
+    for (var [key] of events) {
+      keys[i++] = typeof key !== 'string' && typeof key !== 'symbol' ?
+        String(key) : key;
+    }
+    return keys;
   },
   set({ emitter }, prop, value) {
     let events = emitter[kEvents];
     if (events === undefined)
       events = emitter[kEvents] = new Map();
-    if (typeof prop !== 'string' && typeof prop !== 'symbol')
-      prop = String(prop);
     events.set(prop, value);
     return true;
   }