diff --git a/lib/util.js b/lib/util.js
index b824a71a714..4241ba0f074 100644
--- a/lib/util.js
+++ b/lib/util.js
@@ -118,9 +118,9 @@ exports.inspect = function(obj, showHidden, depth, colors) {
         return stylize('undefined', 'undefined');
 
       case 'string':
-        var simple = JSON.stringify(value).replace(/'/g, "\\'")
-                                          .replace(/\\"/g, '"')
-                                          .replace(/(^"|"$)/g, "'");
+        var simple = '\'' + JSON.stringify(value).replace(/^"|"$/g, '')
+                                                 .replace(/'/g, "\\'")
+                                                 .replace(/\\"/g, '"') + '\'';
         return stylize(simple, 'string');
 
       case 'number':
diff --git a/test/simple/test-console.js b/test/simple/test-console.js
index b7def76c406..e9fd5e6c0fc 100644
--- a/test/simple/test-console.js
+++ b/test/simple/test-console.js
@@ -31,11 +31,12 @@ global.process.stdout.write = function(string) {
 console.log('foo');
 console.log('foo', 'bar');
 console.log('%s %s', 'foo', 'bar', 'hop');
+console.log({slashes: '\\\\'})
 
 global.process.stdout.write = stdout_write;
 assert.equal('foo\n', strings.shift());
 assert.equal('foo bar\n', strings.shift());
 assert.equal('foo bar hop\n', strings.shift());
-
+assert.equal("{ slashes: '\\\\\\\\' }\n", strings.shift());
 
 assert.equal(true, process.stderr.write("hello world"));