diff --git a/lib/internal/errors.js b/lib/internal/errors.js
index c07920ae5d0..6d3b0557803 100644
--- a/lib/internal/errors.js
+++ b/lib/internal/errors.js
@@ -184,6 +184,8 @@ function createErrDiff(actual, expected, operator) {
     }
     actualLines.pop();
     expectedLines.pop();
+    if (actualLines.length === 0 || expectedLines.length === 0)
+      break;
     a = actualLines[actualLines.length - 1];
     b = expectedLines[expectedLines.length - 1];
   }
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-assert.js b/test/parallel/test-assert.js
index 869011908c3..f3f0012f842 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-assert.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-assert.js
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ const { EOL } = require('os');
 const EventEmitter = require('events');
 const { errorCache } = require('internal/errors');
 const { writeFileSync, unlinkSync } = require('fs');
+const { inspect } = require('util');
 const a = assert;
 
 assert.ok(a.AssertionError.prototype instanceof Error,
@@ -565,6 +566,17 @@ common.expectsError(
     () => assert.deepEqual(Array(12).fill(1), Array(12).fill(2)),
     { message });
 
+  const obj1 = {};
+  const obj2 = { loop: 'forever' };
+  obj2[inspect.custom] = () => '{}';
+  // No infinite loop and no custom inspect.
+  assert.throws(() => assert.deepEqual(obj1, obj2), {
+    message: `${start}\n` +
+    `${actExp}\n` +
+    '\n' +
+    '  {}'
+  });
+
   // notDeepEqual tests
   message = 'Identical input passed to notDeepStrictEqual:\n[\n  1\n]';
   assert.throws(