diff --git a/lib/internal/test_runner/reporter/tap.js b/lib/internal/test_runner/reporter/tap.js
index e8cf727daede64..cd0bbe8ca53003 100644
--- a/lib/internal/test_runner/reporter/tap.js
+++ b/lib/internal/test_runner/reporter/tap.js
@@ -224,8 +224,11 @@ function jsToYaml(indent, name, value, seen) {
     }
 
     if (errIsAssertion) {
-      result += jsToYaml(indent, 'expected', errExpected, seen);
-      result += jsToYaml(indent, 'actual', errActual, seen);
+      // Note that we're deliberately creating shallow copies of the `seen`
+      // set here in order to isolate the discovery of circular references
+      // within the expected and actual properties respectively.
+      result += jsToYaml(indent, 'expected', errExpected, new SafeSet(seen));
+      result += jsToYaml(indent, 'actual', errActual, new SafeSet(seen));
       if (errOperator) {
         result += jsToYaml(indent, 'operator', errOperator, seen);
       }
diff --git a/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/junit_reporter.snapshot b/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/junit_reporter.snapshot
index 562c7696cbd0ec..94d16f7205a71a 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/junit_reporter.snapshot
+++ b/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/junit_reporter.snapshot
@@ -422,20 +422,28 @@ Error [ERR_TEST_FAILURE]: bar
 }
 		</failure>
 	</testcase>
-	<testcase name="assertion errors display actual and expected properly" time="*" classname="test" failure="Expected values to be loosely deep-equal:{  bar: 1,  foo: 1}should loosely deep-equal&lt;ref *1> {  bar: 2,  c: [Circular *1]}">
-		<failure type="testCodeFailure" message="Expected values to be loosely deep-equal:{  bar: 1,  foo: 1}should loosely deep-equal&lt;ref *1> {  bar: 2,  c: [Circular *1]}">
+	<testcase name="assertion errors display actual and expected properly" time="*" classname="test" failure="Expected values to be loosely deep-equal:{  bar: 1,  boo: [    1  ],  foo: 1}should loosely deep-equal{  boo: [    1  ],  circular: &lt;ref *1> {    bar: 2,    c: [Circular *1]  }}">
+		<failure type="testCodeFailure" message="Expected values to be loosely deep-equal:{  bar: 1,  boo: [    1  ],  foo: 1}should loosely deep-equal{  boo: [    1  ],  circular: &lt;ref *1> {    bar: 2,    c: [Circular *1]  }}">
 [Error [ERR_TEST_FAILURE]: Expected values to be loosely deep-equal:
 
 {
   bar: 1,
+  boo: [
+    1
+  ],
   foo: 1
 }
 
 should loosely deep-equal
 
-&lt;ref *1> {
-  bar: 2,
-  c: [Circular *1]
+{
+  boo: [
+    1
+  ],
+  circular: &lt;ref *1> {
+    bar: 2,
+    c: [Circular *1]
+  }
 }] {
   code: 'ERR_TEST_FAILURE',
   failureType: 'testCodeFailure',
@@ -443,14 +451,22 @@ should loosely deep-equal
   
   {
     bar: 1,
+    boo: [
+      1
+    ],
     foo: 1
   }
   
   should loosely deep-equal
   
-  &lt;ref *1> {
-    bar: 2,
-    c: [Circular *1]
+  {
+    boo: [
+      1
+    ],
+    circular: &lt;ref *1> {
+      bar: 2,
+      c: [Circular *1]
+    }
   }
       * {
     generatedMessage: true,
diff --git a/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/lcov_reporter.snapshot b/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/lcov_reporter.snapshot
index c14f4c7ce2baee..7146a369275980 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/lcov_reporter.snapshot
+++ b/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/lcov_reporter.snapshot
@@ -694,6 +694,7 @@ DA:388,1
 DA:389,1
 DA:390,1
 DA:391,1
-LH:389
-LF:391
+DA:392,1
+LH:390
+LF:392
 end_of_record
diff --git a/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/output.js b/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/output.js
index f37d3495030950..95512e745fccaa 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/output.js
+++ b/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/output.js
@@ -382,8 +382,9 @@ test('assertion errors display actual and expected properly', async () => {
   circular.c = circular;
   const tmpLimit = Error.stackTraceLimit;
   Error.stackTraceLimit = 1;
+  const boo = [1];
   try {
-    assert.deepEqual({ foo: 1, bar: 1 }, circular); // eslint-disable-line no-restricted-properties
+    assert.deepEqual({ foo: 1, bar: 1, boo }, { boo, circular }); // eslint-disable-line no-restricted-properties
   } catch (err) {
     Error.stackTraceLimit = tmpLimit;
     throw err;
diff --git a/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/output.snapshot b/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/output.snapshot
index 18f030dab361ab..dfa8b3f2df2b7a 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/output.snapshot
+++ b/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/output.snapshot
@@ -643,23 +643,36 @@ not ok 61 - assertion errors display actual and expected properly
     
     {
       bar: 1,
+      boo: [
+        1
+      ],
       foo: 1
     }
     
     should loosely deep-equal
     
-    <ref *1> {
-      bar: 2,
-      c: [Circular *1]
+    {
+      boo: [
+        1
+      ],
+      circular: <ref *1> {
+        bar: 2,
+        c: [Circular *1]
+      }
     }
   code: 'ERR_ASSERTION'
   name: 'AssertionError'
   expected:
-    bar: 2
-    c: <Circular>
+    boo:
+      0: 1
+    circular:
+      bar: 2
+      c: <Circular>
   actual:
     foo: 1
     bar: 1
+    boo:
+      0: 1
   operator: 'deepEqual'
   stack: |-
     *
diff --git a/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/output_cli.snapshot b/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/output_cli.snapshot
index 3cef8f29b253b9..3bfa8cee4bf2a1 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/output_cli.snapshot
+++ b/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/output_cli.snapshot
@@ -643,23 +643,36 @@ not ok 61 - assertion errors display actual and expected properly
     
     {
       bar: 1,
+      boo: [
+        1
+      ],
       foo: 1
     }
     
     should loosely deep-equal
     
-    <ref *1> {
-      bar: 2,
-      c: [Circular *1]
+    {
+      boo: [
+        1
+      ],
+      circular: <ref *1> {
+        bar: 2,
+        c: [Circular *1]
+      }
     }
   code: 'ERR_ASSERTION'
   name: 'AssertionError'
   expected:
-    bar: 2
-    c: <Circular>
+    boo:
+      0: 1
+    circular:
+      bar: 2
+      c: <Circular>
   actual:
     foo: 1
     bar: 1
+    boo:
+      0: 1
   operator: 'deepEqual'
   stack: |-
     *
diff --git a/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/spec_reporter.snapshot b/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/spec_reporter.snapshot
index 8f14dc7fc9bade..bfa5b61ac00137 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/spec_reporter.snapshot
+++ b/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/spec_reporter.snapshot
@@ -263,14 +263,22 @@
   
   {
     bar: 1,
+    boo: [
+      1
+    ],
     foo: 1
   }
   
   should loosely deep-equal
   
-  <ref *1> {
-    bar: 2,
-    c: [Circular *1]
+  {
+    boo: [
+      1
+    ],
+    circular: <ref *1> {
+      bar: 2,
+      c: [Circular *1]
+    }
   }
       * {
     generatedMessage: true,
@@ -528,14 +536,22 @@
   
   {
     bar: 1,
+    boo: [
+      1
+    ],
     foo: 1
   }
   
   should loosely deep-equal
   
-  <ref *1> {
-    bar: 2,
-    c: [Circular *1]
+  {
+    boo: [
+      1
+    ],
+    circular: <ref *1> {
+      bar: 2,
+      c: [Circular *1]
+    }
   }
       * {
     generatedMessage: true,
diff --git a/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/spec_reporter_cli.snapshot b/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/spec_reporter_cli.snapshot
index a9b70560d905b2..933385e1e02161 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/spec_reporter_cli.snapshot
+++ b/test/fixtures/test-runner/output/spec_reporter_cli.snapshot
@@ -263,20 +263,28 @@
   
   {
     bar: 1,
+    boo: [
+      1
+    ],
     foo: 1
   }
   
   should loosely deep-equal
   
-  <ref *1> {
-    bar: 2,
-    c: [Circular *1]
+  {
+    boo: [
+      1
+    ],
+    circular: <ref *1> {
+      bar: 2,
+      c: [Circular *1]
+    }
   }
       * {
     generatedMessage: true,
     code: 'ERR_ASSERTION',
-    actual: { foo: 1, bar: 1 },
-    expected: <ref *1> { bar: 2, c: [Circular *1] },
+    actual: { foo: 1, bar: 1, boo: [ 1 ] },
+    expected: { boo: [ 1 ], circular: <ref *1> { bar: 2, c: [Circular *1] } },
     operator: 'deepEqual'
   }
 
@@ -528,20 +536,28 @@
   
   {
     bar: 1,
+    boo: [
+      1
+    ],
     foo: 1
   }
   
   should loosely deep-equal
   
-  <ref *1> {
-    bar: 2,
-    c: [Circular *1]
+  {
+    boo: [
+      1
+    ],
+    circular: <ref *1> {
+      bar: 2,
+      c: [Circular *1]
+    }
   }
       * {
     generatedMessage: true,
     code: 'ERR_ASSERTION',
-    actual: { foo: 1, bar: 1 },
-    expected: <ref *1> { bar: 2, c: [Circular *1] },
+    actual: { foo: 1, bar: 1, boo: [ 1 ] },
+    expected: { boo: [ 1 ], circular: <ref *1> { bar: 2, c: [Circular *1] } },
     operator: 'deepEqual'
   }