diff --git a/lib/internal/errors.js b/lib/internal/errors.js
index a41df135407341..5bebf0f092d9af 100644
--- a/lib/internal/errors.js
+++ b/lib/internal/errors.js
@@ -151,9 +151,9 @@ function createErrDiff(actual, expected, operator) {
   var skipped = false;
   const util = lazyUtil();
   const actualLines = util
-    .inspect(actual, { compact: false }).split('\n');
+    .inspect(actual, { compact: false, customInspect: false }).split('\n');
   const expectedLines = util
-    .inspect(expected, { compact: false }).split('\n');
+    .inspect(expected, { compact: false, customInspect: false }).split('\n');
   const msg = `Input A expected to ${operator} input B:\n` +
         `${green}+ expected${white} ${red}- actual${white}`;
   const skippedMsg = ' ... Lines skipped';
@@ -171,6 +171,8 @@ 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];
   }
@@ -295,8 +297,10 @@ class AssertionError extends Error {
       } else if (errorDiff === 1) {
         // In case the objects are equal but the operator requires unequal, show
         // the first object and say A equals B
-        const res = util
-          .inspect(actual, { compact: false }).split('\n');
+        const res = util.inspect(
+          actual,
+          { compact: false, customInspect: false }
+        ).split('\n');
 
         if (res.length > 20) {
           res[19] = '...';
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-assert.js b/test/parallel/test-assert.js
index e422acbbfbcddd..1800b5aa035b54 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;
 
 function makeBlock(f) {
@@ -899,6 +900,21 @@ 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' +
+    `${minus} {}\n` +
+    `${plus} {\n` +
+    `${plus}   loop: 'forever',\n` +
+    `${plus}   [Symbol(util.inspect.custom)]: [Function]\n` +
+    `${plus} }`
+  });
+
   // notDeepEqual tests
   message = 'Identical input passed to notDeepStrictEqual:\n[\n  1\n]';
   assert.throws(