diff --git a/lib/assert.js b/lib/assert.js
index 5cd75b220a2448..e3a14bde392386 100644
--- a/lib/assert.js
+++ b/lib/assert.js
@@ -186,8 +186,6 @@ function isArguments(object) {
 function objEquiv(a, b) {
   if (a === null || a === undefined || b === null || b === undefined)
     return false;
-  // an identical 'prototype' property.
-  if (a.prototype !== b.prototype) return false;
   // if one is a primitive, the other must be same
   if (util.isPrimitive(a) || util.isPrimitive(b))
     return a === b;
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-assert.js b/test/parallel/test-assert.js
index 044dfbaca50112..9109fa8ff44a9e 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-assert.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-assert.js
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ assert.doesNotThrow(makeBlock(a.deepEqual, nb1, nb2));
 
 nameBuilder2.prototype = Object;
 nb2 = new nameBuilder2('Ryan', 'Dahl');
-assert.throws(makeBlock(a.deepEqual, nb1, nb2), a.AssertionError);
+assert.doesNotThrow(makeBlock(a.deepEqual, nb1, nb2));
 
 // primitives and object
 assert.throws(makeBlock(a.deepEqual, null, {}), a.AssertionError);