diff --git a/lib/assert.js b/lib/assert.js
index f8e4920cf38959..09353556f51c29 100644
--- a/lib/assert.js
+++ b/lib/assert.js
@@ -278,6 +278,10 @@ function expectedException(actual, expected) {
     // Ignore.  The instanceof check doesn't work for arrow functions.
   }
 
+  if (Error.isPrototypeOf(expected)) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
   return expected.call({}, actual) === true;
 }
 
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-assert.js b/test/parallel/test-assert.js
index 0b300e737b367d..46678247585243 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-assert.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-assert.js
@@ -344,9 +344,28 @@ a.throws(makeBlock(thrower, TypeError), function(err) {
   }
 });
 
+// https://github.com/nodejs/node/issues/3188
+threw = false;
 
-// GH-207. Make sure deepEqual doesn't loop forever on circular refs
+try {
+  var ES6Error = class extends Error {};
+
+  var AnotherErrorType = class extends Error {};
 
+  const functionThatThrows = function() {
+    throw new AnotherErrorType('foo');
+  };
+
+  assert.throws(functionThatThrows, ES6Error);
+} catch (e) {
+  threw = true;
+  assert(e instanceof AnotherErrorType,
+    `expected AnotherErrorType, received ${e}`);
+}
+
+assert.ok(threw);
+
+// GH-207. Make sure deepEqual doesn't loop forever on circular refs
 var b = {};
 b.b = b;