diff --git a/lib/assert.js b/lib/assert.js
index b15549f83d74bb..8955aa8761d7c2 100644
--- a/lib/assert.js
+++ b/lib/assert.js
@@ -193,8 +193,9 @@ function _deepEqual(actual, expected, strict, memos) {
   } else {
     memos = memos || {actual: [], expected: []};
 
-    if (memos.actual.includes(actual)) {
-      if (memos.actual.indexOf(actual) === memos.expected.indexOf(expected)) {
+    const actualIndex = memos.actual.indexOf(actual);
+    if (actualIndex !== -1) {
+      if (actualIndex === memos.expected.indexOf(expected)) {
         return true;
       }
     }
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-assert.js b/test/parallel/test-assert.js
index ddd2160a5079e4..894eb581b721a2 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-assert.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-assert.js
@@ -401,8 +401,8 @@ assert.ok(threw);
   e.a = 1;
   e.b = e.a;
 
-  a.throws(makeBlock(a.deepEqual, d, e));
-  a.throws(makeBlock(a.deepStrictEqual, d, e));
+  a.throws(makeBlock(a.deepEqual, d, e), /AssertionError/);
+  a.throws(makeBlock(a.deepStrictEqual, d, e), /AssertionError/);
 }
 // GH-7178. Ensure reflexivity of deepEqual with `arguments` objects.
 var args = (function() { return arguments; })();