diff --git a/lib/jasmine-core/jasmine.js b/lib/jasmine-core/jasmine.js
index 0d42c0b1..31839b5f 100644
--- a/lib/jasmine-core/jasmine.js
+++ b/lib/jasmine-core/jasmine.js
@@ -2932,7 +2932,9 @@ getJasmineRequireObj().toThrowError = function(j$) {
           return fail;
         }
 
-        if (!(thrown instanceof Error)) {
+        // Get Error constructor of thrown
+        if (!thrown || !thrown.constructor || !thrown.constructor.constructor ||
+            !(thrown instanceof (thrown.constructor.constructor('return this')()).Error)) {
           fail.message = function() { return 'Expected function to throw an Error, but it threw ' + j$.pp(thrown) + '.'; };
           return fail;
         }
diff --git a/spec/core/matchers/toThrowErrorSpec.js b/spec/core/matchers/toThrowErrorSpec.js
index c15e7129..db7050c7 100644
--- a/spec/core/matchers/toThrowErrorSpec.js
+++ b/spec/core/matchers/toThrowErrorSpec.js
@@ -65,6 +65,53 @@ describe("toThrowError", function() {
     expect(result.message()).toEqual("Expected function to throw an Error, but it threw 4.");
   });
 
+  function isNotRunningInBrowser() {
+    return typeof document === 'undefined'
+  }
+
+  function isRunningInPhantomJS(minVersion, maxVersion) {
+    if (!window.callPhantom) {
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    function getVerNum(ver) {
+      var nums = ver.split('.'), verNum = 0;
+      if ((nums[0] = +nums[0])) { verNum += nums[0] * 10000; }
+      if ((nums[1] = +nums[1])) { verNum += nums[1] * 100; }
+      if ((nums[2] = +nums[2])) { verNum += nums[2]; }
+      return verNum;
+    }
+
+    if (minVersion || maxVersion) {
+      var ver = (/\sPhantomJS\/([\d\.]+)\s/.exec(window.navigator.userAgent) || [])[1];
+      if (!ver) { return false; }
+      ver = getVerNum(ver);
+      if (minVersion && ver < getVerNum(minVersion)) { return false; }
+      if (maxVersion && ver > getVerNum(maxVersion)) { return false; }
+    }
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  it("passes if thrown is an instanceof Error regardless of global that contains its constructor", function() {
+    if (isNotRunningInBrowser() || isRunningInPhantomJS(null, '1.9.8')) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    var matcher = jasmineUnderTest.matchers.toThrowError(),
+      iframe = document.body.appendChild(document.createElement("iframe")),
+      iframeDocument = iframe.contentDocument,
+      result;
+
+    iframeDocument.body.appendChild(iframeDocument.createElement("script"))
+      .textContent = "function method() { throw new Error('foo'); }";
+
+    result = matcher.compare(iframe.contentWindow.method);
+    expect(result.pass).toBe(true);
+    expect(result.message).toEqual("Expected function not to throw an Error, but it threw Error.");
+
+    document.body.removeChild(iframe);
+  });
+
   it("fails with the correct message if thrown is a falsy value", function() {
     var matcher = jasmineUnderTest.matchers.toThrowError(),
       fn = function() {
diff --git a/src/core/matchers/toThrowError.js b/src/core/matchers/toThrowError.js
index 67a880f9..f6859c61 100644
--- a/src/core/matchers/toThrowError.js
+++ b/src/core/matchers/toThrowError.js
@@ -28,7 +28,9 @@ getJasmineRequireObj().toThrowError = function(j$) {
           return fail;
         }
 
-        if (!(thrown instanceof Error)) {
+        // Get Error constructor of thrown
+        if (!thrown || !thrown.constructor || !thrown.constructor.constructor ||
+            !(thrown instanceof (thrown.constructor.constructor('return this')()).Error)) {
           fail.message = function() { return 'Expected function to throw an Error, but it threw ' + j$.pp(thrown) + '.'; };
           return fail;
         }