diff --git a/lib/internal/util/inspect.js b/lib/internal/util/inspect.js
index e6787760fea392..79e9c8790103d1 100644
--- a/lib/internal/util/inspect.js
+++ b/lib/internal/util/inspect.js
@@ -541,8 +541,7 @@ function getConstructorName(obj, ctx, recurseTimes, protoProps) {
     const descriptor = ObjectGetOwnPropertyDescriptor(obj, 'constructor');
     if (descriptor !== undefined &&
         typeof descriptor.value === 'function' &&
-        descriptor.value.name !== '' &&
-        tmp instanceof descriptor.value) {
+        descriptor.value.name !== '') {
       if (protoProps !== undefined &&
          (firstProto !== obj ||
          !builtInObjects.has(descriptor.value.name))) {
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-util-inspect.js b/test/parallel/test-util-inspect.js
index 70f2ff64328b64..8d0e87eb00901e 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-util-inspect.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-util-inspect.js
@@ -623,6 +623,18 @@ assert.strictEqual(util.inspect(-5e-324), '-5e-324');
   );
 }
 
+// Test for property descriptors on null/empty object
+{
+  function prototype() {}
+  prototype.prototype = null;
+  const obj = {};
+  obj.constructor = prototype;
+  assert.strictEqual(
+    util.inspect(obj, false),
+    'prototype { constructor: [Function: prototype] }'
+  );
+}
+
 // Exceptions should print the error message, not '{}'.
 {
   [