diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e0207b1..1304678 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@
     "mocha": "^3.4.2",
     "nyc": "^11.0.2",
     "pre-commit": "^1.2.2",
+    "react": "^16.12.0",
+    "react-test-renderer": "^16.12.0",
+    "sinon": "^7.5.0",
     "typescript": "^2.6.1"
   },
   "nyc": {
diff --git a/spec/react.spec.js b/spec/react.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1fb54c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/react.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const assert = require('assert');
+const sinon = require('sinon');
+const React = require('react');
+const ReactTestRenderer = require('react-test-renderer');
+
+const equal = require('../es6/react');
+
+class ChildWithShouldComponentUpdate extends React.Component {
+  shouldComponentUpdate(nextProps) {
+    // this.props.children is a h1 with a circular reference to its owner, Container
+    return !equal(this.props, nextProps);
+  }
+  render() {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
+class Container extends React.Component {
+  render() {
+    return React.createElement(ChildWithShouldComponentUpdate, {
+      children: [
+        React.createElement('h1', this.props.title || ''),
+        React.createElement('h2', this.props.subtitle || '')
+      ]
+    });
+  }
+}
+
+describe('advanced', () => {
+  let sandbox;
+  let warnStub;
+  let childRenderSpy;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    sandbox = sinon.createSandbox();
+    warnStub = sandbox.stub(console, 'warn');
+    childRenderSpy = sandbox.spy(ChildWithShouldComponentUpdate.prototype, 'render');
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    sandbox.restore();
+  });
+
+  describe('React', () => {
+    describe('element (with circular references)', () => {
+      it('compares without warning or errors', () => {
+        const testRenderer = ReactTestRenderer.create(React.createElement(Container));
+        testRenderer.update(React.createElement(Container));
+        assert.strictEqual(warnStub.callCount, 0);
+      });
+      it('elements of same type and props are equal', () => {
+        const testRenderer = ReactTestRenderer.create(React.createElement(Container));
+        testRenderer.update(React.createElement(Container));
+        assert.strictEqual(childRenderSpy.callCount, 1);
+      });
+      it('elements of same type with different props are not equal', () => {
+        const testRenderer = ReactTestRenderer.create(React.createElement(Container));
+        testRenderer.update(React.createElement(Container, { title: 'New' }));
+        assert.strictEqual(childRenderSpy.callCount, 2);
+      });
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/index.jst b/src/index.jst
index eabcf74..5d4ee2f 100644
--- a/src/index.jst
+++ b/src/index.jst
@@ -60,6 +60,14 @@ module.exports = function equal(a, b) {
 
     for (i = length; i-- !== 0;) {
       var key = keys[i];
+{{? it.react }}
+      if (key === '_owner' && a.$$typeof) {
+        // React-specific: avoid traversing React elements' _owner.
+        //  _owner contains circular references
+        // and is not needed when comparing the actual elements (and not their owners)
+        continue;
+      }
+{{?}}
       if (!equal(a[key], b[key])) return false;
     }