diff --git a/lib/util.js b/lib/util.js
index cd643c3120714a..8d9afe921f4292 100644
--- a/lib/util.js
+++ b/lib/util.js
@@ -314,6 +314,10 @@ function formatValue(ctx, value, recurseTimes) {
       formatted = formatPrimitiveNoColor(ctx, raw);
       return ctx.stylize('[String: ' + formatted + ']', 'string');
     }
+    if (typeof raw === 'symbol') {
+      formatted = formatPrimitiveNoColor(ctx, raw);
+      return ctx.stylize('[Symbol: ' + formatted + ']', 'symbol');
+    }
     if (typeof raw === 'number') {
       formatted = formatPrimitiveNoColor(ctx, raw);
       return ctx.stylize('[Number: ' + formatted + ']', 'number');
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-util-inspect.js b/test/parallel/test-util-inspect.js
index e0264c34f7b685..98567027dd3519 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-util-inspect.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-util-inspect.js
@@ -333,6 +333,7 @@ test_lines({
 
 // test boxed primitives output the correct values
 assert.equal(util.inspect(new String('test')), '[String: \'test\']');
+assert.equal(util.inspect(Object(Symbol('test'))), '[Symbol: Symbol(test)]');
 assert.equal(util.inspect(new Boolean(false)), '[Boolean: false]');
 assert.equal(util.inspect(new Boolean(true)), '[Boolean: true]');
 assert.equal(util.inspect(new Number(0)), '[Number: 0]');