diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 013b611055fe..ff05fda5d1e8 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 * `[pretty-format]` Prevent error in pretty-format for window in jsdom test env ([#4750](https://github.com/facebook/jest/pull/4750))
 * `[jest-resolve]` Preserve module identity for symlinks ([#4761](https://github.com/facebook/jest/pull/4761))
 * `[jest-config]` Include error message for `preset` json ([#4766](https://github.com/facebook/jest/pull/4766))
+* `[pretty-format]` Throw `PrettyFormatPluginError` if a plugin halts with an exception ([#4787](https://github.com/facebook/jest/pull/4787))
+* `[expect]` Keep the stack trace unchanged when `PrettyFormatPluginError` is thrown by pretty-format ([#4787](https://github.com/facebook/jest/pull/4787))
 
 ### Features
 * `[jest-environment-jsdom]` [**BREAKING**] Upgrade to JSDOM@11 ([#4770](https://github.com/facebook/jest/pull/4770))
diff --git a/packages/expect/src/index.js b/packages/expect/src/index.js
index 8a1f3164f4cc..e43ebb343987 100644
--- a/packages/expect/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/expect/src/index.js
@@ -197,12 +197,14 @@ const makeThrowingMatcher = (
     try {
       result = matcher.apply(matcherContext, [actual].concat(args));
     } catch (error) {
-      if (!(error instanceof JestAssertionError)) {
-        // Try to remove this and deeper functions from the stack trace frame.
+      if (
+        !(error instanceof JestAssertionError) &&
+        error.name !== 'PrettyFormatPluginError' &&
         // Guard for some environments (browsers) that do not support this feature.
-        if (Error.captureStackTrace) {
-          Error.captureStackTrace(error, throwingMatcher);
-        }
+        Error.captureStackTrace
+      ) {
+        // Try to remove this and deeper functions from the stack trace frame.
+        Error.captureStackTrace(error, throwingMatcher);
       }
       throw error;
     }
diff --git a/packages/pretty-format/src/__tests__/pretty_format.test.js b/packages/pretty-format/src/__tests__/pretty_format.test.js
index 28ea1dd05b94..41a833b0e798 100644
--- a/packages/pretty-format/src/__tests__/pretty_format.test.js
+++ b/packages/pretty-format/src/__tests__/pretty_format.test.js
@@ -549,6 +549,66 @@ describe('prettyFormat()', () => {
     }).toThrow();
   });
 
+  it('throws PrettyFormatPluginError if test throws an error', () => {
+    expect.hasAssertions();
+    const options = {
+      plugins: [
+        {
+          print: () => '',
+          test() {
+            throw new Error('Where is the error?');
+          },
+        },
+      ],
+    };
+
+    try {
+      prettyFormat('', options);
+    } catch (error) {
+      expect(error.name).toBe('PrettyFormatPluginError');
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('throws PrettyFormatPluginError if print throws an error', () => {
+    expect.hasAssertions();
+    const options = {
+      plugins: [
+        {
+          print: () => {
+            throw new Error('Where is the error?');
+          },
+          test: () => true,
+        },
+      ],
+    };
+
+    try {
+      prettyFormat('', options);
+    } catch (error) {
+      expect(error.name).toBe('PrettyFormatPluginError');
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('throws PrettyFormatPluginError if serialize throws an error', () => {
+    expect.hasAssertions();
+    const options = {
+      plugins: [
+        {
+          serialize: () => {
+            throw new Error('Where is the error?');
+          },
+          test: () => true,
+        },
+      ],
+    };
+
+    try {
+      prettyFormat('', options);
+    } catch (error) {
+      expect(error.name).toBe('PrettyFormatPluginError');
+    }
+  });
+
   it('supports plugins with deeply nested arrays (#24)', () => {
     const val = [[1, 2], [3, 4]];
     expect(
diff --git a/packages/pretty-format/src/index.js b/packages/pretty-format/src/index.js
index c1df9ac4ebcd..f48206364729 100644
--- a/packages/pretty-format/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/pretty-format/src/index.js
@@ -48,6 +48,14 @@ const isWindow = val => typeof window !== 'undefined' && val === window;
 const SYMBOL_REGEXP = /^Symbol\((.*)\)(.*)$/;
 const NEWLINE_REGEXP = /\n/gi;
 
+class PrettyFormatPluginError extends Error {
+  constructor(message, stack) {
+    super(message);
+    this.stack = stack;
+    this.name = this.constructor.name;
+  }
+}
+
 function isToStringedArrayType(toStringed: string): boolean {
   return (
     toStringed === '[object Array]' ||
@@ -246,25 +254,31 @@ function printPlugin(
   depth: number,
   refs: Refs,
 ): string {
-  const printed = plugin.serialize
-    ? plugin.serialize(val, config, indentation, depth, refs, printer)
-    : plugin.print(
-        val,
-        valChild => printer(valChild, config, indentation, depth, refs),
-        str => {
-          const indentationNext = indentation + config.indent;
-          return (
-            indentationNext +
-            str.replace(NEWLINE_REGEXP, '\n' + indentationNext)
-          );
-        },
-        {
-          edgeSpacing: config.spacingOuter,
-          min: config.min,
-          spacing: config.spacingInner,
-        },
-        config.colors,
-      );
+  let printed;
+
+  try {
+    printed = plugin.serialize
+      ? plugin.serialize(val, config, indentation, depth, refs, printer)
+      : plugin.print(
+          val,
+          valChild => printer(valChild, config, indentation, depth, refs),
+          str => {
+            const indentationNext = indentation + config.indent;
+            return (
+              indentationNext +
+              str.replace(NEWLINE_REGEXP, '\n' + indentationNext)
+            );
+          },
+          {
+            edgeSpacing: config.spacingOuter,
+            min: config.min,
+            spacing: config.spacingInner,
+          },
+          config.colors,
+        );
+  } catch (error) {
+    throw new PrettyFormatPluginError(error.message, error.stack);
+  }
   if (typeof printed !== 'string') {
     throw new Error(
       `pretty-format: Plugin must return type "string" but instead returned "${typeof printed}".`,
@@ -275,8 +289,12 @@ function printPlugin(
 
 function findPlugin(plugins: Plugins, val: any) {
   for (let p = 0; p < plugins.length; p++) {
-    if (plugins[p].test(val)) {
-      return plugins[p];
+    try {
+      if (plugins[p].test(val)) {
+        return plugins[p];
+      }
+    } catch (error) {
+      throw new PrettyFormatPluginError(error.message, error.stack);
     }
   }