diff --git a/eval.c b/eval.c
index ed1eacead1969b..a37e2afc779791 100644
--- a/eval.c
+++ b/eval.c
@@ -461,6 +461,12 @@ exc_setup_cause(VALUE exc, VALUE cause)
     return exc;
 }
 
+static inline int
+sysstack_error_p(VALUE exc)
+{
+	return exc == sysstack_error || (!SPECIAL_CONST_P(exc) && RBASIC_CLASS(exc) == rb_eSysStackError);
+}
+
 static void
 setup_exception(rb_thread_t *th, int tag, volatile VALUE mesg)
 {
@@ -487,8 +493,7 @@ setup_exception(rb_thread_t *th, int tag, volatile VALUE mesg)
 	    rb_iv_set(mesg, "bt", at);
 	}
 	else {
-	    at = get_backtrace(mesg);
-	    if (NIL_P(at)) {
+		if (sysstack_error_p(mesg) || NIL_P(at = get_backtrace(mesg))) {
 		at = rb_vm_backtrace_object();
 		if (OBJ_FROZEN(mesg)) {
 		    mesg = rb_obj_dup(mesg);
@@ -657,7 +662,7 @@ make_exception(int argc, VALUE *argv, int isstr)
 	exc = argv[0];
 	n = 1;
       exception_call:
-	if (exc == sysstack_error) return exc;
+	if (sysstack_error_p(exc)) return exc;
 	CONST_ID(exception, "exception");
 	mesg = rb_check_funcall(exc, exception, n, argv+1);
 	if (mesg == Qundef) {
diff --git a/proc.c b/proc.c
index a13452329de747..54e948da43c8a6 100644
--- a/proc.c
+++ b/proc.c
@@ -2623,6 +2623,7 @@ Init_Proc(void)
     sysstack_error = rb_exc_new3(rb_eSysStackError,
 				 rb_obj_freeze(rb_str_new2("stack level too deep")));
     OBJ_TAINT(sysstack_error);
+    OBJ_FREEZE(sysstack_error);
 
     /* utility functions */
     rb_define_global_function("proc", rb_block_proc, 0);
diff --git a/test/ruby/test_exception.rb b/test/ruby/test_exception.rb
index c3314568c13491..1568233ce27de5 100644
--- a/test/ruby/test_exception.rb
+++ b/test/ruby/test_exception.rb
@@ -496,7 +496,8 @@ def m;
   end
 
   def test_stackoverflow
-    assert_raise(SystemStackError){m}
+    e = assert_raise(SystemStackError){m}
+    assert_operator(e.backtrace.size, :>, 10)
   end
 
   def test_machine_stackoverflow
diff --git a/vm_insnhelper.c b/vm_insnhelper.c
index 7a081d2b7406ec..b8f03323a23de9 100644
--- a/vm_insnhelper.c
+++ b/vm_insnhelper.c
@@ -27,7 +27,10 @@ static rb_control_frame_t *vm_get_ruby_level_caller_cfp(rb_thread_t *th, rb_cont
 static void
 vm_stackoverflow(void)
 {
-    rb_exc_raise(sysstack_error);
+	void rb_obj_copy_ivar(VALUE dest, VALUE obj);
+	VALUE e = rb_obj_alloc(rb_eSysStackError);
+	rb_obj_copy_ivar(e, sysstack_error);
+	rb_exc_raise(e);
 }
 
 static inline rb_control_frame_t *