diff --git a/assert/assertions.go b/assert/assertions.go
index a27e70546..5d1acf816 100644
--- a/assert/assertions.go
+++ b/assert/assertions.go
@@ -1948,19 +1948,28 @@ func diff(expected interface{}, actual interface{}) string {
 
 	var e, a string
 
-	switch et {
-	case reflect.TypeOf(""):
-		e = reflect.ValueOf(expected).String()
-		a = reflect.ValueOf(actual).String()
-	case reflect.TypeOf(time.Time{}):
-		e = spewConfigStringerEnabled.Sdump(expected)
-		a = spewConfigStringerEnabled.Sdump(actual)
-	default:
-		e = spewConfig.Sdump(expected)
-		a = spewConfig.Sdump(actual)
+	// Use spew to create string representations of the objects
+	// We have to guard against panics in spew.
+	// See https://github.com/stretchr/testify/issues/480
+	panicked, _, _ := didPanic(func() {
+		switch et {
+		case reflect.TypeOf(""):
+			e = reflect.ValueOf(expected).String()
+			a = reflect.ValueOf(actual).String()
+		case reflect.TypeOf(time.Time{}):
+			e = spewConfigStringerEnabled.Sdump(expected)
+			a = spewConfigStringerEnabled.Sdump(actual)
+		default:
+			e = spewConfig.Sdump(expected)
+			a = spewConfig.Sdump(actual)
+		}
+	})
+	if panicked {
+		// silently ignore diff if we panic during spew, the library is no longer maintained
+		return ""
 	}
 
-	diff, _ := difflib.GetUnifiedDiffString(difflib.UnifiedDiff{
+	diff, err := difflib.GetUnifiedDiffString(difflib.UnifiedDiff{
 		A:        difflib.SplitLines(e),
 		B:        difflib.SplitLines(a),
 		FromFile: "Expected",
@@ -1970,6 +1979,11 @@ func diff(expected interface{}, actual interface{}) string {
 		Context:  1,
 	})
 
+	if err != nil {
+		// silently ignore diff if the external library fails to compute it
+		return ""
+	}
+
 	return "\n\nDiff:\n" + diff
 }
 
diff --git a/assert/assertions_test.go b/assert/assertions_test.go
index 4975f5e41..46e3ccefa 100644
--- a/assert/assertions_test.go
+++ b/assert/assertions_test.go
@@ -837,6 +837,39 @@ func TestEqualFormatting(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestEqualFormattingWithPanic(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	type structWithUnexportedMapWithArrayKey struct {
+		m interface{}
+	}
+
+	for _, c := range []struct {
+		a interface{}
+		b interface{}
+	}{
+		{
+			// from the issue https://github.com/stretchr/testify/pull/1816
+			a: structWithUnexportedMapWithArrayKey{
+				map[[1]byte]*struct{}{
+					{1}: nil,
+					{2}: nil,
+				},
+			},
+			b: structWithUnexportedMapWithArrayKey{},
+		},
+	} {
+
+		mockT := new(mockTestingT)
+		NotPanics(t, func() {
+			Equal(mockT, c.a, c.b)
+		}, "should not panic")
+
+		True(t, mockT.Failed(), "should have failed")
+		Contains(t, mockT.errorString(), "Not equal:", "error message should mention inequality")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestFormatUnequalValues(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()