diff --git a/src/getESLint.js b/src/getESLint.js
index c55915d..ecaec3c 100644
--- a/src/getESLint.js
+++ b/src/getESLint.js
@@ -5,10 +5,20 @@ const { Worker: JestWorker } = require('jest-worker');
 // @ts-ignore
 const { setup, lintFiles } = require('./worker');
 const { getESLintOptions } = require('./options');
-const { jsonStringifyReplacerSortKeys } = require('./utils');
 
-/** @type {{[key: string]: any}} */
-const cache = {};
+/** @type {Map<CacheKey, any>} */
+const cache = new Map();
+
+class CacheKey {
+  /**
+   * @param {string|undefined} key
+   * @param {Options} options
+   */
+  constructor(key, options) {
+    this.key = key;
+    this.options = options;
+  }
+}
 
 /** @typedef {import('eslint').ESLint} ESLint */
 /** @typedef {import('eslint').ESLint.LintResult} LintResult */
@@ -46,7 +56,7 @@ async function loadESLint(options) {
  * @returns {Promise<Linter>}
  */
 async function loadESLintThreaded(key, poolSize, options) {
-  const cacheKey = getCacheKey(key, options);
+  const cacheKey = new CacheKey(key, options);
   const { eslintPath = 'eslint' } = options;
   const source = require.resolve('./worker');
   const workerOptions = {
@@ -73,7 +83,7 @@ async function loadESLintThreaded(key, poolSize, options) {
       (worker && (await worker.lintFiles(files))) ||
       /* istanbul ignore next */ [],
     cleanup: async () => {
-      cache[cacheKey] = local;
+      cache.set(cacheKey, local);
       context.lintFiles = (files) => local.lintFiles(files);
       if (worker) {
         worker.end();
@@ -99,23 +109,16 @@ async function getESLint(key, { threads, ...options }) {
       : /* istanbul ignore next */
         threads;
 
-  const cacheKey = getCacheKey(key, { threads, ...options });
-  if (!cache[cacheKey]) {
-    cache[cacheKey] =
+  const cacheKey = new CacheKey(key, { threads, ...options });
+  if (!cache.has(cacheKey)) {
+    cache.set(
+      cacheKey,
       max > 1
         ? await loadESLintThreaded(key, max, options)
-        : await loadESLint(options);
+        : await loadESLint(options),
+    );
   }
-  return cache[cacheKey];
-}
-
-/**
- * @param {string|undefined} key
- * @param {Options} options
- * @returns {string}
- */
-function getCacheKey(key, options) {
-  return JSON.stringify({ key, options }, jsonStringifyReplacerSortKeys);
+  return cache.get(cacheKey);
 }
 
 module.exports = {
diff --git a/src/utils.js b/src/utils.js
index b9ebc36..abac4a0 100644
--- a/src/utils.js
+++ b/src/utils.js
@@ -89,29 +89,8 @@ function parseFoldersToGlobs(patterns, extensions = []) {
   });
 }
 
-/**
- * @param {string} _ key, but unused
- * @param {any} value
- */
-const jsonStringifyReplacerSortKeys = (_, value) => {
-  /**
-   * @param {{ [x: string]: any; }} sorted
-   * @param {string | number} key
-   */
-  const insert = (sorted, key) => {
-    // eslint-disable-next-line no-param-reassign
-    sorted[key] = value[key];
-    return sorted;
-  };
-
-  return value instanceof Object && !(value instanceof Array)
-    ? Object.keys(value).sort().reduce(insert, {})
-    : value;
-};
-
 module.exports = {
   arrify,
   parseFiles,
   parseFoldersToGlobs,
-  jsonStringifyReplacerSortKeys,
 };
diff --git a/test/circular-plugin.test.js b/test/circular-plugin.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..972bcf1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/circular-plugin.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+import pack from './utils/pack';
+
+describe('circular plugin', () => {
+  it('should support plugins with circular configs', async () => {
+    const plugin = {
+      configs: {},
+      rules: {},
+      processors: {},
+    };
+
+    Object.assign(plugin.configs, {
+      recommended: {
+        plugins: {
+          self: plugin,
+        },
+        rules: {},
+      },
+    });
+
+    const loaderOptions = {
+      configType: 'flat',
+      overrideConfig: {
+        plugins: { plugin: plugin },
+      },
+      overrideConfigFile: true,
+    };
+
+    const compiler = pack('good', loaderOptions);
+
+    const stats = await compiler.runAsync();
+    expect(stats.hasWarnings()).toBe(false);
+    expect(stats.hasErrors()).toBe(false);
+  });
+});