diff --git a/lib/jasmine-core/jasmine.js b/lib/jasmine-core/jasmine.js
index 31839b5f..79e38067 100644
--- a/lib/jasmine-core/jasmine.js
+++ b/lib/jasmine-core/jasmine.js
@@ -2933,8 +2933,7 @@ getJasmineRequireObj().toThrowError = function(j$) {
         }
 
         // Get Error constructor of thrown
-        if (!thrown || !thrown.constructor || !thrown.constructor.constructor ||
-            !(thrown instanceof (thrown.constructor.constructor('return this')()).Error)) {
+        if (!isErrorObject(thrown)) {
           fail.message = function() { return 'Expected function to throw an Error, but it threw ' + j$.pp(thrown) + '.'; };
           return fail;
         }
@@ -3035,7 +3034,18 @@ getJasmineRequireObj().toThrowError = function(j$) {
 
       var Surrogate = function() {};
       Surrogate.prototype = type.prototype;
-      return (new Surrogate()) instanceof Error;
+      return isErrorObject(new Surrogate());
+    }
+
+    function isErrorObject(thrown) {
+      if (thrown instanceof Error) {
+        return true;
+      }
+      if (thrown && thrown.constructor && thrown.constructor.constructor &&
+          (thrown instanceof (thrown.constructor.constructor('return this')()).Error)) {
+        return true;
+      }
+      return false;
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/spec/core/matchers/toThrowErrorSpec.js b/spec/core/matchers/toThrowErrorSpec.js
index db7050c7..14726464 100644
--- a/spec/core/matchers/toThrowErrorSpec.js
+++ b/spec/core/matchers/toThrowErrorSpec.js
@@ -65,51 +65,41 @@ describe("toThrowError", function() {
     expect(result.message()).toEqual("Expected function to throw an Error, but it threw 4.");
   });
 
-  function isNotRunningInBrowser() {
-    return typeof document === 'undefined'
-  }
-
-  function isRunningInPhantomJS(minVersion, maxVersion) {
-    if (!window.callPhantom) {
-      return false;
+  describe("when error is from another frame", function() {
+    function isNotRunningInBrowser() {
+      return typeof document === 'undefined'
     }
 
-    function getVerNum(ver) {
-      var nums = ver.split('.'), verNum = 0;
-      if ((nums[0] = +nums[0])) { verNum += nums[0] * 10000; }
-      if ((nums[1] = +nums[1])) { verNum += nums[1] * 100; }
-      if ((nums[2] = +nums[2])) { verNum += nums[2]; }
-      return verNum;
-    }
+    var iframe = null;
 
-    if (minVersion || maxVersion) {
-      var ver = (/\sPhantomJS\/([\d\.]+)\s/.exec(window.navigator.userAgent) || [])[1];
-      if (!ver) { return false; }
-      ver = getVerNum(ver);
-      if (minVersion && ver < getVerNum(minVersion)) { return false; }
-      if (maxVersion && ver > getVerNum(maxVersion)) { return false; }
-    }
-    return true;
-  }
+    afterEach(function() {
+      if (iframe !== null) {
+        document.body.removeChild(iframe);
+      }
+    });
 
-  it("passes if thrown is an instanceof Error regardless of global that contains its constructor", function() {
-    if (isNotRunningInBrowser() || isRunningInPhantomJS(null, '1.9.8')) {
-      return;
-    }
+    it("passes if thrown is an instanceof Error regardless of global that contains its constructor", function() {
+      if (isNotRunningInBrowser() || jasmine.getEnv().phantomVersion < 2 || jasmine.getEnv().ieVersion < 10) {
+        return;
+      }
 
-    var matcher = jasmineUnderTest.matchers.toThrowError(),
-      iframe = document.body.appendChild(document.createElement("iframe")),
-      iframeDocument = iframe.contentDocument,
-      result;
+      var matcher = jasmineUnderTest.matchers.toThrowError();
+      iframe = document.body.appendChild(document.createElement("iframe"));
+      iframe.src = "about:blank";
+      var iframeDocument = iframe.contentWindow.document;
 
-    iframeDocument.body.appendChild(iframeDocument.createElement("script"))
-      .textContent = "function method() { throw new Error('foo'); }";
+      if (iframeDocument.body) {
+        iframeDocument.body.appendChild(iframeDocument.createElement("script"))
+        .textContent = "function method() { throw new Error('foo'); }";
+      } else {
+        // older IE
+        iframeDocument.write("<html><head><script>function method() { throw new Error('foo'); }</script></head></html>");
+      }
 
-    result = matcher.compare(iframe.contentWindow.method);
-    expect(result.pass).toBe(true);
-    expect(result.message).toEqual("Expected function not to throw an Error, but it threw Error.");
-
-    document.body.removeChild(iframe);
+      var result = matcher.compare(iframe.contentWindow.method);
+      expect(result.pass).toBe(true);
+      expect(result.message).toEqual("Expected function not to throw an Error, but it threw Error.");
+    });
   });
 
   it("fails with the correct message if thrown is a falsy value", function() {
diff --git a/spec/helpers/BrowserFlags.js b/spec/helpers/BrowserFlags.js
index c8300b62..ca39c678 100644
--- a/spec/helpers/BrowserFlags.js
+++ b/spec/helpers/BrowserFlags.js
@@ -20,4 +20,8 @@
     return /Firefox\/([0-9]{0,})/.exec(userAgent);
   });
 
+  env.phantomVersion = browserVersion(function(userAgent) {
+    return /PhantomJs\/([0-9.]{0,})+/.exec(userAgent);
+  });
+
 })(jasmine.getEnv());
diff --git a/src/core/matchers/toThrowError.js b/src/core/matchers/toThrowError.js
index f6859c61..7ddda72e 100644
--- a/src/core/matchers/toThrowError.js
+++ b/src/core/matchers/toThrowError.js
@@ -29,8 +29,7 @@ getJasmineRequireObj().toThrowError = function(j$) {
         }
 
         // Get Error constructor of thrown
-        if (!thrown || !thrown.constructor || !thrown.constructor.constructor ||
-            !(thrown instanceof (thrown.constructor.constructor('return this')()).Error)) {
+        if (!isErrorObject(thrown)) {
           fail.message = function() { return 'Expected function to throw an Error, but it threw ' + j$.pp(thrown) + '.'; };
           return fail;
         }
@@ -131,7 +130,18 @@ getJasmineRequireObj().toThrowError = function(j$) {
 
       var Surrogate = function() {};
       Surrogate.prototype = type.prototype;
-      return (new Surrogate()) instanceof Error;
+      return isErrorObject(new Surrogate());
+    }
+
+    function isErrorObject(thrown) {
+      if (thrown instanceof Error) {
+        return true;
+      }
+      if (thrown && thrown.constructor && thrown.constructor.constructor &&
+          (thrown instanceof (thrown.constructor.constructor('return this')()).Error)) {
+        return true;
+      }
+      return false;
     }
   }