diff --git a/lib/application.js b/lib/application.js
index 49a2b8c..18c2645 100644
--- a/lib/application.js
+++ b/lib/application.js
@@ -46,6 +46,9 @@ module.exports = class Application extends Emitter {
     this.context = Object.create(context);
     this.request = Object.create(request);
     this.response = Object.create(response);
+    if (util.inspect.custom) {
+      this[util.inspect.custom] = this.inspect;
+    }
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/lib/context.js b/lib/context.js
index a537cb9..80b8351 100644
--- a/lib/context.js
+++ b/lib/context.js
@@ -153,6 +153,16 @@ const proto = module.exports = {
   }
 };
 
+/**
+ * Custom inspection implementation for newer Node.js versions.
+ *
+ * @return {Object}
+ * @api public
+ */
+if (util.inspect.custom) {
+  module.exports[util.inspect.custom] = module.exports.inspect;
+}
+
 /**
  * Response delegation.
  */
diff --git a/lib/request.js b/lib/request.js
index 7881d4c..d1c3b44 100644
--- a/lib/request.js
+++ b/lib/request.js
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ const qs = require('querystring');
 const typeis = require('type-is');
 const fresh = require('fresh');
 const only = require('only');
+const util = require('util');
 
 /**
  * Prototype.
@@ -664,3 +665,13 @@ module.exports = {
     ]);
   }
 };
+
+/**
+ * Custom inspection implementation for newer Node.js versions.
+ *
+ * @return {Object}
+ * @api public
+ */
+if (util.inspect.custom) {
+  module.exports[util.inspect.custom] = module.exports.inspect;
+}
diff --git a/lib/response.js b/lib/response.js
index f9d5828..3eb4d96 100644
--- a/lib/response.js
+++ b/lib/response.js
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ const assert = require('assert');
 const extname = require('path').extname;
 const vary = require('vary');
 const only = require('only');
+const util = require('util');
 
 /**
  * Prototype.
@@ -545,3 +546,13 @@ module.exports = {
     this.res.flushHeaders();
   }
 };
+
+/**
+ * Custom inspection implementation for newer Node.js versions.
+ *
+ * @return {Object}
+ * @api public
+ */
+if (util.inspect.custom) {
+  module.exports[util.inspect.custom] = module.exports.inspect;
+}
diff --git a/test/application/inspect.js b/test/application/inspect.js
index 8c8aeb4..799201c 100644
--- a/test/application/inspect.js
+++ b/test/application/inspect.js
@@ -2,13 +2,20 @@
 'use strict';
 
 const assert = require('assert');
+const util = require('util');
 const Koa = require('../..');
+const app = new Koa();
 
 describe('app.inspect()', () => {
   it('should work', () => {
-    const app = new Koa();
-    const util = require('util');
     const str = util.inspect(app);
     assert.equal("{ subdomainOffset: 2, proxy: false, env: 'test' }", str);
   });
+
+  it('should return a json representation', () => {
+    assert.deepEqual(
+      { subdomainOffset: 2, proxy: false, env: 'test' },
+      app.inspect()
+    );
+  });
 });
diff --git a/test/context/inspect.js b/test/context/inspect.js
index 98edf96..bb1eb50 100644
--- a/test/context/inspect.js
+++ b/test/context/inspect.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 const prototype = require('../../lib/context');
 const assert = require('assert');
+const util = require('util');
 const context = require('../helpers/context');
 
 describe('ctx.inspect()', () => {
@@ -11,10 +12,12 @@ describe('ctx.inspect()', () => {
     const toJSON = ctx.toJSON(ctx);
 
     assert.deepEqual(toJSON, ctx.inspect());
+    assert.deepEqual(util.inspect(toJSON), util.inspect(ctx));
   });
 
   // console.log(require.cache) will call prototype.inspect()
   it('should not crash when called on the prototype', () => {
     assert.deepEqual(prototype, prototype.inspect());
+    assert.deepEqual(util.inspect(prototype.inspect()), util.inspect(prototype));
   });
 });
diff --git a/test/request/inspect.js b/test/request/inspect.js
index 393f219..7d63dea 100644
--- a/test/request/inspect.js
+++ b/test/request/inspect.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 const request = require('../helpers/context').request;
 const assert = require('assert');
+const util = require('util');
 
 describe('req.inspect()', () => {
   describe('with no request.req present', () => {
@@ -10,7 +11,8 @@ describe('req.inspect()', () => {
       const req = request();
       req.method = 'GET';
       delete req.req;
-      assert(null == req.inspect());
+      assert(undefined === req.inspect());
+      assert('undefined' === util.inspect(req));
     });
   });
 
@@ -20,12 +22,15 @@ describe('req.inspect()', () => {
     req.url = 'example.com';
     req.header.host = 'example.com';
 
-    assert.deepEqual({
+    const expected = {
       method: 'GET',
       url: 'example.com',
       header: {
         host: 'example.com'
       }
-    }, req.inspect());
+    };
+
+    assert.deepEqual(req.inspect(), expected);
+    assert.deepEqual(util.inspect(req), util.inspect(expected));
   });
 });
diff --git a/test/response/inspect.js b/test/response/inspect.js
index 8f42d3a..be7cbeb 100644
--- a/test/response/inspect.js
+++ b/test/response/inspect.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 const response = require('../helpers/context').response;
 const assert = require('assert');
+const util = require('util');
 
 describe('res.inspect()', () => {
   describe('with no response.res present', () => {
@@ -11,6 +12,7 @@ describe('res.inspect()', () => {
       res.body = 'hello';
       delete res.res;
       assert.equal(res.inspect(), null);
+      assert.equal(util.inspect(res), 'undefined');
     });
   });
 
@@ -18,14 +20,17 @@ describe('res.inspect()', () => {
     const res = response();
     res.body = 'hello';
 
-    assert.deepEqual({
-      body: 'hello',
+    const expected = {
       status: 200,
       message: 'OK',
       header: {
-        'content-length': '5',
-        'content-type': 'text/plain; charset=utf-8'
-      }
-    }, res.inspect());
+        'content-type': 'text/plain; charset=utf-8',
+        'content-length': '5'
+      },
+      body: 'hello'
+    };
+
+    assert.deepEqual(res.inspect(), expected);
+    assert.deepEqual(util.inspect(res), util.inspect(expected));
   });
 });