diff --git a/lib/handlers.js b/lib/handlers.js
index c00e6b0..57c7991 100755
--- a/lib/handlers.js
+++ b/lib/handlers.js
@@ -192,7 +192,8 @@ function traverser(recurse) {
 
     var results = [];
 
-    var descend = function(value, path) {
+    var descend = function(value, path, seen) {
+      seen = (seen || []).slice()
 
       if (is_array(value)) {
         value.forEach(function(element, index) {
@@ -204,10 +205,15 @@ function traverser(recurse) {
         value.forEach(function(element, index) {
           if (results.length >= count) { return }
           if (recurse) {
-            descend(element, path.concat(index));
+            descend(element, path.concat(index), seen);
           }
         });
       } else if (is_object(value)) {
+        if (seen.indexOf(value) === -1) {
+          seen.push(value);
+        } else {
+          return;
+        }
         this.keys(value).forEach(function(k) {
           if (results.length >= count) { return }
           if (passable(k, value[k], ref)) {
@@ -217,7 +223,7 @@ function traverser(recurse) {
         this.keys(value).forEach(function(k) {
           if (results.length >= count) { return }
           if (recurse) {
-            descend(value[k], path.concat(k));
+            descend(value[k], path.concat(k), seen);
           }
         });
       }
diff --git a/test/query.js b/test/query.js
index 6a2a184..0543668 100644
--- a/test/query.js
+++ b/test/query.js
@@ -355,5 +355,19 @@ suite('query', function() {
     assert.deepEqual(jp.query({a: 1, b: 2, c: null}, '$..["a","b","c","d"]'), [1, 2, null]);
   });
 
+  test('circular reference', function() {
+    var obj = { foo: 'bar' };
+    obj.circularReference = obj;
+    var results = jp.query(obj, '$..*');
+    assert.deepEqual(results, ['bar', obj]);
+
+    var obj = {};
+    var o = { foo: 'bar' }
+    obj.foo = o;
+    obj.bar = o;
+    var results = jp.query(obj, '$..*');
+    assert.deepEqual(results, [o, o, 'bar', 'bar']);
+  });
+
 });