diff --git a/assert/assertions.go b/assert/assertions.go
index 230118b3b..0357b2231 100644
--- a/assert/assertions.go
+++ b/assert/assertions.go
@@ -1004,27 +1004,21 @@ func Condition(t TestingT, comp Comparison, msgAndArgs ...interface{}) bool {
 type PanicTestFunc func()
 
 // didPanic returns true if the function passed to it panics. Otherwise, it returns false.
-func didPanic(f PanicTestFunc) (bool, interface{}, string) {
-
-	didPanic := false
-	var message interface{}
-	var stack string
-	func() {
-
-		defer func() {
-			if message = recover(); message != nil {
-				didPanic = true
-				stack = string(debug.Stack())
-			}
-		}()
-
-		// call the target function
-		f()
+func didPanic(f PanicTestFunc) (didPanic bool, message interface{}, stack string) {
+	didPanic = true
 
+	defer func() {
+		message = recover()
+		if didPanic {
+			stack = string(debug.Stack())
+		}
 	}()
 
-	return didPanic, message, stack
+	// call the target function
+	f()
+	didPanic = false
 
+	return
 }
 
 // Panics asserts that the code inside the specified PanicTestFunc panics.
diff --git a/assert/assertions_test.go b/assert/assertions_test.go
index 0b5b2c187..0f5de92ff 100644
--- a/assert/assertions_test.go
+++ b/assert/assertions_test.go
@@ -923,10 +923,18 @@ func TestCondition(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestDidPanic(t *testing.T) {
 
-	if funcDidPanic, _, _ := didPanic(func() {
-		panic("Panic!")
-	}); !funcDidPanic {
-		t.Error("didPanic should return true")
+	const panicMsg = "Panic!"
+
+	if funcDidPanic, msg, _ := didPanic(func() {
+		panic(panicMsg)
+	}); !funcDidPanic || msg != panicMsg {
+		t.Error("didPanic should return true, panicMsg")
+	}
+
+	if funcDidPanic, msg, _ := didPanic(func() {
+		panic(nil)
+	}); !funcDidPanic || msg != nil {
+		t.Error("didPanic should return true, nil")
 	}
 
 	if funcDidPanic, _, _ := didPanic(func() {
@@ -963,6 +971,12 @@ func TestPanicsWithValue(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Error("PanicsWithValue should return true")
 	}
 
+	if !PanicsWithValue(mockT, nil, func() {
+		panic(nil)
+	}) {
+		t.Error("PanicsWithValue should return true")
+	}
+
 	if PanicsWithValue(mockT, "Panic!", func() {
 	}) {
 		t.Error("PanicsWithValue should return false")