diff --git a/packages/meteor/errors.js b/packages/meteor/errors.js
index cf2777dab8..dfff723900 100644
--- a/packages/meteor/errors.js
+++ b/packages/meteor/errors.js
@@ -4,26 +4,19 @@
 //
 Meteor.makeErrorType = function (name, constructor) {
   var errorClass = function (/*arguments*/) {
-    var self = this;
-
     // Ensure we get a proper stack trace in most Javascript environments
     if (Error.captureStackTrace) {
       // V8 environments (Chrome and Node.js)
-      Error.captureStackTrace(self, errorClass);
+      Error.captureStackTrace(this, errorClass);
     } else {
-      // Firefox
-      var e = new Error;
-      e.__proto__ = errorClass.prototype;
-      if (e instanceof errorClass)
-        self = e;
+      // Borrow the .stack property of a native Error object.
+      this.stack = new Error().stack;
     }
     // Safari magically works.
 
-    constructor.apply(self, arguments);
+    constructor.apply(this, arguments);
 
-    self.errorType = name;
-
-    return self;
+    this.errorType = name;
   };
 
   Meteor._inherits(errorClass, Error);