diff --git a/lib/rawObject.js b/lib/rawObject.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..26376fc360
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/rawObject.js
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+'use strict';
+
+// Using a predefined object with this prototype is faster than calling `Object.create(null)` directly
+// This is needed to make sure `__proto__` and similar reserved words can be used
+function RawObject () {}
+RawObject.prototype = Object.create(null);
+
+module.exports = RawObject;
diff --git a/lib/utils.js b/lib/utils.js
index 61e9a64f75..4093b61dcb 100644
--- a/lib/utils.js
+++ b/lib/utils.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 'use strict';
 
+var RawObject = require('./rawObject');
+
 // hgetall converts its replies to an Object. If the reply is empty, null is returned.
 // These function are only called with internal data and have therefor always the same instanceof X
 function replyToObject (reply) {
@@ -7,7 +9,7 @@ function replyToObject (reply) {
     if (reply.length === 0 || !(reply instanceof Array)) {
         return null;
     }
-    var obj = {};
+    var obj = new RawObject();
     for (var i = 0; i < reply.length; i += 2) {
         obj[reply[i].toString('binary')] = reply[i + 1];
     }
diff --git a/test/commands/hgetall.spec.js b/test/commands/hgetall.spec.js
index d345b13c92..55a0e24780 100644
--- a/test/commands/hgetall.spec.js
+++ b/test/commands/hgetall.spec.js
@@ -22,10 +22,10 @@ describe("The 'hgetall' method", function () {
                 });
 
                 it('handles simple keys and values', function (done) {
-                    client.hmset(['hosts', 'mjr', '1', 'another', '23', 'home', '1234'], helper.isString('OK'));
+                    client.hmset(['hosts', '__proto__', '1', 'another', '23', 'home', '1234'], helper.isString('OK'));
                     client.HGETALL(['hosts'], function (err, obj) {
                         assert.strictEqual(3, Object.keys(obj).length);
-                        assert.strictEqual('1', obj.mjr.toString());
+                        assert.strictEqual('1', obj.__proto__.toString()); // eslint-disable-line no-proto
                         assert.strictEqual('23', obj.another.toString());
                         assert.strictEqual('1234', obj.home.toString());
                         return done(err);
diff --git a/test/pubsub.spec.js b/test/pubsub.spec.js
index b24c1899dc..9cb388b03e 100644
--- a/test/pubsub.spec.js
+++ b/test/pubsub.spec.js
@@ -206,49 +206,27 @@ describe('publish/subscribe', function () {
                     sub.subscribe(channel);
                 });
 
-                it('handles SUBSCRIBE_CLOSE_RESUBSCRIBE', function (done) {
+                it('subscribe; close; resubscribe with prototype inherited property names', function (done) {
                     var count = 0;
-                    /* Create two clients. c1 subscribes to two channels, c2 will publish to them.
-                       c2 publishes the first message.
-                       c1 gets the message and drops its connection. It must resubscribe itself.
-                       When it resubscribes, c2 publishes the second message, on the same channel
-                       c1 gets the message and drops its connection. It must resubscribe itself, again.
-                       When it resubscribes, c2 publishes the third message, on the second channel
-                       c1 gets the message and drops its connection. When it reconnects, the test ends.
-                    */
+                    var channels = ['__proto__', 'channel 2'];
+                    var msg = ['hi from channel __proto__', 'hi from channel 2'];
+
                     sub.on('message', function (channel, message) {
-                        if (channel === 'chan1') {
-                            assert.strictEqual(message, 'hi on channel 1');
-                            sub.stream.end();
-                        } else if (channel === 'chan2') {
-                            assert.strictEqual(message, 'hi on channel 2');
-                            sub.stream.end();
-                        } else {
-                            sub.quit();
-                            pub.quit();
-                            assert.fail('test failed');
-                        }
+                        var n = Math.max(count - 1, 0);
+                        assert.strictEqual(channel, channels[n]);
+                        assert.strictEqual(message, msg[n]);
+                        if (count === 2) return done();
+                        sub.stream.end();
                     });
 
-                    sub.subscribe('chan1', 'chan2');
+                    sub.subscribe(channels);
 
                     sub.on('ready', function (err, results) {
+                        pub.publish(channels[count], msg[count]);
                         count++;
-                        if (count === 1) {
-                            pub.publish('chan1', 'hi on channel 1');
-                            return;
-                        } else if (count === 2) {
-                            pub.publish('chan2', 'hi on channel 2');
-                        } else {
-                            sub.quit(function () {
-                                pub.quit(function () {
-                                    return done();
-                                });
-                            });
-                        }
                     });
 
-                    pub.publish('chan1', 'hi on channel 1');
+                    pub.publish(channels[count], msg[count]);
                 });
             });