diff --git a/lib/sinon/stub.js b/lib/sinon/stub.js
index a24d140ea..3ddca0a99 100644
--- a/lib/sinon/stub.js
+++ b/lib/sinon/stub.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ var behaviors = require("./default-behaviors");
 var createProxy = require("./proxy");
 var functionName = require("@sinonjs/commons").functionName;
 var hasOwnProperty = require("@sinonjs/commons").prototypes.object.hasOwnProperty;
-var isNonExistentOwnProperty = require("./util/core/is-non-existent-own-property");
+var isNonExistentProperty = require("./util/core/is-non-existent-property");
 var spy = require("./spy");
 var extend = require("./util/core/extend");
 var getPropertyDescriptor = require("./util/core/get-property-descriptor");
@@ -69,8 +69,8 @@ function stub(object, property) {
 
     throwOnFalsyObject.apply(null, arguments);
 
-    if (isNonExistentOwnProperty(object, property)) {
-        throw new TypeError("Cannot stub non-existent own property " + valueToString(property));
+    if (isNonExistentProperty(object, property)) {
+        throw new TypeError("Cannot stub non-existent property " + valueToString(property));
     }
 
     var actualDescriptor = getPropertyDescriptor(object, property);
diff --git a/lib/sinon/util/core/is-non-existent-own-property.js b/lib/sinon/util/core/is-non-existent-own-property.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 2df12609a..000000000
--- a/lib/sinon/util/core/is-non-existent-own-property.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-"use strict";
-
-function isNonExistentOwnProperty(object, property) {
-    return object && typeof property !== "undefined" && !(property in object);
-}
-
-module.exports = isNonExistentOwnProperty;
diff --git a/lib/sinon/util/core/is-non-existent-property.js b/lib/sinon/util/core/is-non-existent-property.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f09dc3650
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/sinon/util/core/is-non-existent-property.js
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+"use strict";
+
+/**
+ * @param {*} object
+ * @param {String} property
+ * @returns whether a prop exists in the prototype chain
+ */
+function isNonExistentProperty(object, property) {
+    return object && typeof property !== "undefined" && !(property in object);
+}
+
+module.exports = isNonExistentProperty;
diff --git a/test/sandbox-test.js b/test/sandbox-test.js
index 37c0c2eb6..c4e406ace 100644
--- a/test/sandbox-test.js
+++ b/test/sandbox-test.js
@@ -562,7 +562,7 @@ describe("Sandbox", function() {
                     function() {
                         sandbox.stub(object, Symbol());
                     },
-                    { message: "Cannot stub non-existent own property Symbol()" },
+                    { message: "Cannot stub non-existent property Symbol()" },
                     TypeError
                 );