diff --git a/Lib/test/test_traceback.py b/Lib/test/test_traceback.py
index e4833535890d157..3f4bdc88e61944f 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_traceback.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_traceback.py
@@ -19,6 +19,24 @@
 test_tb = namedtuple('tb', ['tb_frame', 'tb_lineno', 'tb_next'])
 
 
+# Variable and functions used to test clear_frames()
+clear_frames_err = None
+
+
+def clear_frames_func1():
+    x = 1
+    clear_frames_func2()
+
+
+def clear_frames_func2():
+    global clear_frames_err
+    z = 3
+    try:
+        raise ValueError()
+    except Exception as exc:
+        clear_frames_err = exc
+
+
 class TracebackCases(unittest.TestCase):
     # For now, a very minimal set of tests.  I want to be sure that
     # formatting of SyntaxErrors works based on changes for 2.1.
@@ -751,29 +769,58 @@ class MiscTracebackCases(unittest.TestCase):
     # Check non-printing functions in traceback module
     #
 
-    def test_clear(self):
+    def test_clear_frames(self):
+        err = None
+
         def outer():
+            x = 1
             middle()
         def middle():
+            y = 2
             inner()
         def inner():
-            i = 1
-            1/0
-
-        try:
-            outer()
-        except:
-            type_, value, tb = sys.exc_info()
-
-        # Initial assertion: there's one local in the inner frame.
-        inner_frame = tb.tb_next.tb_next.tb_next.tb_frame
-        self.assertEqual(len(inner_frame.f_locals), 1)
+            nonlocal err
+            z = 3
+            try:
+                1/0
+            except Exception as exc:
+                err = exc
+
+        def get_locals(tb):
+            flocals = {}
+            frame = tb.tb_frame
+            while frame is not None:
+                name = frame.f_code.co_name
+                if name in ('outer', 'middle', 'inner'):
+                    flocals[name] = dict(frame.f_locals)
+                frame = frame.f_back
+            return flocals
+
+        # Indirectly call inner() to set err
+        outer()
+        tb = err.__traceback__
+
+        # Initial assertion: all frames contains local variables
+        tb_locals = {
+            'outer': {'middle': middle, 'x': 1},
+            'middle': {'inner': inner, 'y': 2},
+            'inner': {'err': err, 'z': 3},
+        }
+        self.assertEqual(get_locals(tb), tb_locals)
 
         # Clear traceback frames
         traceback.clear_frames(tb)
 
-        # Local variable dict should now be empty.
-        self.assertEqual(len(inner_frame.f_locals), 0)
+        # Local variable dictionaries should now be empty.
+        tb_locals = {
+            'outer': {},
+            'middle': {},
+            'inner': {},
+        }
+        self.assertEqual(get_locals(tb), tb_locals)
+
+        # Explicitly break a reference cycle
+        err = None
 
     def test_extract_stack(self):
         def extract():
diff --git a/Lib/traceback.py b/Lib/traceback.py
index fb3bce12a131f76..972699b97ca67ef 100644
--- a/Lib/traceback.py
+++ b/Lib/traceback.py
@@ -211,12 +211,23 @@ def extract_stack(f=None, limit=None):
 
 def clear_frames(tb):
     "Clear all references to local variables in the frames of a traceback."
+    seen = set()
     while tb is not None:
-        try:
-            tb.tb_frame.clear()
-        except RuntimeError:
-            # Ignore the exception raised if the frame is still executing.
-            pass
+        frame = tb.tb_frame
+        while True:
+            key = id(frame)
+            if key in seen:
+                break
+            seen.add(key)
+
+            try:
+                frame.clear()
+            except RuntimeError:
+                # Ignore the exception raised if the frame is still executing.
+                pass
+            frame = frame.f_back
+            if frame is None:
+                break
         tb = tb.tb_next
 
 
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2017-09-01-16-51-04.bpo-31321.AXtvkT.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2017-09-01-16-51-04.bpo-31321.AXtvkT.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000000..0d1834c2738f613
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2017-09-01-16-51-04.bpo-31321.AXtvkT.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+traceback.clear_frames() now iterates on frames to clear all frames of each
+traceback object, not only the first frame.