diff --git a/IPython/lib/pretty.py b/IPython/lib/pretty.py
index 0689b9d..ee67787 100644
--- a/IPython/lib/pretty.py
+++ b/IPython/lib/pretty.py
@@ -125,49 +125,6 @@ __all__ = ['pretty', 'pprint', 'PrettyPrinter', 'RepresentationPrinter',
 
 _re_pattern_type = type(re.compile(''))
 
-def _failed_repr(obj, e):
-    """Render a failed repr, including the exception.
-    
-    Tries to get exception and type info
-    """
-    # get exception name
-    if e.__class__.__module__ in ('exceptions', 'builtins'):
-        ename = e.__class__.__name__
-    else:
-        ename = '{}.{}'.format(
-            e.__class__.__module__,
-            e.__class__.__name__,
-        )
-    # and exception string, which sometimes fails
-    # (usually due to unicode error message)
-    try:
-        estr = str(e)
-    except Exception:
-        estr = "unknown"
-    
-    # and class name
-    try:
-        klass = _safe_getattr(obj, '__class__', None) or type(obj)
-        mod = _safe_getattr(klass, '__module__', None)
-        if mod in (None, '__builtin__', 'builtins', 'exceptions'):
-            classname = klass.__name__
-        else:
-            classname = mod + '.' + klass.__name__
-    except Exception:
-        # this may be paranoid, but we already know repr is broken
-        classname = "unknown type"
-    
-    # the informative repr
-    return "<repr(<{} at 0x{:x}>) failed: {}: {}>".format(
-        classname, id(obj), ename, estr,
-    )
-
-def _safe_repr(obj):
-    """Don't assume repr is not broken."""
-    try:
-        return repr(obj)
-    except Exception as e:
-        return _failed_repr(obj, e)
 
 def _safe_getattr(obj, attr, default=None):
     """Safe version of getattr.
@@ -560,7 +517,7 @@ def _default_pprint(obj, p, cycle):
     klass = _safe_getattr(obj, '__class__', None) or type(obj)
     if _safe_getattr(klass, '__repr__', None) not in _baseclass_reprs:
         # A user-provided repr. Find newlines and replace them with p.break_()
-        output = _safe_repr(obj)
+        output = repr(obj)
         for idx,output_line in enumerate(output.splitlines()):
             if idx:
                 p.break_()
@@ -736,7 +693,7 @@ def _type_pprint(obj, p, cycle):
 
 def _repr_pprint(obj, p, cycle):
     """A pprint that just redirects to the normal repr function."""
-    p.text(_safe_repr(obj))
+    p.text(repr(obj))
 
 
 def _function_pprint(obj, p, cycle):
diff --git a/IPython/lib/tests/test_pretty.py b/IPython/lib/tests/test_pretty.py
index 2e487dd..b63197f 100644
--- a/IPython/lib/tests/test_pretty.py
+++ b/IPython/lib/tests/test_pretty.py
@@ -1,16 +1,8 @@
-"""Tests for IPython.lib.pretty.
-"""
-#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Copyright (c) 2011, the IPython Development Team.
-#
+"""Tests for IPython.lib.pretty."""
+
+# Copyright (c) IPython Development Team.
 # Distributed under the terms of the Modified BSD License.
-#
-# The full license is in the file COPYING.txt, distributed with this software.
-#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Imports
-#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 from __future__ import print_function
 
 # Third-party imports
@@ -20,9 +12,6 @@ import nose.tools as nt
 from IPython.lib import pretty
 from IPython.testing.decorators import skip_without
 
-#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Classes and functions
-#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 class MyList(object):
     def __init__(self, content):
@@ -161,11 +150,9 @@ def test_pprint_break_repr():
     nt.assert_equal(output, expected)
 
 def test_bad_repr():
-    """Don't raise, even when repr fails"""
-    output = pretty.pretty(BadRepr())
-    nt.assert_in("failed", output)
-    nt.assert_in("at 0x", output)
-    nt.assert_in("test_pretty", output)
+    """Don't catch bad repr errors"""
+    with nt.assert_raises(ZeroDivisionError):
+        output = pretty.pretty(BadRepr())
 
 class BadException(Exception):
     def __str__(self):
@@ -181,10 +168,8 @@ class ReallyBadRepr(object):
         raise BadException()
 
 def test_really_bad_repr():
-    output = pretty.pretty(ReallyBadRepr())
-    nt.assert_in("failed", output)
-    nt.assert_in("BadException: unknown", output)
-    nt.assert_in("unknown type", output)
+    with nt.assert_raises(BadException):
+        output = pretty.pretty(ReallyBadRepr())
 
 
 class SA(object):