diff --git a/plugins/react-native.js b/plugins/react-native.js
index 4db0644cd512..8b37f3bf1431 100644
--- a/plugins/react-native.js
+++ b/plugins/react-native.js
@@ -58,7 +58,12 @@ function reactNativePlugin(Raven, options) {
 
     ErrorUtils.setGlobalHandler(function() {
         var error = arguments[0];
-        defaultHandler.apply(this, arguments)
+        // We only call the default handler in development mode so that you are
+        // presented with the redbox.  Calling the default handler in production
+        // will trigger an Objective-C exception and crash the app.
+        if ('__DEV__' in global && global.__DEV__) {
+            defaultHandler.apply(this, arguments)
+        }
         Raven.captureException(error);
     });
 }
diff --git a/test/plugins/react-native.test.js b/test/plugins/react-native.test.js
index 62a205bb8f1f..84064123b71a 100644
--- a/test/plugins/react-native.test.js
+++ b/test/plugins/react-native.test.js
@@ -135,7 +135,8 @@ describe('React Native plugin', function () {
             }
         });
 
-        it('should call the default React Native handler and Raven.captureException', function () {
+        it('should call the default React Native handler and Raven.captureException in development mode', function () {
+            global.__DEV__ = true;
             reactNativePlugin(Raven);
             var err = new Error();
             this.sinon.stub(Raven, 'captureException');
@@ -146,5 +147,17 @@ describe('React Native plugin', function () {
             assert.isTrue(Raven.captureException.calledOnce);
             assert.equal(Raven.captureException.getCall(0).args[0], err);
         });
+
+        it('should not call the default React Native handler and Raven.captureException in production mode', function () {
+            global.__DEV__ = false;
+            reactNativePlugin(Raven);
+            var err = new Error();
+            this.sinon.stub(Raven, 'captureException');
+
+            this.globalErrorHandler(err);
+
+            assert.equal(this.defaultErrorHandler.callCount, 0);
+            assert.equal(Raven.captureException.callCount, 1);
+        });
     });
 });