diff --git a/lib/plugin/retryFailedStep.js b/lib/plugin/retryFailedStep.js
index cbe145910..97ff388aa 100644
--- a/lib/plugin/retryFailedStep.js
+++ b/lib/plugin/retryFailedStep.js
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ const RETRY_PRIORITIES = {
  *
  */
 export default function (config) {
-  config = Object.assign(defaultConfig, config)
+  config = Object.assign({}, defaultConfig, config)
   config.ignoredSteps = config.ignoredSteps.concat(config.defaultIgnoredSteps)
   const customWhen = config.when
 
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ export default function (config) {
       if (step.title === ignored) return
       if (ignored instanceof RegExp) {
         if (step.title.match(ignored)) return
-      } else if (ignored.indexOf('*') && step.title.startsWith(ignored.slice(0, -1))) return
+      } else if (ignored.indexOf('*') !== -1 && step.title.startsWith(ignored.slice(0, -1))) return
     }
     enableRetry = true
   })
diff --git a/test/unit/plugin/retryFailedStep_test.js b/test/unit/plugin/retryFailedStep_test.js
index 09cab5b10..33fcafa8d 100644
--- a/test/unit/plugin/retryFailedStep_test.js
+++ b/test/unit/plugin/retryFailedStep_test.js
@@ -157,6 +157,23 @@ describe('retryFailedStep', () => {
     // expects to retry only once
   })
 
+  it('should not treat exact-name ignoredSteps entries as wildcard prefixes', () => {
+    // Regression: ignored.indexOf('*') was used as truthy check.
+    // -1 is truthy, so entries without '*' were matched via startsWith(slice(0, -1)).
+    // ignoredSteps: ['see'] would silently ignore seeElement, seeInField, selectOption, etc.
+    retryFailedStep({ retries: 2, minTimeout: 1, ignoredSteps: ['see'] })
+    store.autoRetries = true
+    const retryConfig = recorder.retries[recorder.retries.length - 1]
+
+    event.dispatcher.emit(event.step.started, { title: 'seeElement' })
+    expect(retryConfig.when(new Error()), "'seeElement' must not be ignored when only 'see' is configured").to.equal(true)
+
+    event.dispatcher.emit(event.step.passed, {})
+
+    event.dispatcher.emit(event.step.started, { title: 'see' })
+    expect(retryConfig.when(new Error()), "exact match 'see' must still be ignored").to.not.equal(true)
+  })
+
   it('should add custom regexp steps to ignore', async () => {
     retryFailedStep({ retries: 2, minTimeout: 1, ignoredSteps: [/somethingNew/] })
     event.dispatcher.emit(event.test.before, createTest('test'))