diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/PersistentCollection.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/PersistentCollection.php
index c2e11dfbe..a4b579b7e 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/PersistentCollection.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/PersistentCollection.php
@@ -375,11 +375,7 @@ final class PersistentCollection extends AbstractLazyCollection implements Selec
 
             $persister = $this->em->getUnitOfWork()->getCollectionPersister($this->association);
 
-            if ($persister->removeElement($this, $element)) {
-                return $element;
-            }
-
-            return null;
+            return $persister->removeElement($this, $element);
         }
 
         $removed = parent::removeElement($element);
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/ExtraLazyCollectionTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/ExtraLazyCollectionTest.php
index 731a0826d..9ed16217f 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/ExtraLazyCollectionTest.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/ExtraLazyCollectionTest.php
@@ -636,7 +636,7 @@ class ExtraLazyCollectionTest extends OrmFunctionalTestCase
         $group      = $this->_em->find('Doctrine\Tests\Models\CMS\CmsGroup', $this->groupId);
         $queryCount = $this->getCurrentQueryCount();
 
-        $user->groups->removeElement($group);
+        $this->assertTrue($user->groups->removeElement($group));
 
         $this->assertEquals($queryCount + 1, $this->getCurrentQueryCount(), "Removing a persisted entity should cause one query to be executed.");
         $this->assertFalse($user->groups->isInitialized(), "Post-Condition: Collection is not initialized.");