diff --git a/lisp/ChangeLog b/lisp/ChangeLog
index d29bc3e95d6..07a0dfa7c2a 100644
--- a/lisp/ChangeLog
+++ b/lisp/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 2012-04-10  Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen  <larsi@gnus.org>
 
+	* image.el (put-image): Return the overlay created instead of the
+	optional input string (bug#7834).  Note that this may break code
+	that is (for some reason or other) depending on `put-image'
+	returning the string.
+
 	* mouse-sel.el (mouse-sel-mode): Mark as obsolete (bug#6174).
 
 	* simple.el (zap-to-char): Allow zapping using input methods
diff --git a/lisp/image.el b/lisp/image.el
index be1b1ef8f48..b094f2464ec 100644
--- a/lisp/image.el
+++ b/lisp/image.el
@@ -412,7 +412,8 @@ means display it in the right marginal area."
 	  (prop (if (null area) image (list (list 'margin area) image))))
       (put-text-property 0 (length string) 'display prop string)
       (overlay-put overlay 'put-image t)
-      (overlay-put overlay 'before-string string))))
+      (overlay-put overlay 'before-string string)
+      overlay)))
 
 
 ;;;###autoload