diff --git a/include/QF/hash.h b/include/QF/hash.h
index 35bf23574..6f4ed1a9f 100644
--- a/include/QF/hash.h
+++ b/include/QF/hash.h
@@ -85,10 +85,11 @@ void *Hash_Find (hashtab_t *tab, const char *key);
 	delete an element from a hash table:
 		tab:	the table to remove the element from
 		key:	the key string identifying the element to be deleted
-	returns 0 on success, -1 if the element could not be found.
+	returns a pointer to the element on success, 0 if the element could not
+	be found.
 	Does /NOT/ call the free element function. That is the caller's
 	responsibility.
 */
-int Hash_Del (hashtab_t *tab, const char *key);
+void *Hash_Del (hashtab_t *tab, const char *key);
 
 #endif // __hash_h
diff --git a/libs/util/hash.c b/libs/util/hash.c
index bfd859b62..f3f443f98 100644
--- a/libs/util/hash.c
+++ b/libs/util/hash.c
@@ -157,22 +157,24 @@ Hash_Find (hashtab_t *tab, const char *key)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int
+void *
 Hash_Del (hashtab_t *tab, const char *key)
 {
 	unsigned long h = hash (key);
 	size_t ind = h % tab->tab_size;
 	struct hashlink_s *lnk = tab->tab[ind];
+	void *data;
 
 	while (lnk) {
 		if (strequal (key, tab->get_key (lnk->data, tab->user_data))) {
+			data = lnk->data;
 			if (lnk->next)
 				lnk->next->prev = lnk->prev;
 			*lnk->prev = lnk->next;
 			free (lnk);
-			return 0;
+			return data;
 		}
 		lnk = lnk->next;
 	}
-	return -1;
+	return 0;
 }