diff --git a/CHANGELOG-2.1.md b/CHANGELOG-2.1.md
index 44769d74c5..9fc64c535a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG-2.1.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG-2.1.md
@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@ To get the diff between two versions, go to https://github.com/symfony/symfony/c
 
  * added a reference to the EventDispatcher on the Event
  * added a reference to the Event name on the event
+ * added fluid interface to the dispatch() method which now returns the Event object
 
 ### Filesystem
 
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/EventDispatcher/EventDispatcher.php b/src/Symfony/Component/EventDispatcher/EventDispatcher.php
index 0c98301ad1..8f712f1300 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/EventDispatcher/EventDispatcher.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/EventDispatcher/EventDispatcher.php
@@ -39,10 +39,6 @@ class EventDispatcher implements EventDispatcherInterface
      */
     public function dispatch($eventName, Event $event = null)
     {
-        if (!isset($this->listeners[$eventName])) {
-            return;
-        }
-
         if (null === $event) {
             $event = new Event();
         }
@@ -50,7 +46,13 @@ class EventDispatcher implements EventDispatcherInterface
         $event->setDispatcher($this);
         $event->setName($eventName);
 
+        if (!isset($this->listeners[$eventName])) {
+            return $event;
+        }
+
         $this->doDispatch($this->getListeners($eventName), $eventName, $event);
+
+        return $event;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/EventDispatcher/EventDispatcherInterface.php b/src/Symfony/Component/EventDispatcher/EventDispatcherInterface.php
index e57214da81..f531ca502e 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/EventDispatcher/EventDispatcherInterface.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/EventDispatcher/EventDispatcherInterface.php
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ interface EventDispatcherInterface
      * @param Event  $event     The event to pass to the event handlers/listeners.
      *                          If not supplied, an empty Event instance is created.
      *
+     * @return Event
+     * 
      * @api
      */
     function dispatch($eventName, Event $event = null);
diff --git a/tests/Symfony/Tests/Component/EventDispatcher/EventDispatcherTest.php b/tests/Symfony/Tests/Component/EventDispatcher/EventDispatcherTest.php
index befa9efec5..3c3e1cca7d 100644
--- a/tests/Symfony/Tests/Component/EventDispatcher/EventDispatcherTest.php
+++ b/tests/Symfony/Tests/Component/EventDispatcher/EventDispatcherTest.php
@@ -110,9 +110,12 @@ class EventDispatcherTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
         $this->dispatcher->dispatch(self::preFoo);
         $this->assertTrue($this->listener->preFooInvoked);
         $this->assertFalse($this->listener->postFooInvoked);
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('Symfony\Component\EventDispatcher\Event', $this->dispatcher->dispatch('noevent'));
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('Symfony\Component\EventDispatcher\Event', $this->dispatcher->dispatch(self::preFoo));
         $event = new Event();
-        $this->dispatcher->dispatch(self::preFoo, $event);
+        $return = $this->dispatcher->dispatch(self::preFoo, $event);
         $this->assertEquals('pre.foo', $event->getName());
+        $this->assertSame($event, $return);
     }
 
     public function testDispatchForClosure()