diff --git a/swift/common/memcached.py b/swift/common/memcached.py
index fdcbc745ae..35c37fca31 100644
--- a/swift/common/memcached.py
+++ b/swift/common/memcached.py
@@ -319,6 +319,7 @@ class MemcacheRing(object):
                      interface consistent with set and set_multi methods
         :param timeout: ttl in memcache, deprecated, will be removed in future
                         OpenStack releases
+        :returns: result of incrementing
         :raises MemcacheConnectionError:
         """
         if timeout:
@@ -370,12 +371,13 @@ class MemcacheRing(object):
                      interface consistent with set and set_multi methods
         :param timeout: ttl in memcache, deprecated, will be removed in future
                         OpenStack releases
+        :returns: result of decrementing
         :raises MemcacheConnectionError:
         """
         if timeout:
             logging.warn("parameter timeout has been deprecated, use time")
 
-        self.incr(key, delta=-delta, time=(time or timeout))
+        return self.incr(key, delta=-delta, time=(time or timeout))
 
     def delete(self, key):
         """
diff --git a/test/unit/common/test_memcached.py b/test/unit/common/test_memcached.py
index 5db798334d..f29c6db818 100644
--- a/test/unit/common/test_memcached.py
+++ b/test/unit/common/test_memcached.py
@@ -217,15 +217,15 @@ class TestMemcached(unittest.TestCase):
         mock = MockMemcached()
         memcache_client._client_cache['1.2.3.4:11211'] = MockedMemcachePool(
             [(mock, mock)] * 2)
-        memcache_client.incr('some_key', delta=5)
+        self.assertEquals(memcache_client.incr('some_key', delta=5), 5)
         self.assertEquals(memcache_client.get('some_key'), '5')
-        memcache_client.incr('some_key', delta=5)
+        self.assertEquals(memcache_client.incr('some_key', delta=5), 10)
         self.assertEquals(memcache_client.get('some_key'), '10')
-        memcache_client.incr('some_key', delta=1)
+        self.assertEquals(memcache_client.incr('some_key', delta=1), 11)
         self.assertEquals(memcache_client.get('some_key'), '11')
-        memcache_client.incr('some_key', delta=-5)
+        self.assertEquals(memcache_client.incr('some_key', delta=-5), 6)
         self.assertEquals(memcache_client.get('some_key'), '6')
-        memcache_client.incr('some_key', delta=-15)
+        self.assertEquals(memcache_client.incr('some_key', delta=-15), 0)
         self.assertEquals(memcache_client.get('some_key'), '0')
         mock.read_return_none = True
         self.assertRaises(memcached.MemcacheConnectionError,
@@ -261,13 +261,13 @@ class TestMemcached(unittest.TestCase):
         mock = MockMemcached()
         memcache_client._client_cache['1.2.3.4:11211'] = MockedMemcachePool(
             [(mock, mock)] * 2)
-        memcache_client.decr('some_key', delta=5)
+        self.assertEquals(memcache_client.decr('some_key', delta=5), 0)
         self.assertEquals(memcache_client.get('some_key'), '0')
-        memcache_client.incr('some_key', delta=15)
+        self.assertEquals(memcache_client.incr('some_key', delta=15), 15)
         self.assertEquals(memcache_client.get('some_key'), '15')
-        memcache_client.decr('some_key', delta=4)
+        self.assertEquals(memcache_client.decr('some_key', delta=4), 11)
         self.assertEquals(memcache_client.get('some_key'), '11')
-        memcache_client.decr('some_key', delta=15)
+        self.assertEquals(memcache_client.decr('some_key', delta=15), 0)
         self.assertEquals(memcache_client.get('some_key'), '0')
         mock.read_return_none = True
         self.assertRaises(memcached.MemcacheConnectionError,