diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Layer.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Layer.js
index b2c3ec7819..62482bab48 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Layer.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Layer.js
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ OpenLayers.Layer.prototype = {
         } 
         
         // catch any randomly tagged-on properties
-        obj = OpenLayers.Util.applyDefaults(obj, this);
+        OpenLayers.Util.applyDefaults(obj, this);
         
         // a cloned layer should never have its map property set
         //  because it has not been added to a map yet. 
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Util.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Util.js
index 9ebb1ebb26..8af02a43fb 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Util.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Util.js
@@ -240,8 +240,6 @@ OpenLayers.Util.upperCaseObject = function (object) {
 *
 * @param {Object} to
 * @param {Object} from
-*
-* @type Object
 */
 OpenLayers.Util.applyDefaults = function (to, from) {
     for (var key in from) {
@@ -249,7 +247,6 @@ OpenLayers.Util.applyDefaults = function (to, from) {
             to[key] = from[key];
         }
     }
-    return to;
 };
 
 /**