diff --git a/lib/jsduck/function_ast.rb b/lib/jsduck/function_ast.rb
index d347782c4b227880cd374d6c1d0f14d2b7f1a630..fce33a394316ca08f0ac4675de3d26ecb40cbe32 100644
--- a/lib/jsduck/function_ast.rb
+++ b/lib/jsduck/function_ast.rb
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ module JsDuck
     end
 
     def return_this?(ast)
-      return?(ast) && this?(ast["argument"])
+      return?(ast) && !!ast["argument"] && this?(ast["argument"])
     end
 
     def return?(ast)
diff --git a/spec/function_ast_spec.rb b/spec/function_ast_spec.rb
index 7530b8804eeb7167ae0e576fe0d89884bac34547..225d211c952da2960b04df5109099a27b8b59e48 100644
--- a/spec/function_ast_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/function_ast_spec.rb
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ describe "JsDuck::FunctionAst#chainable?" do
     chainable?("/** */ function foo() {}").should == false
   end
 
+  it "false when body has empty return statement" do
+    chainable?("/** */ function foo() { return; }").should == false
+  end
+
   it "true when single RETURN THIS statement in body" do
     chainable?("/** */ function foo() {return this;}").should == true
   end