diff --git a/lib/rabbitmq/connection.rb b/lib/rabbitmq/connection.rb
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/lib/rabbitmq/connection.rb
+++ b/lib/rabbitmq/connection.rb
@@ -44,11 +44,15 @@ module RabbitMQ
       connect_socket!
       login!
       open_channel!
+      
+      self
     end
     
     def close
       raise DestroyedError unless @ptr
       FFI.amqp_connection_close(@ptr, 200)
+      
+      self
     end
     
     private def create_socket!
diff --git a/spec/connection_spec.rb b/spec/connection_spec.rb
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/spec/connection_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/connection_spec.rb
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ describe RabbitMQ::Connection do
       subject.start
       subject.start
     end
+    
+    it "returns self" do
+      subject.start.should eq subject
+    end
   end
   
   describe "close" do
@@ -51,6 +55,10 @@ describe RabbitMQ::Connection do
     it "can be called before connecting to no effect" do
       subject.close
     end
+    
+    it "returns self" do
+      subject.close.should eq subject
+    end
   end
   
   it "uses Util.connection_info to parse info from its creation arguments" do
Return self from Connection#start and #close.