diff --git a/src/petl/test/test_util.py b/src/petl/test/test_util.py
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/src/petl/test/test_util.py
+++ b/src/petl/test/test_util.py
@@ -21,7 +21,10 @@ def test_header():
     actual = header(table)
     expect = ('foo', 'bar')
     eq_(expect, actual)
-    
+    table = (['foo', 'bar'], ['a', 1], ['b', 2])
+    actual = header(table)
+    eq_(expect, actual)
+
     
 def test_fieldnames():
     table = (('foo', 'bar'), ('a', 1), ('b', 2))
diff --git a/src/petl/util.py b/src/petl/util.py
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/src/petl/util.py
+++ b/src/petl/util.py
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ def header(table):
     """
     
     it = iter(table)
-    return it.next()
+    return tuple(it.next())
 
 
 def fieldnames(table):
closes #<I> by ensuring header() always returns a tuple