diff --git a/lib/events.js b/lib/events.js
index 682a9280b13..ee6e366716e 100644
--- a/lib/events.js
+++ b/lib/events.js
@@ -99,8 +99,8 @@ process.EventEmitter.prototype.removeListener = function (type, listener) {
 
 process.EventEmitter.prototype.removeAllListeners = function (type) {
   // does not use listeners(), so no side effect of creating _events[type]
-  if (!type || !this._events || !this._events[type]) return this;
-  this._events[type] = null;
+  if (type && this._events && this._events[type]) this._events[type] = null;
+  return this;
 };
 
 process.EventEmitter.prototype.listeners = function (type) {