diff --git a/activesupport/lib/active_support/core_ext/class/attribute.rb b/activesupport/lib/active_support/core_ext/class/attribute.rb
index 79d5c40e5fa86b880f70094793a81b70f574cc56..688cba03dba74fea10a6dc4039dbfd06d2c8ea0e 100644
--- a/activesupport/lib/active_support/core_ext/class/attribute.rb
+++ b/activesupport/lib/active_support/core_ext/class/attribute.rb
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ def self.#{name}=(val)
             remove_possible_method(:#{name})
             define_method(:#{name}) { val }
           end
+          val
         end
 
         def #{name}
diff --git a/activesupport/test/core_ext/class/attribute_test.rb b/activesupport/test/core_ext/class/attribute_test.rb
index 24aa5c0ebad7764366e0cfe7731d1b7ef9714636..d58b60482b7021d722bf4b9957e229ee85b699af 100644
--- a/activesupport/test/core_ext/class/attribute_test.rb
+++ b/activesupport/test/core_ext/class/attribute_test.rb
@@ -65,4 +65,9 @@ def setup
     object.singleton_class.setting = 'foo'
     assert_equal 'foo', object.setting
   end
+
+  test 'setter returns set value' do
+    val = @klass.send(:setting=, 1)
+    assert_equal 1, val
+  end
 end