diff --git a/src/core/model/hash.cc b/src/core/model/hash.cc
index bb387a661..8a827ac2e 100644
--- a/src/core/model/hash.cc
+++ b/src/core/model/hash.cc
@@ -42,11 +42,11 @@ Hash::Hash (Ptr<HashImplementation> hp)
   NS_ASSERT (m_impl != 0);
 }
 
-Hash *
+Hash &
 Hash::clear (void)
 {
   m_impl->clear();
-  return this;
+  return *this;
 }
 
 } // namespace ns3
diff --git a/src/core/model/hash.h b/src/core/model/hash.h
index 6fa2ff031..126db9832 100644
--- a/src/core/model/hash.h
+++ b/src/core/model/hash.h
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ public:
    *
    * \return this
    */
-  Hash * clear (void);
+  Hash & clear (void);
   
 private:
   Ptr<HashImplementation> m_impl;    /** Hash implementation */
diff --git a/src/core/test/hash-test-suite.cc b/src/core/test/hash-test-suite.cc
index 0b0e82363..cc91465e9 100644
--- a/src/core/test/hash-test-suite.cc
+++ b/src/core/test/hash-test-suite.cc
@@ -98,14 +98,14 @@ HashFnv1aTestCase::DoRun (void)
   Hash hasher = Hash ( Create<HashFunction::Fnv1a> () );
 
   uint32_t h32r = 0x5735855b;  // FNV1A(key)
-  uint32_t h32 = hasher.GetHash32 (key);
+  uint32_t h32 = hasher.clear ().GetHash32 (key);
   NS_TEST_ASSERT_MSG_EQ (h32, h32r,
                          "Hash32 produced " << std::hex << std::setw ( 8) << h32
                          << ", expected "   << std::hex << std::setw ( 8) << h32r
                          );
 
   uint64_t h64r = 0x6fb0aea4ad83c27b;
-  uint64_t h64 = hasher.GetHash64 (key);
+  uint64_t h64 = hasher.clear ().GetHash64 (key);
   NS_TEST_ASSERT_MSG_EQ (h64, h64r,
                          "Hash64 produced " << std::hex << std::setw (16) << h64
                          << ", expected "   << std::hex << std::setw (16) << h64r
@@ -142,14 +142,14 @@ HashMurmur3TestCase::DoRun (void)
   Hash hasher = Hash ( Create<HashFunction::Murmur3> () );
 
   uint32_t h32r = 0xe8a2d100;  // Murmur3(key)
-  uint32_t h32 = hasher.GetHash32 (key);
+  uint32_t h32 = hasher.clear ().GetHash32 (key);
   NS_TEST_ASSERT_MSG_EQ (h32, h32r,
                          "Hash32 produced " << std::hex << std::setw ( 8) << h32
                          << ", expected "   << std::hex << std::setw ( 8) << h32r
                          );
 
   uint64_t h64r = 0x95373d091a691071;
-  uint64_t h64 = hasher.GetHash64 (key);
+  uint64_t h64 = hasher.clear ().GetHash64 (key);
   NS_TEST_ASSERT_MSG_EQ (h64, h64r,
                          "Hash64 produced " << std::hex << std::setw (16) << h64
                          << ", expected "   << std::hex << std::setw (16) << h64r