diff --git a/base/file.jl b/base/file.jl
index 64135e559e17b..7ebf4535ef00a 100644
--- a/base/file.jl
+++ b/base/file.jl
@@ -206,13 +206,13 @@ julia> readdir("test")
 function mkpath(path::AbstractString; mode::Integer = 0o777)
     isdirpath(path) && (path = dirname(path))
     dir = dirname(path)
-    (path == dir || isdir(path)) && return
+    (path == dir || isdir(path)) && return path
     mkpath(dir, mode = checkmode(mode))
     try
         mkdir(path, mode = mode)
-    # If there is a problem with making the directory, but the directory
-    # does in fact exist, then ignore the error. Else re-throw it.
     catch err
+        # If there is a problem with making the directory, but the directory
+        # does in fact exist, then ignore the error. Else re-throw it.
         if !isa(err, SystemError) || !isdir(path)
             rethrow()
         end
diff --git a/test/file.jl b/test/file.jl
index ce08496cdb95b..2164844ca5031 100644
--- a/test/file.jl
+++ b/test/file.jl
@@ -1015,13 +1015,15 @@ rm(dir)
 mktempdir() do dir
     name1 = joinpath(dir, "apples")
     name2 = joinpath(dir, "bannanas")
-    @test touch(name1)==name1
+    @test touch(name1) == name1 # when it doesn't exist
+    @test touch(name1) == name1 # when it does exist
     @test mv(name1, name2) == name2
     @test cp(name2, name1) == name1
     namedir = joinpath(dir, "chalk")
     namepath = joinpath(dir, "chalk","cheese","fresh")
-    @test mkdir(namedir) == namedir
-    @test mkpath(namepath) == namepath
+    @test mkdir(namedir) == namedir # when it doesn't exist
+    @test mkpath(namepath) == namepath # when it doesn't exist
+    @test mkpath(namepath) == namepath # when it does exist
 end