diff --git a/actionmailer/CHANGELOG.md b/actionmailer/CHANGELOG.md
index af91907f46..6fc25b3bb4 100644
--- a/actionmailer/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/actionmailer/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 * Explicit multipart messages no longer set the order of the MIME parts.
   *Nate Berkopec*
-  
+
 * Do not render views when mail() isn't called.
   Fix #7761
 
diff --git a/actionmailer/lib/action_mailer/base.rb b/actionmailer/lib/action_mailer/base.rb
index dcf13e927c..95a680ac23 100644
--- a/actionmailer/lib/action_mailer/base.rb
+++ b/actionmailer/lib/action_mailer/base.rb
@@ -499,6 +499,7 @@ def method_missing(method_name, *args)
     # method, for instance).
     def initialize(method_name=nil, *args)
       super()
+      @_mail_was_called = false
       @_message = Mail.new
       process(method_name, *args) if method_name
     end
@@ -506,7 +507,8 @@ def initialize(method_name=nil, *args)
     def process(*args) #:nodoc:
       lookup_context.skip_default_locale!
 
-      @_message = NullMail.new unless super
+      super
+      @_message = NullMail.new unless @_mail_was_called
     end
 
     class NullMail #:nodoc:
@@ -666,6 +668,7 @@ def attachments
     #   end
     #
     def mail(headers={}, &block)
+      @_mail_was_called = true
       m = @_message
 
       # At the beginning, do not consider class default for parts order neither content_type
diff --git a/actionmailer/test/base_test.rb b/actionmailer/test/base_test.rb
index 4a608a9ad4..170923673b 100644
--- a/actionmailer/test/base_test.rb
+++ b/actionmailer/test/base_test.rb
@@ -505,6 +505,12 @@ def teardown
     mail.deliver
   end
 
+  test 'the return value of mailer methods is not relevant' do
+    mail = BaseMailer.with_nil_as_return_value
+    assert_equal('Welcome', mail.body.to_s.strip)
+    mail.deliver
+  end
+
   # Before and After hooks
 
   class MyObserver
diff --git a/actionmailer/test/mailers/base_mailer.rb b/actionmailer/test/mailers/base_mailer.rb
index 52342bc59e..8fca6177bd 100644
--- a/actionmailer/test/mailers/base_mailer.rb
+++ b/actionmailer/test/mailers/base_mailer.rb
@@ -118,4 +118,9 @@ def email_with_translations
 
   def without_mail_call
   end
+
+  def with_nil_as_return_value(hash = {})
+    mail(:template_name => "welcome")
+    nil
+  end
 end