diff --git a/jstests/find_and_modify.js b/jstests/find_and_modify.js
index 5e10079db909a..a80859ab60ca3 100644
--- a/jstests/find_and_modify.js
+++ b/jstests/find_and_modify.js
@@ -33,6 +33,6 @@ assert.eq(out.priority, 1);
 out = t.findAndModify({sort:{priority:1}, remove:1});
 assert.eq(out.priority, 2);
 
-// return empty obj if no matches (drivers may handle this differently)
+// return null (was {} before 1.5.4) if no matches (drivers may handle this differently)
 out = t.findAndModify({query:{no_such_field:1}, remove:1});
-assert.eq(out, {});
+assert.eq(out, null);
diff --git a/shell/collection.js b/shell/collection.js
index d97eece8a8e84..1f06a132856ae 100644
--- a/shell/collection.js
+++ b/shell/collection.js
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ DBCollection.prototype.findAndModify = function(args){
     var ret = this._db.runCommand( cmd );
     if ( ! ret.ok ){
         if (ret.errmsg == "No matching object found"){
-            return {};
+            return null;
         }
         throw "findAndModifyFailed failed: " + tojson( ret.errmsg );
     }