diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index eaa20cfe2..71a747dc0 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 * `nextmode()` improvements:
   + simplified function signature to take a 'refhook' argument comprising a list of serialization / unserialization functions.
   + registered 'refhook' functions apply to external pointer type objects only.
+  + no longer returns invisibly for easier confimation that the correct functions have been registered.
 * `reap()` updated to always return either a zero on success or else an integer 'errorValue'.
 * `pipe_notify()` arguments 'add', 'remove' and 'flag' now default to FALSE instead of TRUE for easier selective specification of the events to signal.
 * Fixes regression in release 0.10.4 that caused a potential segfault using `ncurl()` with 'follow' set to TRUE when the server returns a missing or invalid relocation address.
diff --git a/R/utils.R b/R/utils.R
index 921ad2c33..b62b8e244 100644
--- a/R/utils.R
+++ b/R/utils.R
@@ -290,21 +290,20 @@ strcat <- function(a, b) .Call(rnng_strcat, a, b)
 #' @param mark [default FALSE] (for advanced use only) logical value, whether to
 #'     mark serialized data with a special bit.
 #'
-#' @return Invisibly, a list comprising the currently-registered 'refhook'
-#'     functions.
+#' @return A list comprising the currently-registered 'refhook' functions.
 #'
-#' @details Calling this function without any arguments returns (invisibly) the
+#' @details Calling this function without any arguments returns the
 #'     currently-registered 'refhook' functions (and resets 'mark' to FALSE).
 #'
 #' @examples
 #' nextmode(refhook = list(function(x) serialize(x, NULL), unserialize),
 #'          mark = TRUE)
-#' print(nextmode())
+#' nextmode()
 #'
 #' nextmode(NULL)
-#' print(nextmode())
+#' nextmode()
 #'
 #' @export
 #'
 nextmode <- function(refhook = list(), mark = FALSE)
-  invisible(.Call(rnng_next_mode, refhook, mark))
+  .Call(rnng_next_mode, refhook, mark)
diff --git a/man/nextmode.Rd b/man/nextmode.Rd
index 0821515f3..261c6cf45 100644
--- a/man/nextmode.Rd
+++ b/man/nextmode.Rd
@@ -18,8 +18,7 @@ and return a list of external pointer objects, e.g.
 mark serialized data with a special bit.}
 }
 \value{
-Invisibly, a list comprising the currently-registered 'refhook'
-    functions.
+A list comprising the currently-registered 'refhook' functions.
 }
 \description{
 Configures send mode 'next' by registering functions for custom serialization
@@ -27,15 +26,15 @@ Configures send mode 'next' by registering functions for custom serialization
     sent and received between different R sessions.
 }
 \details{
-Calling this function without any arguments returns (invisibly) the
+Calling this function without any arguments returns the
     currently-registered 'refhook' functions (and resets 'mark' to FALSE).
 }
 \examples{
 nextmode(refhook = list(function(x) serialize(x, NULL), unserialize),
          mark = TRUE)
-print(nextmode())
+nextmode()
 
 nextmode(NULL)
-print(nextmode())
+nextmode()
 
 }