diff --git a/src/Groups.jl b/src/Groups.jl
index 2d0aae2..dfb027e 100644
--- a/src/Groups.jl
+++ b/src/Groups.jl
@@ -365,7 +365,12 @@ function replace_all!{T}(W::GWord{T}, subst_dict::Dict{GWord{T}, GWord{T}})
     return modified
 end
 
-replace_all{T<:GSymbol}(W::GWord{T}, subst_dict::Dict{GWord{T}, GWord{T}}) = replace_all!(deepcopy(W), subst_dict)
+function replace_all{T<:GSymbol}(W::GWord{T},
+   subst_dict::Dict{GWord{T}, GWord{T}})
+   W = deepcopy(W)
+   replace_all!(W, subst_dict)
+   return W
+end
 
 ###############################################################################
 #
diff --git a/test/FreeGroup-tests.jl b/test/FreeGroup-tests.jl
index a193471..698dc38 100644
--- a/test/FreeGroup-tests.jl
+++ b/test/FreeGroup-tests.jl
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ end
       @test Groups.replace(c, 1, w, subst[w]) == s*t^-1
       @test Groups.replace(s*c*t^-1, 1, w, subst[w]) == s^2*t^-2
       @test Groups.replace(t*c*t, 2, w, subst[w]) == t*s
-      @test Groups.replace_all!(s*c*s*c*s, subst) == s*t^4*s*t^4*s
+      @test Groups.replace_all(s*c*s*c*s, subst) == s*t^4*s*t^4*s
 
       G = FreeGroup(["x", "y"])
       x,y = Nemo.gens(G)