Index: tests/Zend/Application/ApplicationTest.php
===================================================================
--- tests/Zend/Application/ApplicationTest.php	(revision 15149)
+++ tests/Zend/Application/ApplicationTest.php	(working copy)
@@ -319,6 +319,12 @@
         $application = new Zend_Application('testing', $config->toArray());
         $this->assertTrue($application->hasOption('foo'));
     }
+
+    public function testBootstrapReturnsTheZendAppplicationInstance()
+    {
+        $application = $this->application->bootstrap();
+        $this->assertEquals($application, $this->application);
+    }
 }
 
 if (PHPUnit_MAIN_METHOD == 'Zend_Application_ApplicationTest::main') {
Index: library/Zend/Application.php
===================================================================
--- library/Zend/Application.php	(revision 15149)
+++ library/Zend/Application.php	(working copy)
@@ -285,11 +285,12 @@
     /**
      * Bootstrap application
      * 
-     * @return void
+     * @return Zend_Application
      */
     public function bootstrap()
     {
         $this->getBootstrap()->bootstrap();
+        return $this;
     }
 
     /**