diff --git a/lib/chai/core/assertions.js b/lib/chai/core/assertions.js
index acb5c7971..18ef404e2 100644
--- a/lib/chai/core/assertions.js
+++ b/lib/chai/core/assertions.js
@@ -1057,10 +1057,11 @@ module.exports = function (chai, _) {
           , (desiredError instanceof Error ? desiredError.toString() : desiredError)
           , (err instanceof Error ? err.toString() : err)
         );
-        flag(this, 'object', err);
 
+        flag(this, 'object', err);
         return this;
       }
+
       // next, check constructor
       if (constructor) {
         this.assert(
@@ -1076,6 +1077,7 @@ module.exports = function (chai, _) {
           return this;
         }
       }
+
       // next, check message
       var message = 'object' === _.type(err) && "message" in err
         ? err.message
@@ -1089,8 +1091,8 @@ module.exports = function (chai, _) {
           , errMsg
           , message
         );
-        flag(this, 'object', err);
 
+        flag(this, 'object', err);
         return this;
       } else if ((message != null) && errMsg && 'string' === typeof errMsg) {
         this.assert(
@@ -1100,8 +1102,8 @@ module.exports = function (chai, _) {
           , errMsg
           , message
         );
-        flag(this, 'object', err);
 
+        flag(this, 'object', err);
         return this;
       } else {
         thrown = true;
@@ -1127,7 +1129,8 @@ module.exports = function (chai, _) {
       , (desiredError instanceof Error ? desiredError.toString() : desiredError)
       , (thrownError instanceof Error ? thrownError.toString() : thrownError)
     );
-    flag(this, 'object', null);
+
+    flag(this, 'object', thrownError);
   };
 
   Assertion.addMethod('throw', assertThrows);
diff --git a/lib/chai/interface/assert.js b/lib/chai/interface/assert.js
index ec5260618..7447802d8 100644
--- a/lib/chai/interface/assert.js
+++ b/lib/chai/interface/assert.js
@@ -920,7 +920,8 @@ module.exports = function (chai, util) {
       errt = null;
     }
 
-    new Assertion(fn, msg).to.Throw(errt, errs);
+    var assertErr = new Assertion(fn, msg).to.Throw(errt, errs);
+    return flag(assertErr, 'object');
   };
 
   /**
diff --git a/test/assert.js b/test/assert.js
index 29f37edc1..62260ede0 100644
--- a/test/assert.js
+++ b/test/assert.js
@@ -489,6 +489,10 @@ describe('assert', function () {
     assert.throws(function() { throw new Error('bar'); }, Error);
     assert.throws(function() { throw new Error('bar'); }, Error, 'bar');
 
+    var thrownErr = assert.throws(function() { throw new Error('foo'); });
+    assert(thrownErr instanceof Error, 'assert.throws returns error');
+    assert(thrownErr.message === 'foo', 'assert.throws returns error message');
+
     err(function () {
       assert.throws(function() { throw new Error('foo') }, TypeError);
      }, "expected [Function] to throw 'TypeError' but 'Error: foo' was thrown")