diff --git a/src/ng/compile.js b/src/ng/compile.js
index 7db7ad589b0e..1268cbc59a9a 100644
--- a/src/ng/compile.js
+++ b/src/ng/compile.js
@@ -802,7 +802,6 @@ function $CompileProvider($provide, $$sanitizeUriProvider) {
     if (!letter || letter !== lowercase(letter)) {
       throw $compileMinErr('baddir', "Directive name '{0}' is invalid. The first character must be a lowercase letter", name);
     }
-    return name;
   }
 
   /**