Index: wp-includes/post-template.php
===================================================================
--- wp-includes/post-template.php	(revision 4626)
+++ wp-includes/post-template.php	(working copy)
@@ -20,10 +20,7 @@
 	$title = get_the_title();
 	if ( strlen($title) > 0 ) {
 		$title = apply_filters('the_title', $before . $title . $after, $before, $after);
-		if ( $echo )
-			echo $title;
-		else
-			return $title;
+	return wp_return($title, $echo);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -187,10 +184,7 @@
 		}
 	}
 
-	if ( $echo )
-		echo $output;
-
-	return $output;
+	return wp_return($output, $echo);
 }
 
 
@@ -256,10 +250,7 @@
 
 	$output = apply_filters('wp_dropdown_pages', $output);
 
-	if ( $echo )
-		echo $output;
-
-	return $output;
+	return wp_return($output, $echo);
 }
 
 function wp_list_pages($args = '') {
Index: wp-includes/general-template.php
===================================================================
--- wp-includes/general-template.php	(revision 4626)
+++ wp-includes/general-template.php	(working copy)
@@ -661,10 +661,8 @@
 		$previousday = $day;
 	}
 	$the_date = apply_filters('the_date', $the_date, $d, $before, $after);
-	if ( $echo )
-		echo $the_date;
-	else
-		return $the_date;
+
+	return wp_return($the_date, $echo);
 }
 
 
Index: wp-includes/deprecated.php
===================================================================
--- wp-includes/deprecated.php	(revision 4626)
+++ wp-includes/deprecated.php	(working copy)
@@ -44,10 +44,7 @@
 	$categories = get_the_category();
 	$cat = $categories[0]->cat_ID;
 
-	if ( $echo )
-		echo $cat;
-
-	return $cat;
+	return wp_return($cat, $echo);
 }
 
 // Deprecated.
@@ -481,9 +478,7 @@
 function get_author_link($echo = false, $author_id, $author_nicename = '') {
 	$link = get_author_posts_url($author_id, $author_nicename);
 
-	if ( $echo )
-		echo $link;
-	return $link;
+	return wp_return($link, $echo);
 }
 
 function link_pages($before='<br />', $after='<br />', $next_or_number='number', $nextpagelink='next page', $previouspagelink='previous page', $pagelink='%', $more_file='') {
Index: wp-includes/feed.php
===================================================================
--- wp-includes/feed.php	(revision 4626)
+++ wp-includes/feed.php	(working copy)
@@ -120,9 +120,7 @@
 
 	$link = apply_filters('author_feed_link', $link);
 
-	if ( $echo )
-		echo $link;
-	return $link;
+	return wp_return($link, $echo);
 }
 
 
@@ -138,9 +136,7 @@
 
 	$link = apply_filters('category_feed_link', $link);
 
-	if ( $echo )
-		echo $link;
-	return $link;
+	return wp_return($link, $echo);
 }
 
 
Index: wp-includes/functions.php
===================================================================
--- wp-includes/functions.php	(revision 4626)
+++ wp-includes/functions.php	(working copy)
@@ -498,6 +498,12 @@
 	return $headers;
 }
 
+// Implementation within function:  return wp_return($func_data, $echo_flag);
+function wp_return($data, $echo = true) {
+	echo ( $echo ) ? $data : '';
+	return $data;
+}
+
 function is_new_day() {
 	global $day, $previousday;
 	if ( $day != $previousday ) {
Index: wp-includes/bookmark-template.php
===================================================================
--- wp-includes/bookmark-template.php	(revision 4626)
+++ wp-includes/bookmark-template.php	(working copy)
@@ -140,9 +140,7 @@
 		$output .= "$after\n";
 	} // end while
 
-	if ( !$echo )
-		return $output;
-	echo $output;
+	return wp_return($output, $echo);
 }
 
 function get_linkrating($link) {
@@ -351,9 +349,7 @@
 		}
 	}
 
-	if ( !$echo )
-		return $output;
-	echo $output;
+	return wp_return($output, $echo);
 }
 
 ?>
Index: wp-includes/category-template.php
===================================================================
--- wp-includes/category-template.php	(revision 4626)
+++ wp-includes/category-template.php	(working copy)
@@ -203,10 +203,7 @@
 
 	$output = apply_filters('wp_dropdown_cats', $output);
 
-	if ( $echo )
-		echo $output;
-
-	return $output;
+	return wp_return($output, $echo);
 }
 
 function wp_list_categories($args = '') {