Index: wp-includes/comment-template.php
===================================================================
--- wp-includes/comment-template.php	(revision 6369)
+++ wp-includes/comment-template.php	(working copy)
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@
 	else // must be one
 		$output = ( false === $one ) ? __('1 Comment') : $one;
 
-	echo apply_filters('comments_number', $output, $number);
+	return apply_filters('comments_number', $output, $number);
 }
 
 function get_comment_text() {
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@
 		if ( 0 == $number )
 			$comments_popup_link .=  get_permalink() . '#respond';
 		else
-			$comments_popup_link .=  comments_link();
+			$comments_popup_link .=  get_comments_link();
 		$comments_popup_link .=   '"';
 	}
 
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@
 	}
 	$title = attribute_escape(get_the_title());
 	$comments_popup_link .= ' title="' . sprintf( __('Comment on %s'), $title ) .'">';
-	comments_number($zero, $one, $more, $number);
+	$comments_popup_link .=	comments_number($zero, $one, $more, $number);
 	$comments_popup_link .= '</a>';
 	echo apply_filters('comments_popup_link', $comments_popup_link);
 }