diff --git a/Doc/changelog.docu b/Doc/changelog.docu
index b7442bcbc19b525fa04bf8bb235376932118610a..f986ed6a8fa128ae14fa3bde2578912752f22480 100644
--- a/Doc/changelog.docu
+++ b/Doc/changelog.docu
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 
 <b>IO</b>
 <ul>
+<li>ImporterT: Return a valid FaceHandle when adding non-manifold faces.</li>
 <li>BaseExporter: Added accessor functions for HalfEdgeHandles and faceTexCoords to base exporter and exporter template.</li>
 <li>OBJ Writer: Added functionality to store FaceTexCoords to objwriter</li>
 <li>OBJ Loader: range check for vertex colors and normals in OBJ loader</li>
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/importer/ImporterT.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/importer/ImporterT.hh
index 5657e42fa32c59f538049497ffdbe716bb947830..fb6b6690a753c4311cfdf6b7bb4e5ab5785253ce 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/importer/ImporterT.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/IO/importer/ImporterT.hh
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ public:
         }
 
         // add face
-        FaceHandle fh = mesh_.add_face(vhandles);
+        fh = mesh_.add_face(vhandles);
 
         // Mark failed face as non-manifold
         if (mesh_.has_face_status())