diff --git a/MessageClient.cpp b/MessageClient.cpp
index 4d5b4a506..80ceb04e6 100644
--- a/MessageClient.cpp
+++ b/MessageClient.cpp
@@ -378,13 +378,14 @@ void MessageClient::set_server_port (port_type server_port)
   m_->server_port_ = server_port;
 }
 
-void MessageClient::send_raw_datagram (QByteArray const& message, QHostAddress const& dest_address
+qint64 MessageClient::send_raw_datagram (QByteArray const& message, QHostAddress const& dest_address
                                        , port_type dest_port)
 {
   if (dest_port && !dest_address.isNull ())
     {
-      m_->writeDatagram (message, dest_address, dest_port);
+      return m_->writeDatagram (message, dest_address, dest_port);
     }
+  return 0;
 }
 
 void MessageClient::add_blocked_destination (QHostAddress const& a)
diff --git a/MessageClient.hpp b/MessageClient.hpp
index be524fdb8..e1208f9c8 100644
--- a/MessageClient.hpp
+++ b/MessageClient.hpp
@@ -70,10 +70,10 @@ public:
   // of record marker
   Q_SLOT void logged_ADIF (QByteArray const& ADIF_record);
 
-  // this slot may be used to send arbitrary UDP datagrams to and
+  // this may be used to send arbitrary UDP datagrams to and
   // destination allowing the underlying socket to be used for general
   // UDP messaging if desired
-  Q_SLOT void send_raw_datagram (QByteArray const&, QHostAddress const& dest_address, port_type dest_port);
+  qint64 send_raw_datagram (QByteArray const&, QHostAddress const& dest_address, port_type dest_port);
 
   // disallowed message destination (does not block datagrams sent
   // with send_raw_datagram() above)