diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/tables/_c_m_a_p.py b/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/tables/_c_m_a_p.py
index a31b5059c..92e1c17a0 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/tables/_c_m_a_p.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/tables/_c_m_a_p.py
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@ class table__c_m_a_p(DefaultTable.DefaultTable):
 	def ensureDecompiled(self):
 		for st in self.tables:
 			st.ensureDecompiled()
+		return self
 
 	def compile(self, ttFont):
 		self.tables.sort()  # sort according to the spec; see CmapSubtable.__lt__()
@@ -245,6 +246,7 @@ class CmapSubtable(object):
 		self.data = None	# Once this table has been decompiled, make sure we don't
 							# just return the original data. Also avoids recursion when
 							# called with an attribute that the cmap subtable doesn't have.
+		return self
 
 	def __getattr__(self, attr):
 		# allow lazy decompilation of subtables.
diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/tables/_g_l_y_f.py b/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/tables/_g_l_y_f.py
index 14c4519db..3de9d28e3 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/tables/_g_l_y_f.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/tables/_g_l_y_f.py
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ class table__g_l_y_f(DefaultTable.DefaultTable):
 	def ensureDecompiled(self):
 		for glyph in self.glyphs.values():
 			glyph.expand(self)
+		return self
 
 	def compile(self, ttFont):
 		if not hasattr(self, "glyphOrder"):
diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/tables/otBase.py b/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/tables/otBase.py
index c9c1d138d..5bc4f0eed 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/tables/otBase.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/tables/otBase.py
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ class BaseTTXConverter(DefaultTable):
 
 	def ensureDecompiled(self):
 		self.table.ensureDecompiled(recurse=True)
+		return self
 
 
 # https://github.com/fonttools/fonttools/pull/2285#issuecomment-834652928
@@ -609,6 +610,7 @@ class BaseTable(object):
 		if recurse:
 			for subtable in self.iterSubTables():
 				subtable.ensureDecompiled(recurse)
+		return self
 
 	@classmethod
 	def getRecordSize(cls, reader):
diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/ttFont.py b/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/ttFont.py
index 3929e2f3e..8bf6614cc 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/ttFont.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/ttFont.py
@@ -379,12 +379,16 @@ class TTFont(object):
 		return ["GlyphOrder"] + keys
 
 	def ensureDecompiled(self):
-		"""Decompile all the tables, even if a TTFont was opened in 'lazy' mode."""
+		"""Decompile all the tables, even if a TTFont was opened in 'lazy' mode.
+
+		Returns the same TTFont instance, fully decompiled.
+		"""
 		for tag in self.keys():
 			table = self[tag]
 			if self.lazy is not False and hasattr(table, "ensureDecompiled"):
 				table.ensureDecompiled()
 		self.lazy = False
+		return self
 
 	def __len__(self):
 		return len(list(self.keys()))