diff --git a/wp-includes/links.php b/wp-includes/links.php
index 1997c54d88..1c4e7d6e5d 100644
--- a/wp-includes/links.php
+++ b/wp-includes/links.php
@@ -168,19 +168,27 @@ function get_links($category = -1, $before = '', $after = '<br />',
     if (!$results) {
         return;
     }
+    
+    $output = "";
+    
     foreach ($results as $row) {
 		if (!isset($row->recently_updated)) $row->recently_updated = false;
-        echo($before);
+        $output .= ($before);
+        
         if ($show_updated && $row->recently_updated) {
-            echo get_settings('links_recently_updated_prepend');
+            $output .= get_settings('links_recently_updated_prepend');
         }
+        
         $the_link = '#';
+        
         if ( !empty($row->link_url) )
             $the_link = wp_specialchars($row->link_url);
         $rel = $row->link_rel;
+        
         if ($rel != '') {
             $rel = " rel='$rel'";
         }
+        
         $desc = wp_specialchars($row->link_description, ENT_QUOTES);
         $name = wp_specialchars($row->link_name, ENT_QUOTES);
 
@@ -202,27 +210,37 @@ function get_links($category = -1, $before = '', $after = '<br />',
         if ('' != $target) {
             $target = " target='$target'";
         }
-        echo("<a href='$the_link'");
-        echo($rel . $title . $target);
-        echo('>');
+        
+        $output.= "<a href='$the_link'";
+        $output.= $rel . $title . $target;
+        $output.= '>';
+        
         if (($row->link_image != null) && $show_images) {
 			if (strstr($row->link_image, 'http'))
-				echo "<img src='$row->link_image' $alt $title />";
+				$output.= "<img src='$row->link_image' $alt $title />";
 			else // If it's a relative path
-            	echo "<img src='" . get_settings('siteurl') . "$row->link_image' $alt $title />";
+            	$output.= "<img src='" . get_settings('siteurl') . "$row->link_image' $alt $title />";
         } else {
-            echo($name);
+            $output.= $name;
         }
-        echo('</a>');
+        
+        $output.= '</a>';
+        
         if ($show_updated && $row->recently_updated) {
-            echo get_settings('links_recently_updated_append');
+            $output.= get_settings('links_recently_updated_append');
         }
 
         if ($show_description && ($desc != '')) {
-            echo($between.$desc);
+            $output.= $between.$desc;
         }
-        echo("$after\n");
+        $output.= "$after\n";
     } // end while
+    
+    if($echo) {
+	    echo $output;
+	} else {
+		return $output;
+	}
 }