diff --git a/core/src/processing/data/DoubleDict.java b/core/src/processing/data/DoubleDict.java
index e310b079e..f2a9adf10 100644
--- a/core/src/processing/data/DoubleDict.java
+++ b/core/src/processing/data/DoubleDict.java
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import java.io.*;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.NoSuchElementException;
 
 import processing.core.PApplet;
 
@@ -610,21 +611,22 @@ public class DoubleDict {
    * @webref doubledict:method
    * @brief Remove a key/value pair
    */
-  public int remove(String key) {
+  public double remove(String key) {
     int index = index(key);
-    if (index != -1) {
-      removeIndex(index);
+    if (index == -1) {
+      throw new NoSuchElementException("'" + key + "' not found");
     }
-    return index;
+    double value = values[index];
+    removeIndex(index);
+    return value;
   }
 
 
-  public String removeIndex(int index) {
+  public double removeIndex(int index) {
     if (index < 0 || index >= count) {
       throw new ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException(index);
     }
-    String key = keys[index];
-    //System.out.println("index is " + which + " and " + keys[which]);
+    double value = values[index];
     indices.remove(keys[index]);
     for (int i = index; i < count-1; i++) {
       keys[i] = keys[i+1];
@@ -634,7 +636,7 @@ public class DoubleDict {
     count--;
     keys[count] = null;
     values[count] = 0;
-    return key;
+    return value;
   }
 
 
diff --git a/core/src/processing/data/FloatDict.java b/core/src/processing/data/FloatDict.java
index 2df14600c..9495563ad 100644
--- a/core/src/processing/data/FloatDict.java
+++ b/core/src/processing/data/FloatDict.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package processing.data;
 import java.io.*;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Iterator;
+import java.util.NoSuchElementException;
 
 import processing.core.PApplet;
 
@@ -607,21 +608,22 @@ public class FloatDict {
    * @webref floatdict:method
    * @brief Remove a key/value pair
    */
-  public int remove(String key) {
+  public float remove(String key) {
     int index = index(key);
-    if (index != -1) {
-      removeIndex(index);
+    if (index == -1) {
+      throw new NoSuchElementException("'" + key + "' not found");
     }
-    return index;
+    float value = values[index];
+    removeIndex(index);
+    return value;
   }
 
 
-  public String removeIndex(int index) {
+  public float removeIndex(int index) {
     if (index < 0 || index >= count) {
       throw new ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException(index);
     }
-    String key = keys[index];
-    //System.out.println("index is " + which + " and " + keys[which]);
+    float value = values[index];
     indices.remove(keys[index]);
     for (int i = index; i < count-1; i++) {
       keys[i] = keys[i+1];
@@ -631,7 +633,7 @@ public class FloatDict {
     count--;
     keys[count] = null;
     values[count] = 0;
-    return key;
+    return value;
   }
 
 
diff --git a/core/src/processing/data/IntDict.java b/core/src/processing/data/IntDict.java
index 7acfd54b6..96913591f 100644
--- a/core/src/processing/data/IntDict.java
+++ b/core/src/processing/data/IntDict.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package processing.data;
 import java.io.*;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Iterator;
+import java.util.NoSuchElementException;
 
 import processing.core.PApplet;
 
@@ -593,19 +594,20 @@ public class IntDict {
    */
   public int remove(String key) {
     int index = index(key);
-    if (index != -1) {
-      removeIndex(index);
+    if (index == -1) {
+      throw new NoSuchElementException("'" + key + "' not found");
     }
-    return index;
+    int value = values[index];
+    removeIndex(index);
+    return value;
   }
 
 
-  public String removeIndex(int index) {
+  public int removeIndex(int index) {
     if (index < 0 || index >= count) {
       throw new ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException(index);
     }
-    //System.out.println("index is " + which + " and " + keys[which]);
-    String key = keys[index];
+    int value = values[index];
     indices.remove(keys[index]);
     for (int i = index; i < count-1; i++) {
       keys[i] = keys[i+1];
@@ -615,7 +617,7 @@ public class IntDict {
     count--;
     keys[count] = null;
     values[count] = 0;
-    return key;
+    return value;
   }
 
 
diff --git a/core/src/processing/data/LongDict.java b/core/src/processing/data/LongDict.java
index 18ecac703..529246862 100644
--- a/core/src/processing/data/LongDict.java
+++ b/core/src/processing/data/LongDict.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package processing.data;
 import java.io.*;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Iterator;
+import java.util.NoSuchElementException;
 
 import processing.core.PApplet;
 
@@ -580,21 +581,22 @@ public class LongDict {
    * @webref intdict:method
    * @brief Remove a key/value pair
    */
-  public int remove(String key) {
+  public long remove(String key) {
     int index = index(key);
-    if (index != -1) {
-      removeIndex(index);
+    if (index == -1) {
+      throw new NoSuchElementException("'" + key + "' not found");
     }
-    return index;
+    long value = values[index];
+    removeIndex(index);
+    return value;
   }
 
 
-  public String removeIndex(int index) {
+  public long removeIndex(int index) {
     if (index < 0 || index >= count) {
       throw new ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException(index);
     }
-    //System.out.println("index is " + which + " and " + keys[which]);
-    String key = keys[index];
+    long value = values[index];
     indices.remove(keys[index]);
     for (int i = index; i < count-1; i++) {
       keys[i] = keys[i+1];
@@ -604,7 +606,7 @@ public class LongDict {
     count--;
     keys[count] = null;
     values[count] = 0;
-    return key;
+    return value;
   }
 
 
diff --git a/core/src/processing/data/StringDict.java b/core/src/processing/data/StringDict.java
index 012e266d2..c66a61e4d 100644
--- a/core/src/processing/data/StringDict.java
+++ b/core/src/processing/data/StringDict.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package processing.data;
 import java.io.*;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Iterator;
+import java.util.NoSuchElementException;
 
 import processing.core.PApplet;
 
@@ -433,12 +434,14 @@ public class StringDict {
    * @webref stringdict:method
    * @brief Remove a key/value pair
    */
-  public int remove(String key) {
+  public String remove(String key) {
     int index = index(key);
-    if (index != -1) {
-      removeIndex(index);
+    if (index == -1) {
+      throw new NoSuchElementException("'" + key + "' not found");
     }
-    return index;
+    String value = values[index];
+    removeIndex(index);
+    return value;
   }
 
 
@@ -446,9 +449,8 @@ public class StringDict {
     if (index < 0 || index >= count) {
       throw new ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException(index);
     }
-    //System.out.println("index is " + which + " and " + keys[which]);
-    String key = keys[index];
-    indices.remove(key);
+    String value = values[index];
+    indices.remove(keys[index]);
     for (int i = index; i < count-1; i++) {
       keys[i] = keys[i+1];
       values[i] = values[i+1];
@@ -457,10 +459,11 @@ public class StringDict {
     count--;
     keys[count] = null;
     values[count] = null;
-    return key;
+    return value;
   }
 
 
+
   public void swap(int a, int b) {
     String tkey = keys[a];
     String tvalue = values[a];