diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Routing/PendingResourceRegistration.php b/src/Illuminate/Routing/PendingResourceRegistration.php
index fbb54e8c821a..796b752c1837 100644
--- a/src/Illuminate/Routing/PendingResourceRegistration.php
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Routing/PendingResourceRegistration.php
@@ -11,6 +11,13 @@ class PendingResourceRegistration
      */
     protected $registrar;
 
+    /**
+     * The resource's registration status.
+     *
+     * @var bool
+     */
+    protected $registered = false;
+
     /**
      * The resource name.
      *
@@ -142,6 +149,18 @@ public function middleware($middleware)
         return $this;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Register the Resource.
+     *
+     * @return \Illuminate\Routing\RouteCollection
+     */
+    public function register()
+    {
+        $this->registered = true;
+
+        return $this->registrar->register($this->name, $this->controller, $this->options);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Handle the object's destruction.
      *
@@ -149,6 +168,8 @@ public function middleware($middleware)
      */
     public function __destruct()
     {
-        $this->registrar->register($this->name, $this->controller, $this->options);
+        if (! $this->registered) {
+            $this->register();
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Routing/ResourceRegistrar.php b/src/Illuminate/Routing/ResourceRegistrar.php
index 5209e9e9279a..d1ec79fc1ae9 100644
--- a/src/Illuminate/Routing/ResourceRegistrar.php
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Routing/ResourceRegistrar.php
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ public function __construct(Router $router)
      * @param  string  $name
      * @param  string  $controller
      * @param  array   $options
-     * @return void
+     * @return \Illuminate\Routing\RouteCollection
      */
     public function register($name, $controller, array $options = [])
     {
@@ -92,9 +92,13 @@ public function register($name, $controller, array $options = [])
 
         $defaults = $this->resourceDefaults;
 
+        $collection = new RouteCollection;
+
         foreach ($this->getResourceMethods($defaults, $options) as $m) {
-            $this->{'addResource'.ucfirst($m)}($name, $base, $controller, $options);
+            $collection->add($this->{'addResource'.ucfirst($m)}($name, $base, $controller, $options));
         }
+
+        return $collection;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/tests/Routing/RouteRegistrarTest.php b/tests/Routing/RouteRegistrarTest.php
index 3a239ddcb047..c2a335f7bb8c 100644
--- a/tests/Routing/RouteRegistrarTest.php
+++ b/tests/Routing/RouteRegistrarTest.php
@@ -219,6 +219,23 @@ public function testCanRegisterResource()
         $this->seeMiddleware('resource-middleware');
     }
 
+    public function testCanAccessRegisteredResourceRoutesAsRouteCollection()
+    {
+        $resource = $this->router->middleware('resource-middleware')
+                     ->resource('users', 'Illuminate\Tests\Routing\RouteRegistrarControllerStub')
+                     ->register();
+
+        $this->assertCount(7, $resource->getRoutes());
+
+        $this->assertTrue($this->router->getRoutes()->hasNamedRoute('users.index'));
+        $this->assertTrue($this->router->getRoutes()->hasNamedRoute('users.create'));
+        $this->assertTrue($this->router->getRoutes()->hasNamedRoute('users.store'));
+        $this->assertTrue($this->router->getRoutes()->hasNamedRoute('users.show'));
+        $this->assertTrue($this->router->getRoutes()->hasNamedRoute('users.edit'));
+        $this->assertTrue($this->router->getRoutes()->hasNamedRoute('users.update'));
+        $this->assertTrue($this->router->getRoutes()->hasNamedRoute('users.destroy'));
+    }
+
     public function testCanLimitMethodsOnRegisteredResource()
     {
         $this->router->resource('users', 'Illuminate\Tests\Routing\RouteRegistrarControllerStub')