diff --git a/spanner/google/cloud/spanner/session.py b/spanner/google/cloud/spanner/session.py
index 953ab62993ccd..04fcacea38ee8 100644
--- a/spanner/google/cloud/spanner/session.py
+++ b/spanner/google/cloud/spanner/session.py
@@ -268,8 +268,9 @@ def run_in_transaction(self, func, *args, **kw):
                    If passed, "timeout_secs" will be removed and used to
                    override the default timeout.
 
-        :rtype: :class:`datetime.datetime`
-        :returns: timestamp of committed transaction
+        :rtype: Any
+        :returns: The return value of ``func``.
+
         :raises Exception:
             reraises any non-ABORT execptions raised by ``func``.
         """
@@ -284,7 +285,7 @@ def run_in_transaction(self, func, *args, **kw):
             if txn._transaction_id is None:
                 txn.begin()
             try:
-                func(txn, *args, **kw)
+                return_value = func(txn, *args, **kw)
             except GaxError as exc:
                 _delay_until_retry(exc, deadline)
                 del self._transaction
@@ -299,8 +300,7 @@ def run_in_transaction(self, func, *args, **kw):
                 _delay_until_retry(exc, deadline)
                 del self._transaction
             else:
-                committed = txn.committed
-                return committed
+                return return_value
 
 
 # pylint: disable=misplaced-bare-raise
diff --git a/spanner/tests/unit/test_database.py b/spanner/tests/unit/test_database.py
index ec94e0198c777..40e10ec971a99 100644
--- a/spanner/tests/unit/test_database.py
+++ b/spanner/tests/unit/test_database.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 from google.cloud.spanner import __version__
 
 
-def _make_credentials():
+def _make_credentials():  # pragma: NO COVER
     import google.auth.credentials
 
     class _CredentialsWithScopes(
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ def __init__(self, scopes=(), source=None):
                 self._scopes = scopes
                 self._source = source
 
-            def requires_scopes(self):
+            def requires_scopes(self): # pragma: NO COVER
                 return True
 
             def with_scopes(self, scopes):
diff --git a/spanner/tests/unit/test_session.py b/spanner/tests/unit/test_session.py
index 100555c8e49f8..826369079d29e 100644
--- a/spanner/tests/unit/test_session.py
+++ b/spanner/tests/unit/test_session.py
@@ -513,16 +513,16 @@ def test_run_in_transaction_w_args_w_kwargs_wo_abort(self):
         def unit_of_work(txn, *args, **kw):
             called_with.append((txn, args, kw))
             txn.insert(TABLE_NAME, COLUMNS, VALUES)
+            return 42
 
-        committed = session.run_in_transaction(
+        return_value = session.run_in_transaction(
             unit_of_work, 'abc', some_arg='def')
 
-        self.assertEqual(committed, now)
         self.assertIsNone(session._transaction)
         self.assertEqual(len(called_with), 1)
         txn, args, kw = called_with[0]
         self.assertIsInstance(txn, Transaction)
-        self.assertEqual(txn.committed, committed)
+        self.assertEqual(return_value, 42)
         self.assertEqual(args, ('abc',))
         self.assertEqual(kw, {'some_arg': 'def'})
 
@@ -561,18 +561,15 @@ def test_run_in_transaction_w_abort_no_retry_metadata(self):
         def unit_of_work(txn, *args, **kw):
             called_with.append((txn, args, kw))
             txn.insert(TABLE_NAME, COLUMNS, VALUES)
+            return 'answer'
 
-        committed = session.run_in_transaction(
+        return_value = session.run_in_transaction(
             unit_of_work, 'abc', some_arg='def')
 
-        self.assertEqual(committed, now)
         self.assertEqual(len(called_with), 2)
         for index, (txn, args, kw) in enumerate(called_with):
             self.assertIsInstance(txn, Transaction)
-            if index == 1:
-                self.assertEqual(txn.committed, committed)
-            else:
-                self.assertIsNone(txn.committed)
+            self.assertEqual(return_value, 'answer')
             self.assertEqual(args, ('abc',))
             self.assertEqual(kw, {'some_arg': 'def'})
 
@@ -621,17 +618,15 @@ def unit_of_work(txn, *args, **kw):
         time_module = _FauxTimeModule()
 
         with _Monkey(MUT, time=time_module):
-            committed = session.run_in_transaction(
-                unit_of_work, 'abc', some_arg='def')
+            session.run_in_transaction(unit_of_work, 'abc', some_arg='def')
 
         self.assertEqual(time_module._slept,
                          RETRY_SECONDS + RETRY_NANOS / 1.0e9)
-        self.assertEqual(committed, now)
         self.assertEqual(len(called_with), 2)
         for index, (txn, args, kw) in enumerate(called_with):
             self.assertIsInstance(txn, Transaction)
             if index == 1:
-                self.assertEqual(txn.committed, committed)
+                self.assertEqual(txn.committed, now)
             else:
                 self.assertIsNone(txn.committed)
             self.assertEqual(args, ('abc',))
@@ -688,9 +683,8 @@ def unit_of_work(txn, *args, **kw):
         time_module = _FauxTimeModule()
 
         with _Monkey(MUT, time=time_module):
-            committed = session.run_in_transaction(unit_of_work)
+            session.run_in_transaction(unit_of_work)
 
-        self.assertEqual(committed, now)
         self.assertEqual(time_module._slept,
                          RETRY_SECONDS + RETRY_NANOS / 1.0e9)
         self.assertEqual(len(called_with), 2)