diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 422620c..4cb9d61 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -516,17 +516,17 @@ impl<T> NonEmpty<T> {
     ///
     /// // Guaranteed to have the last element and the elements
     /// // preceding it.
-    /// assert_eq!(non_empty.split(), (&1, &[2, 3, 4][..], &5));
+    /// assert_eq!(non_empty.split(), (&1, &[2, 3, 4][..], Some(&5)));
     ///
     /// let non_empty = NonEmpty::new(1);
     ///
     /// // Guaranteed to have the last element.
-    /// assert_eq!(non_empty.split(), (&1, &[][..], &1));
+    /// assert_eq!(non_empty.split(), (&1, &[][..], None));
     /// ```
-    pub fn split(&self) -> (&T, &[T], &T) {
+    pub fn split(&self) -> (&T, &[T], Option<&T>) {
         match self.tail.split_last() {
-            None => (&self.head, &[], &self.head),
-            Some((last, middle)) => (&self.head, middle, last),
+            None => (&self.head, &[], None),
+            Some((last, middle)) => (&self.head, middle, Some(last)),
         }
     }