diff --git a/procrunner/__init__.py b/procrunner/__init__.py
index eaa74ad..947f09e 100644
--- a/procrunner/__init__.py
+++ b/procrunner/__init__.py
@@ -347,6 +347,15 @@
 
 
 class ReturnObject(dict, _ReturnObjectParent):
+    """
+    A subprocess.CompletedProcess-like object containing the executed
+    command, stdout and stderr (both as bytestrings), and the exitcode.
+    Further values such as process runtime can be accessed as dictionary
+    values.
+    The check_returncode() function raises an exception if the process
+    exited with a non-zero exit code.
+    """
+
     def __init__(self, *arg, **kw):
         super(ReturnObject, self).__init__(*arg, **kw)
         self.args = self["command"]
@@ -394,8 +403,9 @@
                                  extension.
     :param string working_directory: If specified, run the executable from
                                      within this working directory.
-    :return: A dictionary containing stdout, stderr (both as bytestrings),
-             runtime, exitcode, and more.
+    :return: A ReturnObject() containing the executed command, stdout and stderr
+             (both as bytestrings), and the exitcode. Further values such as
+             process runtime can be accessed as dictionary values.
     """
 
     time_start = time.strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S GMT", time.gmtime())
@@ -543,16 +553,18 @@
     stderr = stderr.get_output()
     time_end = time.strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S GMT", time.gmtime())
 
-    result = {
-        "exitcode": p.returncode,
-        "command": command,
-        "stdout": stdout,
-        "stderr": stderr,
-        "timeout": timeout_encountered,
-        "runtime": runtime,
-        "time_start": time_start,
-        "time_end": time_end,
-    }
+    result = ReturnObject(
+        {
+            "exitcode": p.returncode,
+            "command": command,
+            "stdout": stdout,
+            "stderr": stderr,
+            "timeout": timeout_encountered,
+            "runtime": runtime,
+            "time_start": time_start,
+            "time_end": time_end,
+        }
+    )
     if stdin is not None:
         result.update(
             {
@@ -576,16 +588,18 @@
     time_start = time.strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S GMT", time.gmtime())
     logger.info("run_process is disabled. Requested command: %s", command)
 
-    result = {
-        "exitcode": 0,
-        "command": command,
-        "stdout": "",
-        "stderr": "",
-        "timeout": False,
-        "runtime": 0,
-        "time_start": time_start,
-        "time_end": time_start,
-    }
+    result = ReturnObject(
+        {
+            "exitcode": 0,
+            "command": command,
+            "stdout": "",
+            "stderr": "",
+            "timeout": False,
+            "runtime": 0,
+            "time_start": time_start,
+            "time_end": time_start,
+        }
+    )
     if kwargs.get("stdin") is not None:
         result.update(
             {"stdin_bytes_sent": len(kwargs["stdin"]), "stdin_bytes_remain": 0}
diff --git a/tests/test_procrunner.py b/tests/test_procrunner.py
index 9704c1c..c645968 100644
--- a/tests/test_procrunner.py
+++ b/tests/test_procrunner.py
@@ -94,7 +94,12 @@
     )
     assert not mock_process.terminate.called
     assert not mock_process.kill.called
-    assert actual == expected
+    for key in expected:
+        assert actual[key] == expected[key]
+    assert actual.args == tuple(command)
+    assert actual.returncode == mock_process.returncode
+    assert actual.stdout == mock.sentinel.proc_stdout
+    assert actual.stderr == mock.sentinel.proc_stderr
 
 
 @mock.patch("procrunner.subprocess")
diff --git a/tests/test_procrunner_system.py b/tests/test_procrunner_system.py
index ccd2b02..f4fd500 100644
--- a/tests/test_procrunner_system.py
+++ b/tests/test_procrunner_system.py
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@
 
     result = procrunner.run(command)
 
-    assert result["exitcode"] == 0
-    assert result["stdout"] == b"hello" + os.linesep.encode("utf-8")
-    assert result["stderr"] == b""
+    assert result.returncode == 0
+    assert result.stdout == b"hello" + os.linesep.encode("utf-8")
+    assert result.stderr == b""
 
 
 def test_decode_invalid_utf8_input(capsys):
@@ -28,13 +28,13 @@
     else:
         command = ["cat"]
     result = procrunner.run(command, stdin=test_string)
-    assert result["exitcode"] == 0
-    assert not result["stderr"]
+    assert result.returncode == 0
+    assert not result.stderr
     if os.name == "nt":
         # Windows modifies line endings
-        assert result["stdout"] == test_string[:-1] + b"\r\n"
+        assert result.stdout == test_string[:-1] + b"\r\n"
     else:
-        assert result["stdout"] == test_string
+        assert result.stdout == test_string
     out, err = capsys.readouterr()
     assert out == u"test\ufffdstring\n"
     assert err == u""
@@ -49,21 +49,20 @@
         if e.errno == 2:
             pytest.skip("wget not available")
         raise
-    assert result["exitcode"] == 0
-    assert b"http" in result["stderr"]
-    assert b"google" in result["stdout"]
+    assert result.returncode == 0
+    assert b"http" in result.stderr
+    assert b"google" in result.stdout
 
 
 def test_path_object_resolution(tmpdir):
-    sentinel_value = "sentinel"
+    sentinel_value = b"sentinel"
     tmpdir.join("tempfile").write(sentinel_value)
     tmpdir.join("reader.py").write("print(open('tempfile').read())")
-    command = [sys.executable, tmpdir.join("reader.py")]
     result = procrunner.run(
-        command,
+        [sys.executable, tmpdir.join("reader.py")],
         environment_override={"PYTHONHASHSEED": "random"},
         working_directory=tmpdir,
     )
-    assert result["exitcode"] == 0
-    assert not result["stderr"]
-    assert sentinel_value == result["stdout"].strip().decode()
+    assert result.returncode == 0
+    assert not result.stderr
+    assert sentinel_value == result.stdout.strip()