diff --git a/lib/sorcery/model/submodules/external.rb b/lib/sorcery/model/submodules/external.rb
index 7c33d8a0..96268742 100644
--- a/lib/sorcery/model/submodules/external.rb
+++ b/lib/sorcery/model/submodules/external.rb
@@ -95,15 +95,13 @@ module InstanceMethods
           def add_provider_to_user(provider, uid)
             authentications = sorcery_config.authentications_class.name.demodulize.underscore.pluralize
             # first check to see if user has a particular authentication already
-            if sorcery_adapter.find_authentication_by_oauth_credentials(authentications, provider, uid).nil?
-              user = send(authentications).build(sorcery_config.provider_uid_attribute_name => uid,
-                                                 sorcery_config.provider_attribute_name => provider)
-              user.sorcery_adapter.save(validate: false)
-            else
-              user = false
-            end
+            return false if sorcery_adapter.find_authentication_by_oauth_credentials(authentications, provider, uid)
 
-            user
+            authentication = send(authentications).build(sorcery_config.provider_uid_attribute_name => uid,
+                                                         sorcery_config.provider_attribute_name => provider)
+            authentication.sorcery_adapter.save(validate: false)
+
+            authentication
           end
         end
       end
diff --git a/spec/rails_app/app/controllers/sorcery_controller.rb b/spec/rails_app/app/controllers/sorcery_controller.rb
index 1f843c37..a4ffbcf0 100644
--- a/spec/rails_app/app/controllers/sorcery_controller.rb
+++ b/spec/rails_app/app/controllers/sorcery_controller.rb
@@ -445,10 +445,10 @@ def test_add_second_provider
 
     return unless logged_in?
 
-    if (@user = add_provider_to_user(provider))
-      redirect_to 'bla', notice: 'Success!'
+    if (@authentication = add_provider_to_user(provider))
+      redirect_to "bla", notice: "Success!"
     else
-      redirect_to 'blu', alert: 'Failed!'
+      redirect_to "blu", alert: "Failed!"
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/spec/shared_examples/user_oauth_shared_examples.rb b/spec/shared_examples/user_oauth_shared_examples.rb
index 3e6ec302..14ee34fc 100644
--- a/spec/shared_examples/user_oauth_shared_examples.rb
+++ b/spec/shared_examples/user_oauth_shared_examples.rb
@@ -29,5 +29,28 @@
       external_user
       expect(User.load_from_provider(:twitter, 980_342)).to be_nil
     end
+
+    describe "#add_provider_to_user" do
+      let!(:user) { create_new_user }
+
+      subject { user.add_provider_to_user(:twitter, 123) }
+
+      context "when a provider is successfully added" do
+        it "returns an instance of authentication" do
+          expect {
+            expect(subject).to be_kind_of(Authentication)
+          }.to change(Authentication, :count).by(1)
+        end
+      end
+
+      context "when a provider already exists" do
+        let(:user) { create_new_external_user :twitter }
+
+        it "does not create a new authentication and returns false" do
+          expect { subject }.not_to change(Authentication, :count)
+          expect(subject).to be false
+        end
+      end
+    end
   end
 end