diff --git a/src/img2pdf.py b/src/img2pdf.py
index f89670b..5379089 100755
--- a/src/img2pdf.py
+++ b/src/img2pdf.py
@@ -1075,7 +1075,7 @@ class pdfdoc(object):
         self.tostream(stream)
         return stream.getvalue()
 
-    def tostream(self, outputstream):
+    def finalize(self):
         if self.engine == Engine.pikepdf:
             PdfArray = pikepdf.Array
             PdfDict = pikepdf.Dictionary
@@ -1267,7 +1267,9 @@ class pdfdoc(object):
                 self.writer.addobj(metadata)
                 self.writer.addobj(iccstream)
 
-        # now write out the PDF
+    def tostream(self, outputstream):
+        # write out the PDF
+        # this assumes that finalize() has been invoked beforehand by the caller
         if self.engine == Engine.pikepdf:
             kwargs = {}
             if pikepdf.__version__ >= "6.2.0":
@@ -1276,6 +1278,7 @@ class pdfdoc(object):
                 outputstream, min_version=self.output_version, linearize=True, **kwargs
             )
         elif self.engine == Engine.pdfrw:
+            from pdfrw import PdfName, PdfArray
             self.writer.trailer.Info = self.writer.docinfo
             # setting the version attribute of the pdfrw PdfWriter object will
             # influence the behaviour of the write() function
@@ -2605,14 +2608,11 @@ def find_scale(pagewidth, pageheight):
     return 10 ** ceil(log10(oversized))
 
 
-# given one or more input image, depending on outputstream, either return a
-# string containing the whole PDF if outputstream is None or write the PDF
-# data to the given file-like object and return None
-#
-# Input images can be given as file like objects (they must implement read()),
-# as a binary string representing the image content or as filenames to the
-# images.
-def convert(*images, **kwargs):
+# Convert the image(s) to a `pdfdoc` object.
+# The `.writer` attribute holds the underlying engine document handle, and
+# `.output_version` the minimum version the caller should use when saving.
+# The main convert() wraps this implementation function.
+def convert_to_docobject(*images, **kwargs):
     _default_kwargs = dict(
         engine=None,
         title=None,
@@ -2633,7 +2633,6 @@ def convert(*images, **kwargs):
         viewer_fit_window=False,
         viewer_center_window=False,
         viewer_fullscreen=False,
-        outputstream=None,
         first_frame_only=False,
         allow_oversized=True,
         cropborder=None,
@@ -2796,10 +2795,22 @@ def convert(*images, **kwargs):
                 iccp,
             )
 
-    if kwargs["outputstream"]:
-        pdf.tostream(kwargs["outputstream"])
-        return
+    pdf.finalize()
+    return pdf
 
+
+# given one or more input image, depending on outputstream, either return a
+# string containing the whole PDF if outputstream is None or write the PDF
+# data to the given file-like object and return None
+#
+# Input images can be given as file like objects (they must implement read()),
+# as a binary string representing the image content or as filenames to the
+# images.
+def convert(*images, outputstream=None, **kwargs):
+    pdf = convert_to_docobject(*images, **kwargs)
+    if outputstream:
+        pdf.tostream(outputstream)
+        return
     return pdf.tostring()
 
 
diff --git a/src/img2pdf_test.py b/src/img2pdf_test.py
index 5d9ce85..493ff7b 100755
--- a/src/img2pdf_test.py
+++ b/src/img2pdf_test.py
@@ -7146,6 +7146,16 @@ def test_general(general_input, engine):
         pass
 
 
+def test_return_engine_doc(tmp_path_factory):
+    inputf = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "tests", "input", "normal.jpg")
+    outputf = tmp_path_factory.mktemp("return_engine_doc") / "normal.jpg.pdf"
+    pdf_wrapper = img2pdf.convert_to_docobject(inputf, engine=img2pdf.Engine.pikepdf)
+    pdf = pdf_wrapper.writer
+    assert isinstance(pdf, pikepdf.Pdf)
+    pdf.save(outputf, min_version=pdf_wrapper.output_version, linearize=True)
+    assert os.path.isfile(outputf)
+
+
 def main():
     normal16 = alpha_value()[:, :, 0:3]
     pathlib.Path("test.icc").write_bytes(icc_profile())