diff --git a/sys/net/sock/sock_util.c b/sys/net/sock/sock_util.c
index 428dec044bff..52b0dae4ca3a 100644
--- a/sys/net/sock/sock_util.c
+++ b/sys/net/sock/sock_util.c
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ static char* _find_pathstart(const char *url)
 
 int sock_urlsplit(const char *url, char *hostport, char *urlpath)
 {
-    assert(url);
+    assert(url != NULL);
     char *hoststart = _find_hoststart(url);
     if (!hoststart) {
         return -EINVAL;
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ int sock_urlsplit(const char *url, char *hostport, char *urlpath)
 
     char *pathstart = _find_pathstart(hoststart);
 
-    if (hostport) {
+    if (hostport != NULL) {
         size_t hostlen = pathstart - hoststart;
         /* hostlen must be smaller SOCK_HOSTPORT_MAXLEN to have space for the null
         * terminator */
@@ -133,18 +133,16 @@ int sock_urlsplit(const char *url, char *hostport, char *urlpath)
             return -EOVERFLOW;
         }
         memcpy(hostport, hoststart, hostlen);
-        *(hostport + hostlen) = '\0';
+        hostport[hostlen] = '\0';
     }
 
-    if (urlpath) {
+    if (urlpath != NULL) {
         size_t pathlen = strlen(pathstart);
-        if (pathlen) {
-            if (pathlen > SOCK_URLPATH_MAXLEN - 1) {
-                return -EOVERFLOW;
-            }
-            memcpy(urlpath, pathstart, pathlen);
+        if (pathlen > SOCK_URLPATH_MAXLEN - 1) {
+            return -EOVERFLOW;
         }
-        *(urlpath + pathlen) = '\0';
+        memcpy(urlpath, pathstart, pathlen);
+        urlpath[pathlen] = '\0';
     }
     return 0;
 }