diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/bcel/verifier/statics/Pass3aVerifier.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/bcel/verifier/statics/Pass3aVerifier.java
index 25def60f6e..b9a67e5cf1 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/bcel/verifier/statics/Pass3aVerifier.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/bcel/verifier/statics/Pass3aVerifier.java
@@ -1043,8 +1043,7 @@ public VerificationResult do_verify() {
                 try {
                     delayedPass2Checks();
                 } catch (final ClassConstraintException | ClassFormatException cce) {
-                    vr = new VerificationResult(VerificationResult.VERIFIED_REJECTED, cce.getMessage());
-                    return vr;
+                    return new VerificationResult(VerificationResult.VERIFIED_REJECTED, cce.getMessage());
                 }
                 try {
                     pass3StaticInstructionChecks();
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/bcel/generic/GeneratingAnnotatedClassesTestCase.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/bcel/generic/GeneratingAnnotatedClassesTestCase.java
index 762f6fdbb2..056453c1b0 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/bcel/generic/GeneratingAnnotatedClassesTestCase.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/bcel/generic/GeneratingAnnotatedClassesTestCase.java
@@ -291,8 +291,7 @@ public AnnotationEntryGen createSimpleInvisibleAnnotation(final ConstantPoolGen
         final ObjectType t = new ObjectType("SimpleAnnotation");
         final List<ElementValuePairGen> elements = new ArrayList<>();
         elements.add(nvGen);
-        final AnnotationEntryGen a = new AnnotationEntryGen(t, elements, false, cp);
-        return a;
+        return new AnnotationEntryGen(t, elements, false, cp);
     }
 
     public AnnotationEntryGen createSimpleVisibleAnnotation(final ConstantPoolGen cp) {
@@ -301,8 +300,7 @@ public AnnotationEntryGen createSimpleVisibleAnnotation(final ConstantPoolGen cp
         final ObjectType t = new ObjectType("SimpleAnnotation");
         final List<ElementValuePairGen> elements = new ArrayList<>();
         elements.add(nvGen);
-        final AnnotationEntryGen a = new AnnotationEntryGen(t, elements, true, cp);
-        return a;
+        return new AnnotationEntryGen(t, elements, true, cp);
     }
 
     private void dumpClass(final ClassGen cg, final String fname) {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/bcel/util/BCELifierTestCase.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/bcel/util/BCELifierTestCase.java
index 8ab68d6c6d..9e66445464 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/bcel/util/BCELifierTestCase.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/bcel/util/BCELifierTestCase.java
@@ -48,8 +48,7 @@ public class BCELifierTestCase extends AbstractTestCase {
     private String canonHashRef(String input) {
         input = input.replaceAll("#\\d+", "#n"); // numbers may vary in length
         input = input.replaceAll(" +", " "); // collapse spaces
-        input = input.replaceAll("//.+", ""); // comments may vary
-        return input;
+        return input.replaceAll("//.+", "");
     }
 
     private String exec(final File workDir, final String... args) throws Exception {