diff --git a/src/main/java/com/cloudhopper/smpp/impl/DefaultSmppClient.java b/src/main/java/com/cloudhopper/smpp/impl/DefaultSmppClient.java
index 2ce8dd12..291fb673 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/cloudhopper/smpp/impl/DefaultSmppClient.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/cloudhopper/smpp/impl/DefaultSmppClient.java
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ public void destroy() {
     }
 
     protected BaseBind createBindRequest(SmppSessionConfiguration config) throws UnrecoverablePduException {
-        BaseBind bind = null;
+        BaseBind bind;
         if (config.getType() == SmppBindType.TRANSCEIVER) {
             bind = new BindTransceiver();
         } else if (config.getType() == SmppBindType.RECEIVER) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/cloudhopper/smpp/impl/DefaultSmppServer.java b/src/main/java/com/cloudhopper/smpp/impl/DefaultSmppServer.java
index 42ee583d..084f3eec 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/cloudhopper/smpp/impl/DefaultSmppServer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/cloudhopper/smpp/impl/DefaultSmppServer.java
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ public void start() throws SmppChannelException {
 
     @Override
     public void stop() {
-        if (this.channels.size() > 0) {
+        if (!this.channels.isEmpty()) {
             logger.info("{} currently has [{}] open child channel(s) that will be closed as part of stop()", configuration.getName(), this.channels.size());
         }
         // close all channels still open within this session "bootstrap"
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/cloudhopper/smpp/simulator/SmppSimulatorSessionHandler.java b/src/main/java/com/cloudhopper/smpp/simulator/SmppSimulatorSessionHandler.java
index 7e5a4ad0..8a9fd377 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/cloudhopper/smpp/simulator/SmppSimulatorSessionHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/cloudhopper/smpp/simulator/SmppSimulatorSessionHandler.java
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ protected Object decode(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, Channel channel, ChannelBuffe
         }
 
         // is there a PDU someone wants us to write in response?
-        if (this.writePduQueue.size() > 0) {
+        if (!this.writePduQueue.isEmpty()) {
             Pdu pduToWrite = this.writePduQueue.remove();
             logger.info("Automatically writing back on channel 0x" + HexUtil.toHexString(channel.getId()) + " the PDU: {}", pduToWrite);
             ChannelBuffer writeBuffer = this.transcoder.encode(pduToWrite);
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/cloudhopper/smpp/ssl/CertificateValidator.java b/src/main/java/com/cloudhopper/smpp/ssl/CertificateValidator.java
index 6dfc4194..c09f3bc2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/cloudhopper/smpp/ssl/CertificateValidator.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/cloudhopper/smpp/ssl/CertificateValidator.java
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ public String validate(KeyStore keyStore, String keyAlias) throws CertificateExc
      * @throws CertificateException
      */
     public void validate(KeyStore keyStore, Certificate cert) throws CertificateException {
-        Certificate[] certChain = null;
+        Certificate[] certChain;
 	if (cert != null && cert instanceof X509Certificate) {
             ((X509Certificate)cert).checkValidity();
             
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/cloudhopper/smpp/transcoder/DefaultPduTranscoder.java b/src/main/java/com/cloudhopper/smpp/transcoder/DefaultPduTranscoder.java
index 182c5ee1..92b204c0 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/cloudhopper/smpp/transcoder/DefaultPduTranscoder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/cloudhopper/smpp/transcoder/DefaultPduTranscoder.java
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ protected Pdu doDecode(int commandLength, ChannelBuffer buffer) throws Unrecover
         // this is a major issue if the sequence number is invalid
         SequenceNumber.assertValid(sequenceNumber);
 
-        Pdu pdu = null;
+        Pdu pdu;
 
         // any command id with its 31st bit set to true is a response
         if (PduUtil.isRequestCommandId(commandId)) {