diff --git a/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/optimization/AbstractOptimizationRule.java b/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/optimization/AbstractOptimizationRule.java
index 201b0d01d6..2bb8e9e18d 100644
--- a/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/optimization/AbstractOptimizationRule.java
+++ b/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/optimization/AbstractOptimizationRule.java
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ public class AbstractOptimizationRule extends AbstractRule implements Rule {
     // TODO - symbol table?
     protected final String getVarName(ASTLocalVariableDeclaration node) {
         List l = node.findChildrenOfType(ASTVariableDeclaratorId.class);
-        if (l != null && !l.isEmpty()) {
+        if (!l.isEmpty()) {
             ASTVariableDeclaratorId vd = (ASTVariableDeclaratorId) l.get(0);
             return vd.getImage();
         }
diff --git a/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/strictexception/ExceptionSignatureDeclaration.java b/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/strictexception/ExceptionSignatureDeclaration.java
index 2c830bfd36..1e1bcd3ad2 100644
--- a/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/strictexception/ExceptionSignatureDeclaration.java
+++ b/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/strictexception/ExceptionSignatureDeclaration.java
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ public class ExceptionSignatureDeclaration extends AbstractRule {
         }
 
         List exceptionList = methodDeclaration.findChildrenOfType(ASTName.class);
-        if (!hasContent(exceptionList)) {
+        if (!!exceptionList.isEmpty()) {
             return super.visit(methodDeclaration, o);
         }
 
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ public class ExceptionSignatureDeclaration extends AbstractRule {
 
     public Object visit(ASTConstructorDeclaration constructorDeclaration, Object o) {
         List exceptionList = constructorDeclaration.findChildrenOfType(ASTName.class);
-        if (!hasContent(exceptionList)) {
+        if (!!exceptionList.isEmpty()) {
             return super.visit(constructorDeclaration, o);
         }
 
@@ -99,7 +99,4 @@ public class ExceptionSignatureDeclaration extends AbstractRule {
         return parent instanceof ASTMethodDeclaration || parent instanceof ASTConstructorDeclaration;
     }
 
-    private boolean hasContent(List nameList) {
-        return nameList != null && !nameList.isEmpty();
-    }
 }