diff --git a/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/ConstructorCallsOverridableMethod.java b/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/ConstructorCallsOverridableMethod.java
index 13cb65a61d..d54565eaa6 100644
--- a/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/ConstructorCallsOverridableMethod.java
+++ b/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/ConstructorCallsOverridableMethod.java
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ public final class ConstructorCallsOverridableMethod extends AbstractRule {
             m_Eci = eci;
             List l = new ArrayList();
             eci.findChildrenOfType(ASTArguments.class, l);
-            if (l.size() > 0) {
+            if (!l.isEmpty()) {
                 ASTArguments aa = (ASTArguments) l.get(0);
                 count = aa.getArgumentCount();
             }
@@ -854,7 +854,7 @@ public final class ConstructorCallsOverridableMethod extends AbstractRule {
                 //if this list does not contain our class name, then its not referencing our class
                 //this is a cheezy test... but it errs on the side of less false hits.
                 List packClass = meth.getQualifierNames();
-                if (packClass.size() > 0) {
+                if (!packClass.isEmpty()) {
                     for (Iterator it = packClass.iterator(); it.hasNext();) {
                         String name = (String) it.next();
                         if (name.equals(className)) {
diff --git a/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/optimization/AbstractOptimizationRule.java b/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/optimization/AbstractOptimizationRule.java
index 89be6c988c..201b0d01d6 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.size() > 0) {
+        if (l != null && !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 107e9202c5..2c830bfd36 100644
--- a/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/strictexception/ExceptionSignatureDeclaration.java
+++ b/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/strictexception/ExceptionSignatureDeclaration.java
@@ -100,6 +100,6 @@ public class ExceptionSignatureDeclaration extends AbstractRule {
     }
 
     private boolean hasContent(List nameList) {
-        return nameList != null && nameList.size() > 0;
+        return nameList != null && !nameList.isEmpty();
     }
 }