diff --git a/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/dcd/asm/TypeSignatureVisitor.java b/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/dcd/asm/TypeSignatureVisitor.java
index e16754e99f..3ee5ad2e99 100644
--- a/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/dcd/asm/TypeSignatureVisitor.java
+++ b/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/dcd/asm/TypeSignatureVisitor.java
@@ -98,11 +98,7 @@ public class TypeSignatureVisitor extends SignatureVisitor {
         if (parameterTypes == null) {
             throw new RuntimeException();
         }
-        if (parameterTypes != null) {
-            return parameterTypes.toArray(new Class<?>[0]);
-        } else {
-            return null;
-        }
+        return parameterTypes.toArray(new Class<?>[0]);
     }
 
     private void pushType(int type) {
diff --git a/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/database/DBMSMetadata.java b/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/database/DBMSMetadata.java
index e89dd83ef1..489a03043f 100644
--- a/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/database/DBMSMetadata.java
+++ b/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/database/DBMSMetadata.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import java.sql.ResultSet;
 import java.sql.SQLException;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Properties;
@@ -302,7 +303,7 @@ public class DBMSMetadata {
 
         if (null == dburi) {
             LOGGER.warning("No dbUri defined - no further action possible");
-            return null;
+            return Collections.emptyList();
         } else {
             return getSourceObjectList(dburi.getLanguagesList(), dburi.getSchemasList(), dburi.getSourceCodeTypesList(),
                     dburi.getSourceCodeNamesList());