diff --git a/src/main/java/net/spy/memcached/ops/OperationException.java b/src/main/java/net/spy/memcached/ops/OperationException.java
index c3a5c4b1e..0e1260838 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/spy/memcached/ops/OperationException.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/spy/memcached/ops/OperationException.java
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ public OperationErrorType getType() {
 
   @Override
   public String toString() {
-    String rv = null;
+    String rv;
     if (type == OperationErrorType.GENERAL) {
       rv = "OperationException: " + type;
     } else {
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/spy/memcached/protocol/ascii/FlushOperationImpl.java b/src/main/java/net/spy/memcached/protocol/ascii/FlushOperationImpl.java
index 834f9ace7..8aeac7615 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/spy/memcached/protocol/ascii/FlushOperationImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/spy/memcached/protocol/ascii/FlushOperationImpl.java
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ public void handleLine(String line) {
 
   @Override
   public void initialize() {
-    ByteBuffer b = null;
+    ByteBuffer b;
     if (delay == -1) {
       b = ByteBuffer.wrap(FLUSH);
     } else {
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/spy/memcached/protocol/ascii/MutatorOperationImpl.java b/src/main/java/net/spy/memcached/protocol/ascii/MutatorOperationImpl.java
index e49a02a12..db3210266 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/spy/memcached/protocol/ascii/MutatorOperationImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/spy/memcached/protocol/ascii/MutatorOperationImpl.java
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ public MutatorOperationImpl(Mutator m, String k, long amt,
   @Override
   public void handleLine(String line) {
     getLogger().debug("Result:  %s", line);
-    OperationStatus found = null;
+    OperationStatus found;
     if (line.equals("NOT_FOUND")) {
       found = NOT_FOUND;
     } else {
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/spy/memcached/protocol/ascii/TouchOperationImpl.java b/src/main/java/net/spy/memcached/protocol/ascii/TouchOperationImpl.java
index 0c4270581..f3c67399f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/spy/memcached/protocol/ascii/TouchOperationImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/spy/memcached/protocol/ascii/TouchOperationImpl.java
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ public void handleLine(String line) {
 
   @Override
   public void initialize() {
-    ByteBuffer b = null;
+    ByteBuffer b;
     b = ByteBuffer.allocate(KeyUtil.getKeyBytes(key).length
       + String.valueOf(exp).length() + OVERHEAD);
     b.put(("touch " + key + " " + exp + "\r\n").getBytes());
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/spy/memcached/tapmessage/ResponseMessage.java b/src/main/java/net/spy/memcached/tapmessage/ResponseMessage.java
index 1cd7734c4..6d23ef2d5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/spy/memcached/tapmessage/ResponseMessage.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/spy/memcached/tapmessage/ResponseMessage.java
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ private Object deserialize() {
     SerializingTranscoder tc = new SerializingTranscoder();
     CachedData d = new CachedData(this.getItemFlags(), this.getValue(),
       CachedData.MAX_SIZE);
-    Object rv = null;
+    Object rv;
     rv = tc.decode(d);
     return rv;
   }