diff --git a/vhdlpp/scope.cc b/vhdlpp/scope.cc
index d0a329514..b178547c7 100644
--- a/vhdlpp/scope.cc
+++ b/vhdlpp/scope.cc
@@ -99,11 +99,10 @@ const VType*ScopeBase::find_type(perm_string by_name)
       if (cur == cur_types_.end()) {
         cur = use_types_.find(by_name);
         if (cur == use_types_.end())
-          return 0;
-        else
-          return cur->second;
-      } else
-	    return cur->second;
+          return NULL;     // nothing found
+      }
+
+      return cur->second;
 }
 
 bool ScopeBase::find_constant(perm_string by_name, const VType*&typ, Expression*&exp) const
@@ -115,19 +114,12 @@ bool ScopeBase::find_constant(perm_string by_name, const VType*&typ, Expression*
       if (cur == cur_constants_.end()) {
         cur = use_constants_.find(by_name);
         if (cur == use_constants_.end())
-          return false;
-        else {
-          typ = cur->second->typ;
-          exp = cur->second->val;
-          return true;
-        }
-      } else {
-        typ = cur->second->typ;
-        exp = cur->second->val;
-        return true;
+          return false;     // nothing found
       }
 
-      return false;
+      typ = cur->second->typ;
+      exp = cur->second->val;
+      return true;
 }
 
 Signal* ScopeBase::find_signal(perm_string by_name) const
@@ -136,12 +128,10 @@ Signal* ScopeBase::find_signal(perm_string by_name) const
       if (cur == new_signals_.end()) {
         cur = old_signals_.find(by_name);
         if (cur == old_signals_.end())
-            return 0;
-        else
-            return cur->second;
-      } else {
-	    return cur->second;
+            return NULL;        // nothing found
       }
+
+      return cur->second;
 }
 
 Variable* ScopeBase::find_variable(perm_string by_name) const
@@ -150,12 +140,10 @@ Variable* ScopeBase::find_variable(perm_string by_name) const
       if (cur == new_variables_.end()) {
 	    cur = old_variables_.find(by_name);
 	    if (cur == old_variables_.end())
-		  return 0;
-	    else
-		  return cur->second;
-      } else {
-	    return cur->second;
+		return 0;     // nothing found
       }
+
+      return cur->second;
 }
 
 const InterfacePort* ScopeBase::find_param(perm_string) const
@@ -232,7 +220,6 @@ void ScopeBase::do_use_from(const ScopeBase*that)
 	    use_subprograms_[cur->first] = cur->second;
       }
 
-
       for (map<perm_string,const VType*>::const_iterator cur = that->cur_types_.begin()
 		 ; cur != that->cur_types_.end() ; ++ cur) {
 	    if (cur->second == 0)