diff --git a/src/frontend/ftesopt.c b/src/frontend/ftesopt.c
index ac711596d..b58f500f3 100644
--- a/src/frontend/ftesopt.c
+++ b/src/frontend/ftesopt.c
@@ -52,18 +52,13 @@ ft_getstat(struct circ *ci, char *name)
 static struct variable *
 getFTEstat(struct FTEparm *p, FTESTATistics *stat, struct variable *next)
 {
-    struct variable *v;
-
     switch (p->id) {
     case FTEOPT_NLDECK:
-        v = var_alloc_num(copy(p->description), stat->FTESTATdeckNumLines, next);
-        return v;
+        return var_alloc_num(copy(p->description), stat->FTESTATdeckNumLines, next);
     case FTEOPT_NLT:
-        v = var_alloc_real(copy(p->description), stat->FTESTATnetLoadTime, next);
-        return v;
+        return var_alloc_real(copy(p->description), stat->FTESTATnetLoadTime, next);
     case FTEOPT_NPT:
-        v = var_alloc_real(copy(p->description), stat->FTESTATnetParseTime, next);
-        return v;
+        return var_alloc_real(copy(p->description), stat->FTESTATnetParseTime, next);
     default:
         return NULL;
     }
diff --git a/src/frontend/options.c b/src/frontend/options.c
index 05cc8e2c0..a64cf5849 100644
--- a/src/frontend/options.c
+++ b/src/frontend/options.c
@@ -48,11 +48,15 @@ cp_enqvar(char *word)
         if (!d)
             return (NULL);
 
+        if (d->v_link2)
+            fprintf(cp_err,
+                    "Warning: only one vector may be accessed with the $& notation.\n");
+
         if (d->v_length == 1) {
             double value = isreal(d)
                 ? d->v_realdata[0]
                 : realpart(d->v_compdata[0]);
-            vv = var_alloc_real(copy(word), value, NULL);
+            return var_alloc_real(copy(word), value, NULL);
         } else {
             struct variable *list = NULL;
             int i;
@@ -62,38 +66,30 @@ cp_enqvar(char *word)
                     : realpart(d->v_compdata[i]);
                 list = var_alloc_real(NULL, value, list);
             }
-            vv = var_alloc_vlist(copy(word), list, NULL);
+            return var_alloc_vlist(copy(word), list, NULL);
         }
-
-        if (d->v_link2)
-            fprintf(cp_err,
-                    "Warning: only one vector may be accessed with the $& notation.\n");
-        return (vv);
-
     }
 
     if (plot_cur) {
         for (vv = plot_cur->pl_env; vv; vv = vv->va_next)
             if (eq(vv->va_name, word))
                 return (vv);
-        if (eq(word, "curplotname")) {
-            vv = var_alloc_string(copy(word), copy(plot_cur->pl_name), NULL);
-        } else if (eq(word, "curplottitle")) {
-            vv = var_alloc_string(copy(word), copy(plot_cur->pl_title), NULL);
-        } else if (eq(word, "curplotdate")) {
-            vv = var_alloc_string(copy(word), copy(plot_cur->pl_date), NULL);
-        } else if (eq(word, "curplot")) {
-            vv = var_alloc_string(copy(word), copy(plot_cur->pl_typename), NULL);
-        } else if (eq(word, "plots")) {
+        if (eq(word, "curplotname"))
+            return var_alloc_string(copy(word), copy(plot_cur->pl_name), NULL);
+        if (eq(word, "curplottitle"))
+            return var_alloc_string(copy(word), copy(plot_cur->pl_title), NULL);
+        if (eq(word, "curplotdate"))
+            return var_alloc_string(copy(word), copy(plot_cur->pl_date), NULL);
+        if (eq(word, "curplot"))
+            return var_alloc_string(copy(word), copy(plot_cur->pl_typename), NULL);
+        if (eq(word, "plots")) {
             struct variable *list = NULL;
             struct plot *pl;
             for (pl = plot_list; pl; pl = pl->pl_next) {
                 list = var_alloc_string(NULL, copy(pl->pl_typename), list);
             }
-            vv = var_alloc_vlist(copy(word), list, NULL);
+            return var_alloc_vlist(copy(word), list, NULL);
         }
-        if (vv)
-            return (vv);
     }
 
     if (ft_curckt)
diff --git a/src/frontend/spiceif.c b/src/frontend/spiceif.c
index d13a123d1..021b2915e 100644
--- a/src/frontend/spiceif.c
+++ b/src/frontend/spiceif.c
@@ -960,30 +960,24 @@ parmtovar(IFvalue *pv, IFparm *opt)
 {
     /* It is not clear whether we want to name the variable
      *   by `keyword' or by `description' */
-    struct variable *vv;
 
     switch (opt->dataType & IF_VARTYPES) {
     case IF_INTEGER:
-        vv = var_alloc_num(copy(opt->description), pv->iValue, NULL);
-        return vv;
+        return var_alloc_num(copy(opt->description), pv->iValue, NULL);
     case IF_REAL:
     case IF_COMPLEX:
-        vv = var_alloc_real(copy(opt->description), pv->rValue, NULL);
-        return vv;
+        return var_alloc_real(copy(opt->description), pv->rValue, NULL);
     case IF_STRING:
-        vv = var_alloc_string(copy(opt->description), pv->sValue, NULL);
-        return vv;
+        return var_alloc_string(copy(opt->description), pv->sValue, NULL);
     case IF_FLAG:
-        vv = var_alloc_bool(copy(opt->description), pv->iValue ? TRUE : FALSE, NULL);
-        return vv;
+        return var_alloc_bool(copy(opt->description), pv->iValue ? TRUE : FALSE, NULL);
     case IF_REALVEC: {
         struct variable *list = NULL;
         int i;
         for (i = pv->v.numValue; --i >= 0;) {
             list = var_alloc_real(NULL, pv->v.vec.rVec[i], list);
         }
-        vv = var_alloc_vlist(copy(opt->description), list, NULL);
-        return vv;
+        return var_alloc_vlist(copy(opt->description), list, NULL);
         /* It is a linked list where the first node is a variable
          * pointing to the different values of the variables.
          *
diff --git a/src/frontend/variable.c b/src/frontend/variable.c
index 241012a32..f1d7bccfe 100644
--- a/src/frontend/variable.c
+++ b/src/frontend/variable.c
@@ -278,8 +278,7 @@ cp_setparse(wordlist *wl)
 
         wl = wl->wl_next;
         if ((!wl || (*wl->wl_word != '=')) && !strchr(name, '=')) {
-            vv = var_alloc_bool(copy(name), TRUE, vars);
-            vars = vv;
+            vars = var_alloc_bool(copy(name), TRUE, vars);
             tfree(name);        /*DG: cp_unquote Memory leak*/
             continue;
         }
@@ -362,8 +361,7 @@ cp_setparse(wordlist *wl)
                 return (NULL);
             }
 
-            vv = var_alloc_vlist(copy(name), listv, vars);
-            vars = vv;
+            vars = var_alloc_vlist(copy(name), listv, vars);
 
             wl = wl->wl_next;
             continue;
@@ -373,11 +371,9 @@ cp_setparse(wordlist *wl)
         td = ft_numparse(&ss, FALSE);
         if (td) {
             /*** We should try to get CP_NUM's... */
-            vv = var_alloc_real(copy(name), *td, vars);
-            vars = vv;
+            vars = var_alloc_real(copy(name), *td, vars);
         } else {
-            vv = var_alloc_string(copy(name), copy(val), vars);
-            vars = vv;
+            vars = var_alloc_string(copy(name), copy(val), vars);
         }
         tfree(copyval); /*DG: must free ss any way to avoid cp_unquote memory leak */
         tfree(name);  /* va: cp_unquote memory leak: free name for every loop */