diff --git a/bcel-builder/src/main/java/org/aspectj/apache/bcel/util/ClassLoaderRepository.java b/bcel-builder/src/main/java/org/aspectj/apache/bcel/util/ClassLoaderRepository.java
index cc3290b29b..6b003614e9 100644
--- a/bcel-builder/src/main/java/org/aspectj/apache/bcel/util/ClassLoaderRepository.java
+++ b/bcel-builder/src/main/java/org/aspectj/apache/bcel/util/ClassLoaderRepository.java
@@ -214,10 +214,7 @@ public Object remove(Object k) {
 			SpecialValue value = map.remove(k);
 			if (value == null)
 				return null;
-			if (value.get() != null) {
-				return value.get();
-			}
-			return null;
+			return value.get();
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/bcel-builder/src/main/java/org/aspectj/apache/bcel/util/NonCachingClassLoaderRepository.java b/bcel-builder/src/main/java/org/aspectj/apache/bcel/util/NonCachingClassLoaderRepository.java
index 88616fe838..22a681e20c 100644
--- a/bcel-builder/src/main/java/org/aspectj/apache/bcel/util/NonCachingClassLoaderRepository.java
+++ b/bcel-builder/src/main/java/org/aspectj/apache/bcel/util/NonCachingClassLoaderRepository.java
@@ -164,10 +164,7 @@ public Object remove(Object k) {
 			SpecialValue value = map.remove(k);
 			if (value == null)
 				return null;
-			if (value.get() != null) {
-				return value.get();
-			}
-			return null;
+			return value.get();
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/org.aspectj.ajdt.core/src/main/java/org/aspectj/ajdt/internal/core/builder/AjState.java b/org.aspectj.ajdt.core/src/main/java/org/aspectj/ajdt/internal/core/builder/AjState.java
index a354e0d920..3f7ce90d35 100644
--- a/org.aspectj.ajdt.core/src/main/java/org/aspectj/ajdt/internal/core/builder/AjState.java
+++ b/org.aspectj.ajdt.core/src/main/java/org/aspectj/ajdt/internal/core/builder/AjState.java
@@ -706,10 +706,7 @@ public Object remove(Object k) {
 			if (value == null) {
 				return null;
 			}
-			if (value.get() != null) {
-				return value.get();
-			}
-			return null;
+			return value.get();
 		}
 	}