diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/AntTypeDefinition.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/AntTypeDefinition.java
index 104820f17..c7b223cef 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/AntTypeDefinition.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/AntTypeDefinition.java
@@ -217,19 +217,12 @@ public class AntTypeDefinition {
             return null;
         }
         Object o = createAndSet(project, c);
-        if (o == null || adapterClass == null) {
+        if (adapterClass == null
+            || (adaptToClass != null && adaptToClass.isAssignableFrom(o.getClass()))) {
             return o;
         }
-        if (adaptToClass != null) {
-            if (adaptToClass.isAssignableFrom(o.getClass())) {
-                return o;
-            }
-        }
         TypeAdapter adapterObject = (TypeAdapter) createAndSet(
             project, adapterClass);
-        if (adapterObject == null) {
-            return null;
-        }
         adapterObject.setProxy(o);
         return adapterObject;
     }
@@ -257,9 +250,6 @@ public class AntTypeDefinition {
             || !adaptToClass.isAssignableFrom(clazz))) {
             TypeAdapter adapter = (TypeAdapter) createAndSet(
                 project, adapterClass);
-            if (adapter == null) {
-                throw new BuildException("Unable to create adapter object");
-            }
             adapter.checkProxyClass(clazz);
         }
     }
@@ -267,12 +257,11 @@ public class AntTypeDefinition {
     /**
      * Get the constructor of the definition
      * and invoke it.
-     * @return the instantiated <code>Object</code>.
+     * @return the instantiated <code>Object</code>, will never be null.
      */
     private Object createAndSet(Project project, Class<?> c) {
         try {
-            Object o = innerCreateAndSet(c, project);
-            return o;
+            return innerCreateAndSet(c, project);
         } catch (InvocationTargetException ex) {
             Throwable t = ex.getTargetException();
             throw new BuildException(
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Diagnostics.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Diagnostics.java
index f93fd5aca..b1a07ca1f 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Diagnostics.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Diagnostics.java
@@ -185,8 +185,12 @@ public final class Diagnostics {
      * @return parser or null for trouble
      */
     private static SAXParser getSAXParser() {
-        SAXParserFactory saxParserFactory = SAXParserFactory.newInstance();
-        if (saxParserFactory == null) {
+        SAXParserFactory saxParserFactory = null;
+        try {
+            saxParserFactory = SAXParserFactory.newInstance();
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            // ignore
+            ignoreThrowable(e);
             return null;
         }
         SAXParser saxParser = null;
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/dispatch/DispatchUtils.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/dispatch/DispatchUtils.java
index 852a920b3..7a840d125 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/dispatch/DispatchUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/dispatch/DispatchUtils.java
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ public class DispatchUtils {
                             final Object o = actionM.invoke(dispatchable, (Object[]) null);
                             if (o != null) {
                                 final String s = o.toString();
-                                if (s != null && s.trim().length() > 0) {
+                                if (s.trim().length() > 0) {
                                     methodName = s.trim();
                                     Method executeM = null;
                                     executeM = dispatchable.getClass().getMethod(