diff --git a/src/frontend/spiceif.c b/src/frontend/spiceif.c
index 2165cf623..268f70084 100644
--- a/src/frontend/spiceif.c
+++ b/src/frontend/spiceif.c
@@ -616,8 +616,7 @@ finddev_special(
 
     // assert(third && *third == NULL); for all invocations
     *devptr = ft_sim->findInstance (ckt, &type, devptr, name);
-    err = *devptr ? OK : E_NODEV;
-    if (err == OK) {
+    if (*devptr) {
         *device_or_model = 0;
         return (type);
     }
@@ -1219,8 +1218,7 @@ finddev(CKTcircuit *ckt, char *name, GENinstance **devptr, GENmodel **modptr)
 
     // assert(third && *third == NULL); for all invocations
     *devptr = ft_sim->findInstance (ckt, &type, devptr, name);
-    err = *devptr ? OK : E_NODEV;
-    if (err == OK)
+    if (*devptr)
         return (type);
 
     type = -1;
diff --git a/src/spicelib/analysis/noisean.c b/src/spicelib/analysis/noisean.c
index f6af9d779..d6228a890 100644
--- a/src/spicelib/analysis/noisean.c
+++ b/src/spicelib/analysis/noisean.c
@@ -50,8 +50,7 @@ NOISEan (CKTcircuit *ckt, int restart)
     if (code != -1) {
         // assert(third && *third == NULL);
         inst = CKTfndDev(ckt, NULL, &inst, job->input);
-        error = inst ? OK : E_NODEV;
-	if (!error && !((VSRCinstance *)inst)->VSRCacGiven) {
+	if (inst && !((VSRCinstance *)inst)->VSRCacGiven) {
 	    errMsg = TMALLOC(char, strlen(noacinput) + 1);
 	    strcpy(errMsg,noacinput);
 	    return (E_NOACINPUT);
@@ -62,8 +61,7 @@ NOISEan (CKTcircuit *ckt, int restart)
     if (code != -1 && inst==NULL) {
         // assert(third && *third == NULL);
         inst = CKTfndDev(ckt, NULL, &inst, job->input);
-        error = inst ? OK : E_NODEV;
-        if (error) {
+        if (!inst) {
 	    /* XXX ??? */
             SPfrontEnd->IFerror (ERR_WARNING,
                     "Noise input source %s not in circuit",
diff --git a/src/spicelib/analysis/tfanal.c b/src/spicelib/analysis/tfanal.c
index 810bd1f05..c5ab89075 100644
--- a/src/spicelib/analysis/tfanal.c
+++ b/src/spicelib/analysis/tfanal.c
@@ -53,8 +53,7 @@ TFanal(CKTcircuit *ckt, int restart)
     if(Itype != -1) {
         // assert(third && *third == NULL);
         ptr = CKTfndDev(ckt, NULL, &ptr, job->TFinSrc);
-        error = ptr ? OK : E_NODEV;
-        if(error ==0) {
+        if (ptr) {
             job->TFinIsI = 1;
             job->TFinIsV = 0;
         } else {
@@ -65,10 +64,9 @@ TFanal(CKTcircuit *ckt, int restart)
     if( (Vtype != -1) && (ptr==NULL) ) {
         // assert(third && *third == NULL);
         ptr = CKTfndDev(ckt, NULL, &ptr, job->TFinSrc);
-        error = ptr ? OK : E_NODEV;
         job->TFinIsV = 1;
         job->TFinIsI = 0;
-        if(error !=0) {
+        if (!ptr) {
             SPfrontEnd->IFerror (ERR_WARNING,
                     "Transfer function source %s not in circuit",
                     &(job->TFinSrc));
diff --git a/src/spicelib/devices/cktcrte.c b/src/spicelib/devices/cktcrte.c
index 8ececf179..c72e78c72 100644
--- a/src/spicelib/devices/cktcrte.c
+++ b/src/spicelib/devices/cktcrte.c
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ CKTcrtElt(CKTcircuit *ckt, GENmodel *modPtr, GENinstance **inInstPtr, IFuid name
   GENinstance *instPtr = NULL;             /* instPtr points to the data struct for per-instance data */
 
     SPICEdev **DEVices;
-    int error;
     int type;
 
     DEVices = devices();
@@ -31,9 +30,8 @@ CKTcrtElt(CKTcircuit *ckt, GENmodel *modPtr, GENinstance **inInstPtr, IFuid name
 
     // assert(third && *third == NULL);
     instPtr = CKTfndDev(ckt, NULL, &instPtr, name);
-    error = instPtr ? OK : E_NODEV;
 
-    if (error == OK) { 
+    if (instPtr) { 
         if (inInstPtr)
 	    *inInstPtr = instPtr;
         return E_EXISTS;
diff --git a/src/spicelib/devices/ind/mutsetup.c b/src/spicelib/devices/ind/mutsetup.c
index 3d26d2147..0379e4061 100644
--- a/src/spicelib/devices/ind/mutsetup.c
+++ b/src/spicelib/devices/ind/mutsetup.c
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ MUTsetup(SMPmatrix *matrix, GENmodel *inModel, CKTcircuit *ckt, int *states)
     MUTmodel *model = (MUTmodel*)inModel;
     MUTinstance *here;
     int ktype;
-    int error;
 
     NG_IGNORE(states);
 
@@ -45,8 +44,7 @@ MUTsetup(SMPmatrix *matrix, GENmodel *inModel, CKTcircuit *ckt, int *states)
 
             // assert(third);
             here->MUTind1 = (INDinstance *) CKTfndDev(ckt, NULL, (GENinstance **) &(here->MUTind1), here->MUTindName1);
-            error = here->MUTind1 ? OK : E_NODEV;
-            if(error) {
+            if (!here->MUTind1) {
                 IFuid namarray[2];
                 namarray[0]=here->MUTname;
                 namarray[1]=here->MUTindName1;
@@ -56,8 +54,7 @@ MUTsetup(SMPmatrix *matrix, GENmodel *inModel, CKTcircuit *ckt, int *states)
             }
             // assert(third);
             here->MUTind2 = (INDinstance *) CKTfndDev(ckt, NULL, (GENinstance **) &(here->MUTind2), here->MUTindName2);
-            error = here->MUTind2 ? OK : E_NODEV;
-            if(error) {
+            if (!here->MUTind2) {
                 IFuid namarray[2];
                 namarray[0]=here->MUTname;
                 namarray[1]=here->MUTindName2;
diff --git a/src/spicelib/parser/inpaname.c b/src/spicelib/parser/inpaname.c
index 7e85cfa21..97d18fa0d 100644
--- a/src/spicelib/parser/inpaname.c
+++ b/src/spicelib/parser/inpaname.c
@@ -42,9 +42,8 @@ INPaName(char *parm, IFvalue * val, CKTcircuit *ckt, int *dev, char *devnam,
      */
     // assert(third) for all invocations
     *fast = sim->findInstance (ckt, dev, fast, devnam);
-    error = *fast ? OK : E_NODEV;
-    if (error)
-	return (error);
+    if (*fast == NULL)
+	return (E_NODEV);
 
     /* now find the parameter - hunt through the parameter tables for
      * this device type and look for a name match of an 'ask'able
diff --git a/src/tclspice.c b/src/tclspice.c
index f6a514780..377b11156 100644
--- a/src/tclspice.c
+++ b/src/tclspice.c
@@ -1396,11 +1396,12 @@ get_mod_param TCL_CMDPROCARGS(clientData, interp, argc, argv)
     INPretrieve(&name, ft_curckt->ci_symtab);
     // assert(third && *third == NULL);
     devptr = ft_sim->findInstance (ft_curckt->ci_ckt, &typecode, &devptr, name);
-    err = devptr ? OK : E_NODEV;
-    if (err != OK) {
+    if (!devptr) {
         typecode = -1;
         devptr   = NULL;
         err = ft_sim->findModel (ft_curckt->ci_ckt, &typecode, &modptr, name);
+    } else {
+        err = OK;
     }
     if (err != OK) {
         sprintf(buf, "No such device or model name %s", name);
diff --git a/src/unsupported/snstart.c b/src/unsupported/snstart.c
index 753fa83cb..70f7d7813 100644
--- a/src/unsupported/snstart.c
+++ b/src/unsupported/snstart.c
@@ -44,9 +44,8 @@ SENstartup(CKTcircuit *ckt, int restart)
 
         // assert(third && *third == NULL);
         fast = CKTfndDev(ckt, &type, &fast, ckt->CKTsenInfo->SENdevices[i]);
-        err = fast ? OK : E_NODEV;
-        if (err != OK)
-            return err;
+        if (!fast)
+            return E_NODEV;
 
 #ifdef SENSDEBUG
         printf("SENstartup Instance: %s Design parameter: %s\n", ckt->CKTsenInfo->SENdevices[i],