diff --git a/src/storage/storage_backend.c b/src/storage/storage_backend.c
index c07b642b24..231eccf44d 100644
--- a/src/storage/storage_backend.c
+++ b/src/storage/storage_backend.c
@@ -1963,26 +1963,23 @@ virStorageBackendVolZeroSparseFileLocal(virStorageVolDefPtr vol,
                                         off_t size,
                                         int fd)
 {
-    int ret = -1;
-
-    ret = ftruncate(fd, 0);
-    if (ret == -1) {
+    if (ftruncate(fd, 0) < 0) {
         virReportSystemError(errno,
                              _("Failed to truncate volume with "
                                "path '%s' to 0 bytes"),
                              vol->target.path);
-        return ret;
+        return -1;
     }
 
-    ret = ftruncate(fd, size);
-    if (ret == -1) {
+    if (ftruncate(fd, size) < 0) {
         virReportSystemError(errno,
                              _("Failed to truncate volume with "
                                "path '%s' to %ju bytes"),
                              vol->target.path, (uintmax_t)size);
+        return -1;
     }
 
-    return ret;
+    return 0;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/uml/uml_driver.c b/src/uml/uml_driver.c
index 3cfa36f558..b0dba5c82d 100644
--- a/src/uml/uml_driver.c
+++ b/src/uml/uml_driver.c
@@ -1131,12 +1131,11 @@ static int umlStartVMDaemon(virConnectPtr conn,
     virCommandSetErrorFD(cmd, &logfd);
     virCommandDaemonize(cmd);
 
-    ret = virCommandRun(cmd, NULL);
-    if (ret < 0)
+    if (virCommandRun(cmd, NULL) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
     if (autoDestroy &&
-        (ret = umlProcessAutoDestroyAdd(driver, vm, conn)) < 0)
+        umlProcessAutoDestroyAdd(driver, vm, conn) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
     ret = virDomainObjSetDefTransient(driver->caps, driver->xmlopt, vm, false);