diff --git a/ext/pdo/pdo_dbh.c b/ext/pdo/pdo_dbh.c
index 48c3f00340a..f74f92c221d 100644
--- a/ext/pdo/pdo_dbh.c
+++ b/ext/pdo/pdo_dbh.c
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ void pdo_raise_impl_error(pdo_dbh_t *dbh, pdo_stmt_t *stmt, pdo_error_type sqlst
 	char *message = NULL;
 	const char *msg;
 
-	if (dbh && dbh->error_mode == PDO_ERRMODE_SILENT) {
+	if (dbh->error_mode == PDO_ERRMODE_SILENT) {
 #if 0
 		/* BUG: if user is running in silent mode and hits an error at the driver level
 		 * when they use the PDO methods to call up the error information, they may
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ PDO_API void pdo_handle_error(pdo_dbh_t *dbh, pdo_stmt_t *stmt) /* {{{ */
 	zend_string *message = NULL;
 	zval info;
 
-	if (dbh == NULL || dbh->error_mode == PDO_ERRMODE_SILENT) {
+	if (dbh->error_mode == PDO_ERRMODE_SILENT) {
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -197,9 +197,7 @@ PDO_API void pdo_handle_error(pdo_dbh_t *dbh, pdo_stmt_t *stmt) /* {{{ */
 		zval_ptr_dtor(&info);
 	}
 
-	if (message) {
-		zend_string_release_ex(message, 0);
-	}
+	zend_string_release_ex(message, false);
 
 	if (supp) {
 		efree(supp);
diff --git a/ext/pdo/pdo_stmt.c b/ext/pdo/pdo_stmt.c
index 9ac0ba62108..be5e287111f 100644
--- a/ext/pdo/pdo_stmt.c
+++ b/ext/pdo/pdo_stmt.c
@@ -714,7 +714,7 @@ static void do_fetch_opt_finish(pdo_stmt_t *stmt, int free_ctor_agrs) /* {{{ */
 /* }}} */
 
 /* perform a fetch.
- * If return_value is not null, store values into it according to HOW. */
+ * Stores values into return_value according to HOW. */
 static bool do_fetch(pdo_stmt_t *stmt, zval *return_value, enum pdo_fetch_type how, enum pdo_fetch_orientation ori, zend_long offset, zval *return_all) /* {{{ */
 {
 	int flags, idx, old_arg_count = 0;
@@ -744,11 +744,6 @@ static bool do_fetch(pdo_stmt_t *stmt, zval *return_value, enum pdo_fetch_type h
 		colno = stmt->fetch.column;
 	}
 
-	/* If no return value we are done */
-	if (!return_value) {
-		return true;
-	}
-
 	if (how == PDO_FETCH_LAZY) {
 		get_lazy_object(stmt, return_value);
 		return 1;