diff --git a/src/fst/fst.c b/src/fst/fst.c
index a6d0de9ae..568fb8631 100644
--- a/src/fst/fst.c
+++ b/src/fst/fst.c
@@ -134,17 +134,15 @@ int fst_global_init(void)
 void fst_global_deinit(void)
 {
 	struct fst_group *group;
+	struct fst_ctrl_handle *h;
 
 	fst_session_global_deinit();
 	while ((group = fst_first_group()) != NULL)
 		fst_group_delete(group);
-	while (!dl_list_empty(&fst_global_ctrls_list)) {
-		struct fst_ctrl_handle *h;
-
-		h = dl_list_first(&fst_global_ctrls_list,
-				  struct fst_ctrl_handle, global_ctrls_lentry);
+	while ((h = dl_list_first(&fst_global_ctrls_list,
+				  struct fst_ctrl_handle,
+				  global_ctrls_lentry)))
 		fst_global_del_ctrl(h);
-	}
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/fst/fst_group.h b/src/fst/fst_group.h
index 9dcc66694..faee26293 100644
--- a/src/fst/fst_group.h
+++ b/src/fst/fst_group.h
@@ -36,8 +36,6 @@ static inline Boolean fst_group_has_ifaces(struct fst_group *g)
 
 static inline struct fst_iface * fst_group_first_iface(struct fst_group *g)
 {
-	if (dl_list_empty(&g->ifaces))
-		return NULL;
 	return dl_list_first(&g->ifaces, struct fst_iface, group_lentry);
 }
 
@@ -70,10 +68,8 @@ extern struct dl_list fst_global_groups_list;
 
 static inline struct fst_group * fst_first_group(void)
 {
-	if (dl_list_empty(&fst_global_groups_list))
-		return NULL;
 	return dl_list_first(&fst_global_groups_list, struct fst_group,
-		global_groups_lentry);
+			     global_groups_lentry);
 }
 
 #endif /* FST_GROUP_H */