diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/core/BitcoinSerializer.java b/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/core/BitcoinSerializer.java
index 6e271e772..322df8bdd 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/core/BitcoinSerializer.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/core/BitcoinSerializer.java
@@ -215,29 +215,28 @@ public class BitcoinSerializer extends MessageSerializer {
 
     private Message makeMessage(String command, int length, byte[] payloadBytes, byte[] hash, byte[] checksum) throws ProtocolException {
         // We use an if ladder rather than reflection because reflection is very slow on Android.
-        Message message;
         if (command.equals("version")) {
             return new VersionMessage(params, payloadBytes);
         } else if (command.equals("inv")) { 
-            message = makeInventoryMessage(payloadBytes, length);
+            return makeInventoryMessage(payloadBytes, length);
         } else if (command.equals("block")) {
-            message = makeBlock(payloadBytes, length);
+            return makeBlock(payloadBytes, length);
         } else if (command.equals("merkleblock")) {
-            message = makeFilteredBlock(payloadBytes);
+            return makeFilteredBlock(payloadBytes);
         } else if (command.equals("getdata")) {
-            message = new GetDataMessage(params, payloadBytes, this, length);
+            return new GetDataMessage(params, payloadBytes, this, length);
         } else if (command.equals("getblocks")) {
-            message = new GetBlocksMessage(params, payloadBytes);
+            return new GetBlocksMessage(params, payloadBytes);
         } else if (command.equals("getheaders")) {
-            message = new GetHeadersMessage(params, payloadBytes);
+            return new GetHeadersMessage(params, payloadBytes);
         } else if (command.equals("tx")) {
-            message = makeTransaction(payloadBytes, 0, length, hash);
+            return makeTransaction(payloadBytes, 0, length, hash);
         } else if (command.equals("addr")) {
-            message = makeAddressMessage(payloadBytes, length);
+            return makeAddressMessage(payloadBytes, length);
         } else if (command.equals("ping")) {
-            message = new Ping(params, payloadBytes);
+            return new Ping(params, payloadBytes);
         } else if (command.equals("pong")) {
-            message = new Pong(params, payloadBytes);
+            return new Pong(params, payloadBytes);
         } else if (command.equals("verack")) {
             return new VersionAck(params, payloadBytes);
         } else if (command.equals("headers")) {
@@ -262,7 +261,6 @@ public class BitcoinSerializer extends MessageSerializer {
             log.warn("No support for deserializing message with name {}", command);
             return new UnknownMessage(params, command, payloadBytes);
         }
-        return message;
     }
 
     /**