diff --git a/src/main/java/com/ctc/wstx/sr/BasicStreamReader.java b/src/main/java/com/ctc/wstx/sr/BasicStreamReader.java
index c28f5e2b..726a0699 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/ctc/wstx/sr/BasicStreamReader.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/ctc/wstx/sr/BasicStreamReader.java
@@ -3130,6 +3130,7 @@ private final boolean handleNsAttrs(char c)
                 // returns null if it's a dupe:
                 if (null == tb) {
                     throwParseError("Duplicate declaration for namespace prefix '"+localName+"'.");
+                    return false; // never gets here but static analyzers have a fit...
                 }
                 startLen = tb.getCharSize();
             } else if (localName == sPrefixXmlns && prefix == null) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/ctc/wstx/sr/InputElementStack.java b/src/main/java/com/ctc/wstx/sr/InputElementStack.java
index 4aa355cc..effeb9ab 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/ctc/wstx/sr/InputElementStack.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/ctc/wstx/sr/InputElementStack.java
@@ -431,7 +431,7 @@ public int resolveAndValidateElement()
                         mReporter.throwParseError(ErrorConsts.ERR_NS_REDECL_XMLNS);
                     } else if (prefix == "xml") {
                         // whereas xml is ok, as long as it's same URI:
-                        if (!nsUri.equals(XMLConstants.XML_NS_URI)) {
+                        if (!XMLConstants.XML_NS_URI.equals(nsUri)) {
                             mReporter.throwParseError(ErrorConsts.ERR_NS_REDECL_XML,
                                                       nsUri, null);
                         }
@@ -988,7 +988,7 @@ public final boolean matches(String prefix, String localName)
                 return false;
             }
         } else {
-            if (thisPrefix != prefix && !thisPrefix.equals(prefix)) {
+            if (thisPrefix != prefix && !prefix.equals(thisPrefix)) {
                 return false;
             }
         }