diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/20240919-fix_sanity.yml b/changelogs/fragments/20240919-fix_sanity.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ae45638f926
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/20240919-fix_sanity.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+trivial:
+  - "Fix sanity errors happening with the ansible devel branch (e.g., unreachable code, using variable before assignment)."
diff --git a/plugins/modules/ec2_vpc_vgw.py b/plugins/modules/ec2_vpc_vgw.py
index 1b2af15a5ab..b6f91e5dfc1 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/ec2_vpc_vgw.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/ec2_vpc_vgw.py
@@ -420,6 +420,7 @@ def ensure_vgw_absent(client, module):
     changed = False
     params = dict()
     result = dict()
+    deleted_vgw = None
     params["Name"] = module.params.get("name")
     params["VpcId"] = module.params.get("vpc_id")
     params["Type"] = module.params.get("type")
diff --git a/plugins/modules/ecs_cluster.py b/plugins/modules/ecs_cluster.py
index 5a0470eea8e..0500a27ffdb 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/ecs_cluster.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/ecs_cluster.py
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ def main():
     elif module.params["state"] == "has_instances":
         if not existing:
             module.fail_json(msg="Cluster '" + module.params["name"] + " not found.")
-            return
+
         # it exists, so we should delete it and mark changed.
         # return info about the cluster deleted
         delay = module.params["delay"]
@@ -361,7 +361,6 @@ def main():
                 + str(delay)
                 + " seconds each."
             )
-            return
 
     module.exit_json(**results)
 
diff --git a/plugins/modules/ecs_service.py b/plugins/modules/ecs_service.py
index e6ecf736b5c..be2735cf6da 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/ecs_service.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/ecs_service.py
@@ -1248,7 +1248,7 @@ def main():
     elif module.params["state"] == "deleting":
         if not existing:
             module.fail_json(msg="Service '" + module.params["name"] + " not found.")
-            return
+
         # it exists, so we should delete it and mark changed.
         # return info about the cluster deleted
         delay = module.params["delay"]
@@ -1263,7 +1263,6 @@ def main():
             time.sleep(delay)
         if i is repeat - 1:
             module.fail_json(msg=f"Service still not deleted after {repeat} tries of {delay} seconds each.")
-            return
 
     module.exit_json(**results)