diff --git a/libraries/cms/application/site.php b/libraries/cms/application/site.php
index ff95aa359f115..e35db34af8024 100644
--- a/libraries/cms/application/site.php
+++ b/libraries/cms/application/site.php
@@ -269,9 +269,7 @@ public function getLanguageFilter()
 	 */
 	public function getMenu($name = 'site', $options = array())
 	{
-		$menu = parent::getMenu($name, $options);
-
-		return $menu;
+		return parent::getMenu($name, $options);
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/libraries/cms/component/helper.php b/libraries/cms/component/helper.php
index af0bff70fd63f..8907650720d8c 100644
--- a/libraries/cms/component/helper.php
+++ b/libraries/cms/component/helper.php
@@ -113,9 +113,7 @@ public static function isInstalled($option)
 	 */
 	public static function getParams($option, $strict = false)
 	{
-		$component = static::getComponent($option, $strict);
-
-		return $component->params;
+		return static::getComponent($option, $strict)->params;
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -399,9 +397,8 @@ protected static function executeComponent($path)
 	{
 		ob_start();
 		require_once $path;
-		$contents = ob_get_clean();
 
-		return $contents;
+		return ob_get_clean();
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/libraries/cms/form/field/chromestyle.php b/libraries/cms/form/field/chromestyle.php
index 46df7150a9b3e..93e7cdabc1fc9 100644
--- a/libraries/cms/form/field/chromestyle.php
+++ b/libraries/cms/form/field/chromestyle.php
@@ -138,8 +138,7 @@ protected function getTemplates()
 
 		// Set the query and load the templates.
 		$db->setQuery($query);
-		$templates = $db->loadObjectList('element');
 
-		return $templates;
+		return $db->loadObjectList('element');
 	}
 }
diff --git a/libraries/cms/form/field/frontend_language.php b/libraries/cms/form/field/frontend_language.php
index 11cccaef10186..ed2dc8ce1bd3e 100644
--- a/libraries/cms/form/field/frontend_language.php
+++ b/libraries/cms/form/field/frontend_language.php
@@ -71,11 +71,9 @@ protected function getOptions()
 		}
 
 		// Merge any additional options in the XML definition.
-		$options = array_merge(
+		return array_merge(
 			parent::getOptions(),
 			$languages
 		);
-
-		return $options;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/libraries/cms/form/field/menu.php b/libraries/cms/form/field/menu.php
index 33c2e5a3e04a3..1d75407a708e5 100644
--- a/libraries/cms/form/field/menu.php
+++ b/libraries/cms/form/field/menu.php
@@ -116,8 +116,6 @@ protected function getGroups()
 		}
 
 		// Merge any additional options in the XML definition.
-		$groups = array_merge(parent::getGroups(), $groups);
-
-		return $groups;
+		return array_merge(parent::getGroups(), $groups);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/libraries/cms/helper/content.php b/libraries/cms/helper/content.php
index 68d1c37f3df1f..5148a9aa8e752 100644
--- a/libraries/cms/helper/content.php
+++ b/libraries/cms/helper/content.php
@@ -182,9 +182,7 @@ public static function getLanguageId($langCode)
 			->where($db->quoteName('lang_code') . ' = ' . $db->quote($langCode));
 		$db->setQuery($query);
 
-		$id = $db->loadResult();
-
-		return $id;
+		return $db->loadResult();
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/libraries/cms/helper/helper.php b/libraries/cms/helper/helper.php
index aec35796e9e3d..dcf567a4533a6 100644
--- a/libraries/cms/helper/helper.php
+++ b/libraries/cms/helper/helper.php
@@ -64,9 +64,7 @@ public function getLanguageId($langCode)
 			->where($db->quoteName('lang_code') . ' = ' . $db->quote($langCode));
 		$db->setQuery($query);
 
-		$id = $db->loadResult();
-
-		return $id;
+		return $db->loadResult();
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/libraries/cms/html/sidebar.php b/libraries/cms/html/sidebar.php
index 1671a2c70cd35..e097523ebaa1c 100644
--- a/libraries/cms/html/sidebar.php
+++ b/libraries/cms/html/sidebar.php
@@ -60,9 +60,8 @@ public static function render()
 
 		// Create a layout object and ask it to render the sidebar
 		$layout      = new JLayoutFile('joomla.sidebars.submenu');
-		$sidebarHtml = $layout->render($data);
 
-		return $sidebarHtml;
+		return $layout->render($data);
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/libraries/cms/html/tel.php b/libraries/cms/html/tel.php
index 1a5ba3787b519..71ea6a02971db 100644
--- a/libraries/cms/html/tel.php
+++ b/libraries/cms/html/tel.php
@@ -70,8 +70,6 @@ public static function tel($number, $displayplan)
 			$display[4] = '.e164.arpa';
 		}
 
-		$display = implode($display, '');
-
-		return $display;
+		return implode($display, '');
 	}
 }
diff --git a/libraries/cms/html/user.php b/libraries/cms/html/user.php
index 609336bd749ad..0125ee84ffb31 100644
--- a/libraries/cms/html/user.php
+++ b/libraries/cms/html/user.php
@@ -71,8 +71,7 @@ public static function userlist()
 			->where('a.block = 0')
 			->order('a.name');
 		$db->setQuery($query);
-		$items = $db->loadObjectList();
 
-		return $items;
+		return $db->loadObjectList();
 	}
 }
diff --git a/libraries/cms/installer/adapter/package.php b/libraries/cms/installer/adapter/package.php
index bddf318fbc883..3ec5c076b5b19 100644
--- a/libraries/cms/installer/adapter/package.php
+++ b/libraries/cms/installer/adapter/package.php
@@ -721,11 +721,10 @@ protected function _getExtensionId($type, $id, $client, $group)
 		}
 
 		$db->setQuery($query);
-		$result = $db->loadResult();
 
 		// Note: For templates, libraries and packages their unique name is their key.
 		// This means they come out the same way they came in.
-		return $result;
+		return $db->loadResult();
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/libraries/cms/layout/helper.php b/libraries/cms/layout/helper.php
index 8e8094b65478a..13db595687261 100644
--- a/libraries/cms/layout/helper.php
+++ b/libraries/cms/layout/helper.php
@@ -45,9 +45,8 @@ public static function debug($layoutFile, $displayData = null, $basePath = '', $
 		// Make sure we send null to JLayoutFile if no path set
 		$basePath = empty($basePath) ? null : $basePath;
 		$layout = new JLayoutFile($layoutFile, $basePath, $options);
-		$renderedLayout = $layout->debug($displayData);
 
-		return $renderedLayout;
+		return $layout->debug($displayData);
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -69,8 +68,7 @@ public static function render($layoutFile, $displayData = null, $basePath = '',
 		// Make sure we send null to JLayoutFile if no path set
 		$basePath = empty($basePath) ? null : $basePath;
 		$layout = new JLayoutFile($layoutFile, $basePath, $options);
-		$renderedLayout = $layout->render($displayData);
 
-		return $renderedLayout;
+		return $layout->render($displayData);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/libraries/cms/library/helper.php b/libraries/cms/library/helper.php
index 5c434b0804685..fab73819fea60 100644
--- a/libraries/cms/library/helper.php
+++ b/libraries/cms/library/helper.php
@@ -69,9 +69,7 @@ public static function getLibrary($element, $strict = false)
 	 */
 	public static function isEnabled($element)
 	{
-		$result = static::getLibrary($element, true);
-
-		return $result->enabled;
+		return static::getLibrary($element, true)->enabled;
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -87,9 +85,7 @@ public static function isEnabled($element)
 	 */
 	public static function getParams($element, $strict = false)
 	{
-		$library = static::getLibrary($element, $strict);
-
-		return $library->params;
+		return static::getLibrary($element, $strict)->params;
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/libraries/cms/menu/menu.php b/libraries/cms/menu/menu.php
index c9a45b88eb9ce..118b5d78d2d97 100644
--- a/libraries/cms/menu/menu.php
+++ b/libraries/cms/menu/menu.php
@@ -213,9 +213,8 @@ public function setActive($id)
 		if (isset($this->_items[$id]))
 		{
 			$this->_active = $id;
-			$result = &$this->_items[$id];
 
-			return $result;
+			return $this->_items[$id];
 		}
 
 		return;
@@ -232,9 +231,7 @@ public function getActive()
 	{
 		if ($this->_active)
 		{
-			$item = &$this->_items[$this->_active];
-
-			return $item;
+			return $this->_items[$this->_active];
 		}
 
 		return;
diff --git a/libraries/cms/ucm/content.php b/libraries/cms/ucm/content.php
index 8a8254a77fda9..fe5714848e8f3 100644
--- a/libraries/cms/ucm/content.php
+++ b/libraries/cms/ucm/content.php
@@ -227,8 +227,7 @@ public function getPrimaryKey($typeId, $contentItemId)
 				)
 			);
 		$db->setQuery($queryccid);
-		$primaryKey = $db->loadResult();
 
-		return $primaryKey;
+		return $db->loadResult();
 	}
 }
diff --git a/libraries/cms/ucm/type.php b/libraries/cms/ucm/type.php
index 7b369f35b5f24..6751946a9bec9 100644
--- a/libraries/cms/ucm/type.php
+++ b/libraries/cms/ucm/type.php
@@ -116,9 +116,7 @@ public function getType($pk = null)
 		$query->where($this->db->quoteName('ct.type_id') . ' = ' . (int) $pk);
 		$this->db->setQuery($query);
 
-		$type = $this->db->loadObject();
-
-		return $type;
+		return $this->db->loadObject();
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -139,9 +137,7 @@ public function getTypeByAlias($typeAlias = null)
 
 		$this->db->setQuery($query);
 
-		$type = $this->db->loadObject();
-
-		return $type;
+		return $this->db->loadObject();
 	}
 
 	/**