diff --git a/android/src/main/java/io/ably/flutter/plugin/AblyEventStreamHandler.java b/android/src/main/java/io/ably/flutter/plugin/AblyEventStreamHandler.java
index 3cda15a63..87c57f1c4 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/io/ably/flutter/plugin/AblyEventStreamHandler.java
+++ b/android/src/main/java/io/ably/flutter/plugin/AblyEventStreamHandler.java
@@ -97,9 +97,9 @@ private AblyFlutterMessage<AblyEventMessage<Object>> getMessage(Object message){
     @Override
     public void onListen(Object object, EventChannel.EventSink uiThreadEventSink) {
         MainThreadEventSink eventSink = new MainThreadEventSink(uiThreadEventSink);
-        AblyFlutterMessage<AblyEventMessage<Object>> ablyMessage = getMessage(object);
-        AblyEventMessage<Object> eventMessage = ablyMessage.message;
-        String eventName = eventMessage.eventName;
+        final AblyFlutterMessage<AblyEventMessage<Object>> ablyMessage = getMessage(object);
+        final AblyEventMessage<Object> eventMessage = ablyMessage.message;
+        final String eventName = eventMessage.eventName;
         try {
             switch (eventName) {
                 case PlatformConstants.PlatformMethod.onRealtimeConnectionStateChanged:
@@ -108,11 +108,11 @@ public void onListen(Object object, EventChannel.EventSink uiThreadEventSink) {
                     break;
                 case PlatformConstants.PlatformMethod.onRealtimeChannelStateChanged:
                     assert eventMessage.message!=null : "event message is missing";
-                    Map<String, Object> eventPayload = (Map<String, Object>) eventMessage.message;
-                    String channelName = (String) eventPayload.get("channel");
-                    ChannelOptions channelOptions = (ChannelOptions) eventPayload.get("options");
+                    final Map<String, Object> eventPayload = (Map<String, Object>) eventMessage.message;
+                    final String channelName = (String) eventPayload.get("channel");
+                    final ChannelOptions channelOptions = (ChannelOptions) eventPayload.get("options");
                     try {
-                        Channel channel = ablyLibrary.getRealtime(ablyMessage.handle).channels.get(channelName, channelOptions);
+                        final Channel channel = ablyLibrary.getRealtime(ablyMessage.handle).channels.get(channelName, channelOptions);
                         channelStateListener = new PluginChannelStateListener(eventSink);
                         channel.on(channelStateListener);
                     } catch (AblyException ablyException) {
@@ -133,9 +133,9 @@ public void onCancel(Object object) {
             System.out.println("Cannot process null input on cancel");
             return;
         }
-        AblyFlutterMessage<AblyEventMessage<Object>> ablyMessage = getMessage(object);
-        AblyEventMessage<Object> eventMessage = ablyMessage.message;
-        String eventName = eventMessage.eventName;
+        final AblyFlutterMessage<AblyEventMessage<Object>> ablyMessage = getMessage(object);
+        final AblyEventMessage<Object> eventMessage = ablyMessage.message;
+        final String eventName = eventMessage.eventName;
         switch (eventName) {
             case PlatformConstants.PlatformMethod.onRealtimeConnectionStateChanged:
                 ablyLibrary.getRealtime(ablyMessage.handle).connection.off(connectionStateListener);
@@ -144,8 +144,8 @@ public void onCancel(Object object) {
                 // Note: this and all other assert statements in this onCancel method are
                 // left as is as there is no way of propagating this error to flutter side
                 assert eventMessage.message!=null : "event message is missing";
-                Map<String, Object> eventPayload = (Map<String, Object>) eventMessage.message;
-                String channelName = (String) eventPayload.get("channel");
+                final Map<String, Object> eventPayload = (Map<String, Object>) eventMessage.message;
+                final String channelName = (String) eventPayload.get("channel");
                 ablyLibrary.getRealtime(ablyMessage.handle).channels.get(channelName).off(channelStateListener);
                 break;
         }