diff --git a/pitest-entry/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/build/InterceptorParameters.java b/pitest-entry/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/build/InterceptorParameters.java
index 503fbbe6c..4d6648351 100644
--- a/pitest-entry/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/build/InterceptorParameters.java
+++ b/pitest-entry/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/build/InterceptorParameters.java
@@ -59,10 +59,7 @@ public List<String> getList(FeatureParameter key) {
 
   public Optional<Integer> getInteger(FeatureParameter key) {
     final Optional<String> val = getString(key);
-    if (val.isPresent()) {
-      return Optional.ofNullable(Integer.parseInt(val.get()));
-    }
-    return Optional.empty();
+    return val.map(Integer::parseInt);
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/pitest-entry/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/incremental/ObjectOutputStreamHistoryStore.java b/pitest-entry/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/incremental/ObjectOutputStreamHistoryStore.java
index f64c7f593..ff6a05b52 100644
--- a/pitest-entry/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/incremental/ObjectOutputStreamHistoryStore.java
+++ b/pitest-entry/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/incremental/ObjectOutputStreamHistoryStore.java
@@ -43,10 +43,8 @@ public ObjectOutputStreamHistoryStore(final WriterFactory output,
   }
 
   private BufferedReader createReader(Optional<Reader> input) {
-    if (input.isPresent()) {
-      return new BufferedReader(input.get());
-    }
-    return null;
+    return input.map(BufferedReader::new)
+            .orElse(null);
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/pitest-entry/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/report/csv/CSVReportListener.java b/pitest-entry/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/report/csv/CSVReportListener.java
index 40f72731c..c8b14bf01 100644
--- a/pitest-entry/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/report/csv/CSVReportListener.java
+++ b/pitest-entry/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/report/csv/CSVReportListener.java
@@ -37,11 +37,7 @@ public CSVReportListener(final Writer out) {
   }
 
   private String createKillingTestDesc(final Optional<String> killingTest) {
-    if (killingTest.isPresent()) {
-      return killingTest.get();
-    } else {
-      return "none";
-    }
+    return killingTest.orElse("none");
   }
 
   private String makeCsv(final Object... os) {
diff --git a/pitest-entry/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/report/xml/XMLReportListener.java b/pitest-entry/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/report/xml/XMLReportListener.java
index bcbcbf56b..dba0e4b0b 100644
--- a/pitest-entry/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/report/xml/XMLReportListener.java
+++ b/pitest-entry/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/report/xml/XMLReportListener.java
@@ -130,11 +130,8 @@ private String makeNode(final String value, final Tag tag) {
   }
 
   private String createKillingTestDesc(final Optional<String> killingTest) {
-    if (killingTest.isPresent()) {
-      return createTestDesc(Arrays.asList(killingTest.get()));
-    } else {
-      return null;
-    }
+    return killingTest.map(s -> createTestDesc(Arrays.asList(s)))
+            .orElse(null);
   }
   
   private String createTestDesc(final List<String> tests) {
diff --git a/pitest/src/main/java/org/pitest/junit/JUnitCustomRunnerTestUnitFinder.java b/pitest/src/main/java/org/pitest/junit/JUnitCustomRunnerTestUnitFinder.java
index 0986ceb2a..8d403dcbd 100644
--- a/pitest/src/main/java/org/pitest/junit/JUnitCustomRunnerTestUnitFinder.java
+++ b/pitest/src/main/java/org/pitest/junit/JUnitCustomRunnerTestUnitFinder.java
@@ -161,12 +161,8 @@ private boolean shouldTreatAsOneUnit(final Class<?> clazz, final Runner runner)
 
   private boolean hasClassRuleAnnotations(final Class<?> clazz,
       final Set<Method> methods) {
-    if (!CLASS_RULE.isPresent()) {
-      return false;
-    }
-
-    return hasAnnotation(methods, CLASS_RULE.get())
-        || hasAnnotation(Reflection.publicFields(clazz), CLASS_RULE.get());
+    return CLASS_RULE.filter(aClass -> hasAnnotation(methods, aClass)
+            || hasAnnotation(Reflection.publicFields(clazz), aClass)).isPresent();
   }
 
   private boolean hasAnnotation(final Set<? extends AccessibleObject> methods,