diff --git a/lib/assert.js b/lib/assert.js
index 04b742c19a063a..902bb82ce2b113 100644
--- a/lib/assert.js
+++ b/lib/assert.js
@@ -62,18 +62,20 @@ function innerFail(actual, expected, message, operator, stackStartFunction) {
 }
 
 function fail(actual, expected, message, operator, stackStartFunction) {
-  if (arguments.length === 0) {
+  const argsLen = arguments.length;
+
+  if (argsLen === 0) {
     message = 'Failed';
-  }
-  if (arguments.length === 1) {
+  } else if (argsLen === 1) {
     message = actual;
     actual = undefined;
-  }
-  if (arguments.length === 2) {
+  } else if (argsLen === 2) {
     operator = '!=';
   }
+
   innerFail(actual, expected, message, operator, stackStartFunction || fail);
 }
+
 assert.fail = fail;
 
 // The AssertionError is defined in internal/error.