diff --git a/tests/server/mqttd.c b/tests/server/mqttd.c
index 9ee37f291e..286495a63e 100644
--- a/tests/server/mqttd.c
+++ b/tests/server/mqttd.c
@@ -416,10 +416,10 @@ static int publish(FILE *dump,
 
 static char topic[MAX_TOPIC_LENGTH + 1];
 
-static int fixedheader(curl_socket_t fd,
-                       unsigned char *bytep,
-                       size_t *remaining_lengthp,
-                       size_t *remaining_length_bytesp)
+static bool fixedheader(curl_socket_t fd,
+                        unsigned char *bytep,
+                        size_t *remaining_lengthp,
+                        size_t *remaining_length_bytesp)
 {
   /* get the fixed header */
   unsigned char buffer[10];
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@ static int fixedheader(curl_socket_t fd,
   size_t i;
   if(rc < 2) {
     logmsg("READ %zd bytes [SHORT!]", rc);
-    return 1; /* fail */
+    return FALSE; /* fail */
   }
   logmsg("READ %zd bytes", rc);
   loghex(buffer, rc);
@@ -442,20 +442,19 @@ static int fixedheader(curl_socket_t fd,
     rc = sread(fd, &buffer[i], 1);
     if(rc != 1) {
       logmsg("Remaining Length broken");
-      return 1;
+      return FALSE;
     }
   }
   *remaining_lengthp = decode_length(&buffer[1], i, remaining_length_bytesp);
   logmsg("Remaining Length: %zu [%zu bytes]", *remaining_lengthp,
          *remaining_length_bytesp);
-  return 0;
+  return TRUE;
 }
 
 static curl_socket_t mqttit(curl_socket_t fd)
 {
   size_t buff_size = 10 * 1024;
   unsigned char *buffer = NULL;
-  ssize_t rc;
   unsigned char byte;
   unsigned short packet_id;
   size_t payload_len;
@@ -500,10 +499,10 @@ static curl_socket_t mqttit(curl_socket_t fd)
     const size_t client_id_offset = 12;
     size_t start_usr;
     size_t start_passwd;
+    ssize_t rc = 0;
 
     /* get the fixed header */
-    rc = fixedheader(fd, &byte, &remaining_length, &bytes);
-    if(rc)
+    if(!fixedheader(fd, &byte, &remaining_length, &bytes))
       break;
 
     if(remaining_length >= buff_size) {
diff --git a/tests/server/rtspd.c b/tests/server/rtspd.c
index ec6c5ffad4..574d89651e 100644
--- a/tests/server/rtspd.c
+++ b/tests/server/rtspd.c
@@ -547,7 +547,6 @@ static int rtspd_ProcessRequest(struct rtspd_httprequest *req)
 /* store the entire request in a file */
 static void rtspd_storerequest(const char *reqbuf, size_t totalsize)
 {
-  int res;
   int error = 0;
   char errbuf[STRERROR_LEN];
   size_t written;
@@ -595,8 +594,7 @@ static void rtspd_storerequest(const char *reqbuf, size_t totalsize)
 
 storerequest_cleanup:
 
-  res = curlx_fclose(dump);
-  if(res)
+  if(curlx_fclose(dump))
     logmsg("Error closing file %s error (%d) %s", dumpfile,
            errno, curlx_strerror(errno, errbuf, sizeof(errbuf)));
 }
@@ -730,7 +728,6 @@ static int rtspd_send_doc(curl_socket_t sock, struct rtspd_httprequest *req)
   size_t responsesize;
   int error = 0;
   char errbuf[STRERROR_LEN];
-  int res;
   static char weare[256];
   char responsedump[256];
 
@@ -934,8 +931,7 @@ static int rtspd_send_doc(curl_socket_t sock, struct rtspd_httprequest *req)
     req->rtp_buffersize = 0;
   }
 
-  res = curlx_fclose(dump);
-  if(res)
+  if(curlx_fclose(dump))
     logmsg("Error closing file %s error (%d) %s", responsedump,
            errno, curlx_strerror(errno, errbuf, sizeof(errbuf)));
 
@@ -970,8 +966,7 @@ static int rtspd_send_doc(curl_socket_t sock, struct rtspd_httprequest *req)
           quarters = num * 4;
           while((quarters > 0) && !got_exit_signal) {
             quarters--;
-            res = curlx_wait_ms(250);
-            if(res) {
+            if(curlx_wait_ms(250)) {
               /* should not happen */
               int sockerr = SOCKERRNO;
               logmsg("curlx_wait_ms() failed with error (%d) %s",
@@ -1201,8 +1196,7 @@ static int test_rtspd(int argc, const char *argv[])
   logmsg("Running %s version on port %d", ipv_inuse, (int)port);
 
   /* start accepting connections */
-  rc = listen(sock, 5);
-  if(rc) {
+  if(listen(sock, 5)) {
     sockerr = SOCKERRNO;
     logmsg("listen() failed with error (%d) %s",
            sockerr, curlx_strerror(sockerr, errbuf, sizeof(errbuf)));
diff --git a/tests/server/socksd.c b/tests/server/socksd.c
index 8723f9157c..9e1caedc2d 100644
--- a/tests/server/socksd.c
+++ b/tests/server/socksd.c
@@ -213,7 +213,6 @@ static void socksd_getconfig(void)
 static curl_socket_t socksconnect(unsigned short connectport,
                                   const char *connectaddr)
 {
-  int rc;
   srvr_sockaddr_union_t me;
   curl_socket_t sock = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
   if(sock == CURL_SOCKET_BAD)
@@ -224,9 +223,7 @@ static curl_socket_t socksconnect(unsigned short connectport,
   me.sa4.sin_addr.s_addr = INADDR_ANY;
   curlx_inet_pton(AF_INET, connectaddr, &me.sa4.sin_addr);
 
-  rc = connect(sock, &me.sa, sizeof(me.sa4));
-
-  if(rc) {
+  if(connect(sock, &me.sa, sizeof(me.sa4))) {
     char errbuf[STRERROR_LEN];
     int sockerr = SOCKERRNO;
     logmsg("Failed connecting to %s:%hu (%d) %s", connectaddr, connectport,
diff --git a/tests/server/sws.c b/tests/server/sws.c
index 04d97560ef..4e1b3af2b3 100644
--- a/tests/server/sws.c
+++ b/tests/server/sws.c
@@ -742,7 +742,6 @@ static int sws_ProcessRequest(struct sws_httprequest *req)
 /* store the entire request in a file */
 static void sws_storerequest(const char *reqbuf, size_t totalsize)
 {
-  int res;
   int error = 0;
   char errbuf[STRERROR_LEN];
   size_t written;
@@ -791,8 +790,7 @@ static void sws_storerequest(const char *reqbuf, size_t totalsize)
 
 storerequest_cleanup:
 
-  res = curlx_fclose(dump);
-  if(res)
+  if(curlx_fclose(dump))
     logmsg("Error closing file %s error (%d) %s", dumpfile,
            errno, curlx_strerror(errno, errbuf, sizeof(errbuf)));
 }
@@ -813,7 +811,6 @@ static int sws_send_doc(curl_socket_t sock, struct sws_httprequest *req)
   size_t responsesize;
   int error = 0;
   char errbuf[STRERROR_LEN];
-  int res;
   static char weare[256];
   char responsedump[256];
 
@@ -1007,8 +1004,7 @@ retry:
     }
   } while((count > 0) && !got_exit_signal);
 
-  res = curlx_fclose(dump);
-  if(res)
+  if(curlx_fclose(dump))
     logmsg("Error closing file %s error (%d) %s", responsedump,
            errno, curlx_strerror(errno, errbuf, sizeof(errbuf)));
 
@@ -1045,8 +1041,7 @@ retry:
           quarters = num * 4;
           while((quarters > 0) && !got_exit_signal) {
             quarters--;
-            res = curlx_wait_ms(250);
-            if(res) {
+            if(curlx_wait_ms(250)) {
               /* should not happen */
               int sockerr = SOCKERRNO;
               logmsg("curlx_wait_ms() failed with error (%d) %s",
@@ -2261,8 +2256,7 @@ static int test_sws(int argc, const char *argv[])
          protocol_type, socket_type, location_str);
 
   /* start accepting connections */
-  rc = listen(sock, 50);
-  if(rc) {
+  if(listen(sock, 50)) {
     sockerr = SOCKERRNO;
     logmsg("listen() failed with error (%d) %s",
            sockerr, curlx_strerror(sockerr, errbuf, sizeof(errbuf)));
diff --git a/tests/server/util.c b/tests/server/util.c
index 3386a264ac..16575ef388 100644
--- a/tests/server/util.c
+++ b/tests/server/util.c
@@ -230,7 +230,6 @@ void set_advisor_read_lock(const char *filename)
   FILE *lockfile;
   int error = 0;
   char errbuf[STRERROR_LEN];
-  int res;
 
   do {
     lockfile = curlx_fopen(filename, "wb");
@@ -242,8 +241,7 @@ void set_advisor_read_lock(const char *filename)
     return;
   }
 
-  res = curlx_fclose(lockfile);
-  if(res)
+  if(curlx_fclose(lockfile))
     logmsg("Error closing lock file %s error (%d) %s", filename,
            errno, curlx_strerror(errno, errbuf, sizeof(errbuf)));
 }
@@ -698,14 +696,13 @@ int bind_unix_socket(curl_socket_t sock, const char *unix_socket,
     /* socket server is not alive, now check if it was actually a socket. */
 #ifdef _WIN32
     /* Windows does not have lstat function. */
-    rc = curlx_stat(unix_socket, &statbuf);
+    if(curlx_stat(unix_socket, &statbuf)) {
 #else
-    rc = lstat(unix_socket, &statbuf);
+    if(lstat(unix_socket, &statbuf)) {
 #endif
-    if(rc) {
       logmsg("Error binding socket, failed to stat %s (%d) %s", unix_socket,
              errno, curlx_strerror(errno, errbuf, sizeof(errbuf)));
-      return rc;
+      return -1;
     }
 #ifdef S_IFSOCK
     if((statbuf.st_mode & S_IFSOCK) != S_IFSOCK) {
@@ -714,11 +711,10 @@ int bind_unix_socket(curl_socket_t sock, const char *unix_socket,
     }
 #endif
     /* dead socket, cleanup and retry bind */
-    rc = unlink(unix_socket);
-    if(rc) {
+    if(unlink(unix_socket)) {
       logmsg("Error binding socket, failed to unlink %s: %d (%s)", unix_socket,
              errno, curlx_strerror(errno, errbuf, sizeof(errbuf)));
-      return rc;
+      return -1;
     }
     /* stale socket is gone, retry bind */
     rc = bind(sock, (struct sockaddr *)sau, sizeof(struct sockaddr_un));
@@ -760,8 +756,7 @@ curl_socket_t sockdaemon(curl_socket_t sock,
         logmsg("setsockopt(SO_REUSEADDR) failed with error (%d) %s",
                sockerr, curlx_strerror(sockerr, errbuf, sizeof(errbuf)));
         if(maxretr) {
-          rc = curlx_wait_ms(delay);
-          if(rc) {
+          if(curlx_wait_ms(delay)) {
             /* should not happen */
             sockerr = SOCKERRNO;
             logmsg("curlx_wait_ms() failed with error (%d) %s",
@@ -886,8 +881,7 @@ curl_socket_t sockdaemon(curl_socket_t sock,
   }
 
   /* start accepting connections */
-  rc = listen(sock, 5);
-  if(rc) {
+  if(listen(sock, 5)) {
     sockerr = SOCKERRNO;
     logmsg("listen(%ld, 5) failed with error (%d) %s", (long)sock,
            sockerr, curlx_strerror(sockerr, errbuf, sizeof(errbuf)));