diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/ItemServiceImpl.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/ItemServiceImpl.java
index ae020c537e..1e8f00ff3c 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/ItemServiceImpl.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/ItemServiceImpl.java
@@ -1500,17 +1500,16 @@ prevent the generation of resource policy entry values with null dspace_object a
     }
 
     private String getEntityTypeStringFromMetadata(List<MetadataValue> list) {
-        String entityType = null;
         for (MetadataValue mdv : list) {
             if (StringUtils.equals(mdv.getMetadataField().getMetadataSchema().getName(),
                                    "relationship")
                 && StringUtils.equals(mdv.getMetadataField().getElement(),
                                       "type")) {
 
-                entityType = mdv.getValue();
+                return mdv.getValue();
             }
         }
-        return entityType;
+        return null;
     }
 
     private RelationshipMetadataValue constructResultingMetadataValue(Item item, String value,
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/RelationshipServiceImpl.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/RelationshipServiceImpl.java
index 8c166edc85..7e4827ea06 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/RelationshipServiceImpl.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/RelationshipServiceImpl.java
@@ -248,10 +248,7 @@ public class RelationshipServiceImpl implements RelationshipService {
             return false;
         }
         String leftEntityType = list.get(0).getValue();
-        if (!StringUtils.equals(leftEntityType, entityTypeToProcess.getLabel())) {
-            return false;
-        }
-        return true;
+        return StringUtils.equals(leftEntityType, entityTypeToProcess.getLabel());
     }
 
     public Relationship find(Context context, int id) throws SQLException {