diff --git a/lib/package_config_files.c b/lib/package_config_files.c
index ba20df43..40273410 100644
--- a/lib/package_config_files.c
+++ b/lib/package_config_files.c
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ xbps_entry_is_a_conf_file(prop_dictionary_t propsd,
 	assert(entry_pname != NULL);
 
 	array = prop_dictionary_get(propsd, "conf_files");
-	if (array == NULL || prop_array_count(array) == 0)
+	if (prop_array_count(array) == 0)
 		return false;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < prop_array_count(array); i++) {
diff --git a/lib/package_conflicts.c b/lib/package_conflicts.c
index 8153a016..05ad76fe 100644
--- a/lib/package_conflicts.c
+++ b/lib/package_conflicts.c
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ xbps_pkg_find_conflicts(struct xbps_handle *xhp,
 	char *pkgname, *repopkgname, *buf;
 
 	pkg_cflicts = prop_dictionary_get(pkg_repod, "conflicts");
-	if (pkg_cflicts == NULL || prop_array_count(pkg_cflicts) == 0)
+	if (prop_array_count(pkg_cflicts) == 0)
 		return;
 
 	trans_cflicts = prop_dictionary_get(xhp->transd, "conflicts");
diff --git a/lib/package_orphans.c b/lib/package_orphans.c
index 56491154..446e7fe4 100644
--- a/lib/package_orphans.c
+++ b/lib/package_orphans.c
@@ -107,8 +107,7 @@ xbps_find_pkg_orphans(struct xbps_handle *xhp, prop_array_t orphans_user)
 
 		prop_dictionary_get_cstring_nocopy(pkgd, "pkgver", &curpkgver);
 		reqby = xbps_pkgdb_get_pkg_revdeps(xhp, curpkgver);
-		cnt = prop_array_count(reqby);
-		if (reqby == NULL || (cnt == 0)) {
+		if (prop_array_count(reqby) == 0) {
 			/*
 			 * Add packages with empty revdeps.
 			 */
@@ -124,8 +123,6 @@ find_orphans:
 		prop_dictionary_get_cstring_nocopy(pkgd, "pkgver", &curpkgver);
 
 		rdeps = prop_dictionary_get(pkgd, "run_depends");
-		if (rdeps == NULL)
-			continue;
 		for (x = 0; x < prop_array_count(rdeps); x++) {
 			cnt = 0;
 			prop_array_get_cstring_nocopy(rdeps, x, &deppkgver);
diff --git a/lib/package_remove.c b/lib/package_remove.c
index 57877d65..b213e7f4 100644
--- a/lib/package_remove.c
+++ b/lib/package_remove.c
@@ -52,8 +52,7 @@ xbps_remove_pkg_files(struct xbps_handle *xhp,
 	assert(key != NULL);
 
 	array = prop_dictionary_get(dict, key);
-	if ((prop_object_type(array) != PROP_TYPE_ARRAY) ||
-	    prop_array_count(array) == 0)
+	if (prop_array_count(array) == 0)
 		return 0;
 
 	iter = xbps_array_iter_from_dict(dict, key);
diff --git a/lib/package_unpack.c b/lib/package_unpack.c
index 2563ad9e..57e40fdc 100644
--- a/lib/package_unpack.c
+++ b/lib/package_unpack.c
@@ -64,8 +64,6 @@ find_pkg_symlink_target(prop_dictionary_t d, const char *file)
 	assert(d);
 
 	links = prop_dictionary_get(d, "links");
-	assert(links);
-
 	for (i = 0; i < prop_array_count(links); i++) {
 		rfile = strchr(file, '.') + 1;
 		obj = prop_array_get(links, i);
@@ -96,16 +94,16 @@ create_pkg_metaplist(struct xbps_handle *xhp, const char *pkgname, const char *p
 
 	/* Add objects from XBPS_PKGFILES */
 	array = prop_dictionary_get(filesd, "files");
-	if (array && prop_array_count(array))
+	if (prop_array_count(array))
 		prop_dictionary_set(pkg_metad, "files", array);
 	array = prop_dictionary_get(filesd, "conf_files");
-	if (array && prop_array_count(array))
+	if (prop_array_count(array))
 		prop_dictionary_set(pkg_metad, "conf_files", array);
 	array = prop_dictionary_get(filesd, "links");
-	if (array && prop_array_count(array))
+	if (prop_array_count(array))
 		prop_dictionary_set(pkg_metad, "links", array);
 	array = prop_dictionary_get(filesd, "dirs");
-	if (array && prop_array_count(array))
+	if (prop_array_count(array))
 		prop_dictionary_set(pkg_metad, "dirs", array);
 
 	/* Add install/remove scripts data objects */
diff --git a/lib/pkgdb.c b/lib/pkgdb.c
index 29d2fd57..21a11b42 100644
--- a/lib/pkgdb.c
+++ b/lib/pkgdb.c
@@ -151,8 +151,6 @@ xbps_pkgdb_foreach_reverse_cb(struct xbps_handle *xhp,
 		return rv;
 
 	allkeys = prop_dictionary_all_keys(xhp->pkgdb);
-	assert(allkeys);
-
 	for (i = prop_array_count(allkeys); i > 0; i--) {
 		obj = prop_array_get(allkeys, i);
 		pkgd = prop_dictionary_get_keysym(xhp->pkgdb, obj);
@@ -267,7 +265,7 @@ generate_full_revdeps_tree(struct xbps_handle *xhp)
 	while ((obj = prop_object_iterator_next(iter))) {
 		pkgd = prop_dictionary_get_keysym(xhp->pkgdb, obj);
 		rundeps = prop_dictionary_get(pkgd, "run_depends");
-		if (rundeps == NULL || !prop_array_count(rundeps))
+		if (!prop_array_count(rundeps))
 			continue;
 
 		for (i = 0; i < prop_array_count(rundeps); i++) {
diff --git a/lib/plist.c b/lib/plist.c
index 181b2eaa..ac00e3e1 100644
--- a/lib/plist.c
+++ b/lib/plist.c
@@ -120,9 +120,6 @@ xbps_callback_array_iter_in_dict(struct xbps_handle *xhp,
 	assert(fn != NULL);
 
 	array = prop_dictionary_get(dict, key);
-	if (prop_object_type(array) != PROP_TYPE_ARRAY)
-		return ENOENT;
-
 	for (i = 0; i < prop_array_count(array); i++) {
 		obj = prop_array_get(array, i);
 		if (obj == NULL)
diff --git a/lib/repo.c b/lib/repo.c
index 701fda97..1b29dcdb 100644
--- a/lib/repo.c
+++ b/lib/repo.c
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ revdeps_match(struct xbps_repo *repo, prop_dictionary_t tpkgd, const char *str)
 			continue;
 
 		pkgdeps = prop_dictionary_get(pkgd, "run_depends");
-		if (pkgdeps == NULL || !prop_array_count(pkgdeps))
+		if (!prop_array_count(pkgdeps))
 			continue;
 		/*
 		 * Try to match passed in string.
diff --git a/lib/repo_pkgdeps.c b/lib/repo_pkgdeps.c
index ba08e93e..df17b530 100644
--- a/lib/repo_pkgdeps.c
+++ b/lib/repo_pkgdeps.c
@@ -392,9 +392,7 @@ xbps_repository_find_deps(struct xbps_handle *xhp,
 	unsigned short depth = 0;
 
 	pkg_rdeps = prop_dictionary_get(repo_pkgd, "run_depends");
-	if (prop_object_type(pkg_rdeps) != PROP_TYPE_ARRAY)
-		return 0;
-	else if (prop_array_count(pkg_rdeps) == 0)
+	if (prop_array_count(pkg_rdeps) == 0)
 		return 0;
 
 	prop_dictionary_get_cstring_nocopy(repo_pkgd, "pkgver", &pkgver);
diff --git a/lib/transaction_ops.c b/lib/transaction_ops.c
index 8b9b351c..a9d6487f 100644
--- a/lib/transaction_ops.c
+++ b/lib/transaction_ops.c
@@ -355,11 +355,7 @@ xbps_transaction_autoremove_pkgs(struct xbps_handle *xhp)
 	int rv = 0;
 
 	orphans = xbps_find_pkg_orphans(xhp, NULL);
-	if (prop_object_type(orphans) != PROP_TYPE_ARRAY)
-		return EINVAL;
-
-	count = prop_array_count(orphans);
-	if (count == 0) {
+	if ((count = prop_array_count(orphans)) == 0) {
 		/* no orphans? we are done */
 		rv = ENOENT;
 		goto out;
diff --git a/lib/transaction_sortdeps.c b/lib/transaction_sortdeps.c
index bae7fd49..307a6542 100644
--- a/lib/transaction_sortdeps.c
+++ b/lib/transaction_sortdeps.c
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ xbps_transaction_sort(struct xbps_handle *xhp)
 		 * it doesn't matter.
 		 */
 		rundeps = prop_dictionary_get(obj, "run_depends");
-		if (rundeps == NULL || prop_array_count(rundeps) == 0) {
+		if (prop_array_count(rundeps) == 0) {
 			xbps_dbg_printf_append(xhp, "\n");
 			cnt++;
 			continue;
diff --git a/lib/util.c b/lib/util.c
index 34cac402..f61c1ad5 100644
--- a/lib/util.c
+++ b/lib/util.c
@@ -215,8 +215,7 @@ xbps_pkg_has_rundeps(prop_dictionary_t pkgd)
 	assert(prop_object_type(pkgd) == PROP_TYPE_DICTIONARY);
 
 	array = prop_dictionary_get(pkgd, "run_depends");
-	if ((prop_object_type(array) == PROP_TYPE_ARRAY) &&
-	     prop_array_count(array) > 0)
+	if (prop_array_count(array))
 		return true;
 
 	return false;