diff --git a/DatabaseConverter.php b/DatabaseConverter.php
index b22793e1..83458c06 100644
--- a/DatabaseConverter.php
+++ b/DatabaseConverter.php
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ class DatabaseConverter { //TODO move bind param before loop everywhere, convert
 	 */
 	public function __destruct() {
 		$this->mysqli->close();
-		if ($this->sourceMysqli != null) {
+		if ($this->sourceMysqli) {
 			$this->sourceMysqli->close();
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/application/core/Admin/AdminLists.php b/application/core/Admin/AdminLists.php
index 575ef4a8..23f4381f 100644
--- a/application/core/Admin/AdminLists.php
+++ b/application/core/Admin/AdminLists.php
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ class AdminLists implements ManialinkPageAnswerListener, CallbackListener {
 		foreach($this->adminListShown as $login => $shown) {
 			if ($shown) {
 				$player = $this->maniaControl->playerManager->getPlayer($login);
-				if ($player != null) {
+				if ($player) {
 					$this->showAdminLists($player);
 				} else {
 					unset($this->adminListShown[$login]);
diff --git a/application/core/ManiaExchange/ManiaExchangeManager.php b/application/core/ManiaExchange/ManiaExchangeManager.php
index 46d3f835..7600e8c4 100644
--- a/application/core/ManiaExchange/ManiaExchangeManager.php
+++ b/application/core/ManiaExchange/ManiaExchangeManager.php
@@ -248,9 +248,9 @@ class ManiaExchangeManager{
 
 			$maps = array();
 			foreach($mxMapList as $map) {
-				if ($map != null) {
+				if ($map) {
 					$mxMapObject = new MXMapInfo($titlePrefix, $map);
-					if ($mxMapObject != null) {
+					if ($mxMapObject) {
 						array_push($maps, $mxMapObject);
 					}
 				}
diff --git a/application/core/Maps/Map.php b/application/core/Maps/Map.php
index c3c2bc6d..56ff1bf0 100644
--- a/application/core/Maps/Map.php
+++ b/application/core/Maps/Map.php
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ class Map {
 	 */
 	public function updateAvailable() {
 
-		if ($this->mx != null && ($this->lastUpdate < strtotime($this->mx->updated) || $this->uid != $this->mx->uid)) {
+		if ($this->mx && ($this->lastUpdate < strtotime($this->mx->updated) || $this->uid != $this->mx->uid)) {
 			return true;
 		} else {
 			return false;
diff --git a/application/core/Maps/MapCommands.php b/application/core/Maps/MapCommands.php
index f0ee9ed0..6e38b2ba 100644
--- a/application/core/Maps/MapCommands.php
+++ b/application/core/Maps/MapCommands.php
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ class MapCommands implements CommandListener, ManialinkPageAnswerListener, Callb
 	 */
 	public function command_ShowNextMap(array $chat, Player $player) {
 		$nextQueued = $this->maniaControl->mapManager->mapQueue->getNextQueuedMap();
-		if ($nextQueued != null) {
+		if ($nextQueued) {
 			/** @var Player $requester */
 			$requester = $nextQueued[0];
 			/** @var Map $map */
diff --git a/application/core/Maps/MapList.php b/application/core/Maps/MapList.php
index b92138ee..8f14a602 100644
--- a/application/core/Maps/MapList.php
+++ b/application/core/Maps/MapList.php
@@ -566,7 +566,7 @@ class MapList implements ManialinkPageAnswerListener, CallbackListener {
 		foreach($this->mapListShown as $login => $shown) {
 			if ($shown) {
 				$player = $this->maniaControl->playerManager->getPlayer($login);
-				if ($player != null) {
+				if ($player) {
 					$this->showMapList($player);
 				} else {
 					unset($this->mapListShown[$login]);
diff --git a/application/core/Maps/MapManager.php b/application/core/Maps/MapManager.php
index 0133a49e..8614123f 100644
--- a/application/core/Maps/MapManager.php
+++ b/application/core/Maps/MapManager.php
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ class MapManager implements CallbackListener {
 		
 		$this->fetchCurrentMap();
 		
-		if ($admin != null) {
+		if ($admin) {
 			$message = '$<' . $admin->nickname . '$> shuffled the Maplist!';
 			$this->maniaControl->chat->sendSuccess($message);
 			$this->maniaControl->log($message, true);
@@ -619,7 +619,7 @@ class MapManager implements CallbackListener {
 	 */
 	private function processMapFile($file, MXMapInfo $mapInfo, $login, $update) {
 		// Check if map is already on the server
-		if ($this->getMapByUid($mapInfo->uid) != null) {
+		if ($this->getMapByUid($mapInfo->uid)) {
 			// Download error
 			$this->maniaControl->chat->sendError('Map is already on the server!', $login);
 			return;
diff --git a/application/core/Maps/MapQueue.php b/application/core/Maps/MapQueue.php
index 8cc6219e..8817d69b 100644
--- a/application/core/Maps/MapQueue.php
+++ b/application/core/Maps/MapQueue.php
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ class MapQueue implements CallbackListener, CommandListener {
 				$player = $queuedMap[0];
 
 				//found player, so play this map
-				if ($this->maniaControl->playerManager->getPlayer($player->login) != null) {
+				if ($this->maniaControl->playerManager->getPlayer($player->login)) {
 					break;
 				}
 
diff --git a/application/core/Players/PlayerList.php b/application/core/Players/PlayerList.php
index 775d9365..27490e8f 100644
--- a/application/core/Players/PlayerList.php
+++ b/application/core/Players/PlayerList.php
@@ -774,7 +774,7 @@ class PlayerList implements ManialinkPageAnswerListener, CallbackListener, Timer
 					$this->playersListShown[$login] = false;
 				}
 				$player = $this->maniaControl->playerManager->getPlayer($login);
-				if ($player != null) {
+				if ($player) {
 					$this->showPlayerList($player);
 				} else {
 					// if player with the open widget disconnected remove him from the shownlist
diff --git a/application/core/Statistics/StatisticCollector.php b/application/core/Statistics/StatisticCollector.php
index 8f276681..5cb16421 100644
--- a/application/core/Statistics/StatisticCollector.php
+++ b/application/core/Statistics/StatisticCollector.php
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ class StatisticCollector implements CallbackListener {
 				$victim = $this->maniaControl->playerManager->getPlayer($callback[1][1][1]);
 				if (isset($callback[1][1][0])) {
 					$shooter = $this->maniaControl->playerManager->getPlayer($callback[1][1][0]);
-					if ($shooter != null) {
+					if ($shooter) {
 						$this->maniaControl->statisticManager->incrementStat(self::STAT_ON_KILL, $shooter);
 					}
 				}
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ class StatisticCollector implements CallbackListener {
 				$this->maniaControl->statisticManager->incrementStat(self::STAT_ON_DEATH, $victim);
 				if (isset($paramsObject->Event->Shooter->Login)) {
 					$shooter = $this->maniaControl->playerManager->getPlayer($paramsObject->Event->Shooter->Login);
-					if ($shooter != null) {
+					if ($shooter) {
 						$this->maniaControl->statisticManager->incrementStat(self::STAT_ON_KILL, $shooter);
 					}
 					$this->maniaControl->statisticManager->incrementStat(self::STAT_ON_KILL, $shooter);
diff --git a/application/core/Update/UpdateManager.php b/application/core/Update/UpdateManager.php
index 4f76514e..3557f37f 100644
--- a/application/core/Update/UpdateManager.php
+++ b/application/core/Update/UpdateManager.php
@@ -396,15 +396,15 @@ class UpdateManager implements CallbackListener, CommandListener, TimerListener
 	 */
 	private function performCoreUpdate(UpdateData $updateData, Player $player = null) {
 		if (!$this->checkPermissions()) {
-			if ($player != null) {
-				$this->maniaControl->chat->sendError('Update failed: Incorrect Filesystem permissions!', $player->login);
+			if ($player) {
+				$this->maniaControl->chat->sendError('Update failed: Incorrect file system permissions!', $player->login);
 			}
 			$this->maniaControl->log('Update failed!');
 			return false;
 		}
 
 		if (!isset($updateData->url) && !isset($updateData->releaseDate)) {
-			if ($player != null) {
+			if ($player) {
 				$this->maniaControl->chat->sendError('Update failed: No update Data available!', $player->login);
 			}
 			$this->maniaControl->log('Update failed: No update Data available!');
@@ -421,7 +421,7 @@ class UpdateManager implements CallbackListener, CommandListener, TimerListener
 			$bytes = file_put_contents($updateFileName, $updateFileContent);
 			if (!$bytes || $bytes <= 0) {
 				trigger_error("Couldn't save Update Zip.");
-				if ($player != null) {
+				if ($player) {
 					$this->maniaControl->chat->sendError('Update failed: Couldn\'t save Update zip!', $player->login);
 				}
 				return false;
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ class UpdateManager implements CallbackListener, CommandListener, TimerListener
 			$result = $zip->open($updateFileName);
 			if ($result !== true) {
 				trigger_error("Couldn't open Update Zip. ({$result})");
-				if ($player != null) {
+				if ($player) {
 					$this->maniaControl->chat->sendError('Update failed: Couldn\'t open Update zip!', $player->login);
 				}
 				return false;
@@ -444,7 +444,7 @@ class UpdateManager implements CallbackListener, CommandListener, TimerListener
 			//Set the Nightly Build Date
 			$this->setNightlyBuildDate($updateData->releaseDate);
 
-			if ($player != null) {
+			if ($player) {
 				$this->maniaControl->chat->sendSuccess('Update finished!', $player->login);
 			}
 			$this->maniaControl->log("Update finished!");
diff --git a/application/plugins/ServerRanking.php b/application/plugins/ServerRanking.php
index 20f02f22..3fa1b35e 100644
--- a/application/plugins/ServerRanking.php
+++ b/application/plugins/ServerRanking.php
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ class ServerRankingPlugin implements Plugin, CallbackListener, CommandListener {
 		$type = $this->maniaControl->settingManager->getSetting($this, self::SETTING_MIN_RANKING_TYPE);
 
 		$message = '';
-		if ($rankObj != null) {
+		if ($rankObj) {
 			switch($type) {
 				case self::RANKING_TYPE_RATIOS:
 					$kd      = $this->maniaControl->statisticManager->getStatisticData(StatisticManager::SPECIAL_STAT_KD_RATIO, $player->index);
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ class ServerRankingPlugin implements Plugin, CallbackListener, CommandListener {
 	public function showNextRank(Player $player) {
 		$rankObject = $this->getRank($player);
 
-		if ($rankObject != null) {
+		if ($rankObject) {
 			if ($rankObject->rank > 1) {
 				$nextRank   = $this->getNextRank($player);
 				$nextPlayer = $this->maniaControl->playerManager->getPlayerByIndex($nextRank->playerIndex);
diff --git a/application/plugins/WidgetPlugin.php b/application/plugins/WidgetPlugin.php
index 6dde4d47..345807ca 100644
--- a/application/plugins/WidgetPlugin.php
+++ b/application/plugins/WidgetPlugin.php
@@ -492,7 +492,7 @@ class WidgetPlugin implements CallbackListener, TimerListener, Plugin {
 		$label->setText($author);
 		$label->setTextColor("FFF");
 
-		if ($requester != null) {
+		if ($requester) {
 			$label = new Label_Text();
 			$frame->add($label);
 			$label->setX(0);