diff --git a/src/Cldeetr.c b/src/Cldeetr.c
index 9366e7df..ceea1cf5 100644
--- a/src/Cldeetr.c
+++ b/src/Cldeetr.c
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
       strcpy(Ename, if_data.ifc_req[0].ifr_name);
 
       flags = fcntl(ether_fd, F_GETFL, 0);
-      flags = fcntl(ether_fd, F_SETFL, flags | FASYNC | FNDELAY);
+      fcntl(ether_fd, F_SETFL, flags | FASYNC | FNDELAY);
 
 #ifdef DEBUG
       printf("init_ether: **** Ethernet starts ****\n");
diff --git a/src/chardev.c b/src/chardev.c
index 0be3e99f..bf57a6f7 100644
--- a/src/chardev.c
+++ b/src/chardev.c
@@ -78,7 +78,6 @@ LispPTR CHAR_openfile(LispPTR *args)
 #ifndef DOS
   register int fd;    /* return value  of open system call. */
   register int flags; /* open system call's argument */
-  register int rval;
   struct stat statbuf;
   char pathname[MAXPATHLEN];
 
@@ -104,9 +103,7 @@ LispPTR CHAR_openfile(LispPTR *args)
   }
   /* Prevent I/O requests from blocking -- make them error */
   /* if no char is available, or there's no room in pipe.  */
-  rval = fcntl(fd, F_GETFL, 0);
-  rval |= FNDELAY;
-  rval = fcntl(fd, F_SETFL, rval);
+  fcntl(fd, F_SETFL, fcntl(fd, F_GETFL, 0) | FNDELAY);
 
   return (GetSmallp(fd));
 #endif /* DOS */
diff --git a/src/ether.c b/src/ether.c
index 0629ce30..f212f914 100644
--- a/src/ether.c
+++ b/src/ether.c
@@ -823,7 +823,7 @@ void init_ether() {
         }
 
         flags = fcntl(ether_fd, F_GETFL, 0);
-        flags = fcntl(ether_fd, F_SETFL, flags | O_NDELAY);
+        fcntl(ether_fd, F_SETFL, flags | O_NDELAY);
 
       } else {
       I_Give_Up:
diff --git a/src/ldeether.c b/src/ldeether.c
index 3e152497..a6c1f7f0 100644
--- a/src/ldeether.c
+++ b/src/ldeether.c
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
       }
 
       flags = fcntl(ether_fd, F_GETFL, 0);
-      flags = fcntl(ether_fd, F_SETFL, flags | O_NDELAY);
+      fcntl(ether_fd, F_SETFL, flags | O_NDELAY);
 
 #else
 /*    N O T   D L P I   C O D E   */
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
       strcpy(Ename, if_data.ifc_req[0].ifr_name);
 
       flags = fcntl(ether_fd, F_GETFL, 0);
-      flags = fcntl(ether_fd, F_SETFL, flags | FASYNC | FNDELAY);
+      fcntl(ether_fd, F_SETFL, flags | FASYNC | FNDELAY);
 
 #endif /* USE_DLPI  */
 #ifdef DEBUG
diff --git a/src/oldeether.c b/src/oldeether.c
index b69d3a5f..73fa7fb9 100644
--- a/src/oldeether.c
+++ b/src/oldeether.c
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
       strcpy(Ename, if_data.ifc_req[0].ifr_name);
 
       flags = fcntl(ether_fd, F_GETFL, 0);
-      flags = fcntl(ether_fd, F_SETFL, flags | FASYNC | FNDELAY);
+      fcntl(ether_fd, F_SETFL, flags | FASYNC | FNDELAY);
 
 #ifdef DEBUG
       printf("init_ether: **** Ethernet starts ****\n");
diff --git a/src/osmsg.c b/src/osmsg.c
index 90108416..1e088010 100644
--- a/src/osmsg.c
+++ b/src/osmsg.c
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ void mess_init() {
 #ifdef LOGINT
   LogFileFd = cons_pty; /* was kept as an fd_set, but doesn't need to be */
   flags = fcntl(cons_pty, F_GETFL, 0);
-  flags = fcntl(cons_pty, F_SETFL, (flags | FASYNC | FNDELAY));
+  fcntl(cons_pty, F_SETFL, (flags | FASYNC | FNDELAY));
   if (fcntl(cons_pty, F_SETOWN, getpid()) == -1) {
 #ifdef DEBUG
     perror("fcntl F_SETOWN of log PTY");
diff --git a/src/unixcomm.c b/src/unixcomm.c
index 08f58b5e..84a92349 100644
--- a/src/unixcomm.c
+++ b/src/unixcomm.c
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ int FindAvailablePty(char *Master, char *Slave) {
     flags = fcntl(res, F_GETFL, 0);
     flags |= FNDELAY;
 
-    flags = fcntl(res, F_SETFL, flags);
+    fcntl(res, F_SETFL, flags);
     return (res);
   }
 #ifndef FULLSLAVENAME
@@ -452,8 +452,7 @@ LispPTR Unix_handlecomm(LispPTR *args) {
         }
         res = fcntl(PipeFD, F_GETFL, 0);
         res |= FNDELAY;
-        res = fcntl(PipeFD, F_SETFL, res);
-        if (res < 0) {
+        if (fcntl(PipeFD, F_SETFL, res) == -1) {
           perror("setting up fifo to nodelay");
           return (NIL);
         }
@@ -615,7 +614,7 @@ LispPTR Unix_handlecomm(LispPTR *args) {
     case 11: /* Fork PTY process */
     {
       char MasterFD[20], SlavePTY[32];
-      int Master, res, slot;
+      int Master, flags, slot;
       unsigned short len;
 
       Master = FindAvailablePty(MasterFD, SlavePTY);
@@ -651,9 +650,9 @@ LispPTR Unix_handlecomm(LispPTR *args) {
       DBPRINT(("Pipe/fork result = %d.\n", d[3]));
       if (d[3] == 1) {
         /* Set up the IO not to block */
-        res = fcntl(Master, F_GETFL, 0);
-        res |= FNDELAY;
-        res = fcntl(Master, F_SETFL, res);
+        flags = fcntl(Master, F_GETFL, 0);
+        flags |= FNDELAY;
+        fcntl(Master, F_SETFL, flags);
 
         UJ[slot].type = UJSHELL; /* so we can find them */
         UJ[slot].PID = (d[1] << 8) | d[2];
@@ -833,7 +832,7 @@ LispPTR Unix_handlecomm(LispPTR *args) {
     case 12: /* create Unix socket */
 
     {
-      int res, sockFD;
+      int flags, sockFD;
       struct sockaddr_un sock;
 
       /* First open the socket */
@@ -862,9 +861,9 @@ LispPTR Unix_handlecomm(LispPTR *args) {
       DBPRINT(("Socket %d bound to name %s.\n", sockFD, shcom));
       if (listen(sockFD, 1) < 0) perror("Listen");
       /* Set up the IO not to block */
-      res = fcntl(sockFD, F_GETFL, 0);
-      res |= FNDELAY;
-      res = fcntl(sockFD, F_SETFL, res);
+      flags = fcntl(sockFD, F_GETFL, 0);
+      flags |= FNDELAY;
+      fcntl(sockFD, F_SETFL, flags);
 
       /* things seem sane, fill out the rest of the UJ slot and return */
       UJ[sockFD].status = -1;
diff --git a/src/unixfork.c b/src/unixfork.c
index a08c996b..2a7598ca 100644
--- a/src/unixfork.c
+++ b/src/unixfork.c
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ of the packet received except:
 int fork_Unix() {
   int LispToUnix[2], /* Incoming pipe from LISP */
       UnixToLisp[2], /* Outgoing pipe to LISP */
-      UnixPID, LispPipeIn, LispPipeOut, res, slot;
+      UnixPID, LispPipeIn, LispPipeOut, flags, slot;
   pid_t pid;
 
   char IOBuf[4];
@@ -292,9 +292,9 @@ int fork_Unix() {
   close(LispToUnix[1]);
   close(UnixToLisp[0]);
 
-  res = fcntl(LispPipeIn, F_GETFL, 0);
-  res &= (65535 - FNDELAY);
-  res = fcntl(LispPipeIn, F_SETFL, res);
+  flags = fcntl(LispPipeIn, F_GETFL, 0);
+  flags &= (65535 - FNDELAY);
+  fcntl(LispPipeIn, F_SETFL, flags);
 
   while (1) {
     ssize_t len;