Small non-breaking refactors

[stubailo]

Just working on simplifying some code.

TODO:

• If this PR is a new feature, reference an issue where a consensus about the design was reached (not necessary for small changes)
• Make sure all of the significant new logic is covered by tests
• Rebase your changes on master so that they can be merged easily
• Make sure all tests and linter rules pass
• Update CHANGELOG.md with your change. Include a description of your change, link to PR (always) and issue (if applicable). Add your CHANGELOG entry under vNEXT. Do not create a new version number for your change yourself.