diff --git a/src/analysis/normed_space/multilinear.lean b/src/analysis/normed_space/multilinear.lean
index 391936281f594..4524c1722d310 100644
--- a/src/analysis/normed_space/multilinear.lean
+++ b/src/analysis/normed_space/multilinear.lean
@@ -694,26 +694,25 @@ calc ∥continuous_multilinear_map.mk_pi_algebra 𝕜 ι A∥ ≤ if nonempty ι
   multilinear_map.mk_continuous_norm_le _ (by split_ifs; simp [zero_le_one]) _
 ... = _ : if_pos ‹_›
 
-lemma norm_mk_pi_algebra_of_empty (h : ¬nonempty ι) :
+lemma norm_mk_pi_algebra_of_empty [is_empty ι] :
   ∥continuous_multilinear_map.mk_pi_algebra 𝕜 ι A∥ = ∥(1 : A)∥ :=
 begin
   apply le_antisymm,
   calc ∥continuous_multilinear_map.mk_pi_algebra 𝕜 ι A∥ ≤ if nonempty ι then 1 else ∥(1 : A)∥ :
     multilinear_map.mk_continuous_norm_le _ (by split_ifs; simp [zero_le_one]) _
-  ... = ∥(1 : A)∥ : if_neg ‹_›,
-  convert ratio_le_op_norm _ (λ _, 1); [skip, apply_instance],
-  simp [eq_empty_of_not_nonempty h univ]
+  ... = ∥(1 : A)∥ : if_neg (not_nonempty_iff.mpr ‹_›),
+  convert ratio_le_op_norm _ (λ _, (1 : A)),
+  simp [eq_empty_of_is_empty (univ : finset ι)],
 end
 
 @[simp] lemma norm_mk_pi_algebra [norm_one_class A] :
   ∥continuous_multilinear_map.mk_pi_algebra 𝕜 ι A∥ = 1 :=
 begin
-  by_cases hι : nonempty ι,
-  { resetI,
-    refine le_antisymm norm_mk_pi_algebra_le _,
+  casesI is_empty_or_nonempty ι,
+  { simp [norm_mk_pi_algebra_of_empty] },
+  { refine le_antisymm norm_mk_pi_algebra_le _,
     convert ratio_le_op_norm _ (λ _, 1); [skip, apply_instance],
     simp },
-  { simp [norm_mk_pi_algebra_of_empty hι] }
 end
 
 end
diff --git a/src/order/filter/at_top_bot.lean b/src/order/filter/at_top_bot.lean
index 0f7fee0c15796..71c312b24684a 100644
--- a/src/order/filter/at_top_bot.lean
+++ b/src/order/filter/at_top_bot.lean
@@ -882,16 +882,12 @@ lemma tendsto_finset_preimage_at_top_at_top {f : α → β} (hf : function.injec
 lemma prod_at_top_at_top_eq {β₁ β₂ : Type*} [semilattice_sup β₁] [semilattice_sup β₂] :
   (at_top : filter β₁) ×ᶠ (at_top : filter β₂) = (at_top : filter (β₁ × β₂)) :=
 begin
-  by_cases ne : nonempty β₁ ∧ nonempty β₂,
-  { cases ne,
-    resetI,
-    simp [at_top, prod_infi_left, prod_infi_right, infi_prod],
-    exact infi_comm },
-  { rw not_and_distrib at ne,
-    cases ne;
-    { have : ¬ (nonempty (β₁ × β₂)), by simp [ne],
-      rw [at_top.filter_eq_bot_of_not_nonempty ne, at_top.filter_eq_bot_of_not_nonempty this],
-      simp only [bot_prod, prod_bot] } }
+  casesI (is_empty_or_nonempty β₁).symm,
+  casesI (is_empty_or_nonempty β₂).symm,
+  { simp [at_top, prod_infi_left, prod_infi_right, infi_prod],
+    exact infi_comm, },
+  { simp only [at_top.filter_eq_bot_of_is_empty, prod_bot] },
+  { simp only [at_top.filter_eq_bot_of_is_empty, bot_prod] },
 end
 
 lemma prod_at_bot_at_bot_eq {β₁ β₂ : Type*} [semilattice_inf β₁] [semilattice_inf β₂] :
diff --git a/src/topology/continuous_function/bounded.lean b/src/topology/continuous_function/bounded.lean
index 4e6f90cab2e36..dacb88ff19a9e 100644
--- a/src/topology/continuous_function/bounded.lean
+++ b/src/topology/continuous_function/bounded.lean
@@ -158,8 +158,8 @@ lemma dist_lt_iff_of_nonempty_compact [nonempty α] [compact_space α] :
 ⟨λ w x, lt_of_le_of_lt (dist_coe_le_dist x) w, dist_lt_of_nonempty_compact⟩
 
 /-- On an empty space, bounded continuous functions are at distance 0 -/
-lemma dist_zero_of_empty (e : ¬ nonempty α) : dist f g = 0 :=
-le_antisymm ((dist_le (le_refl _)).2 $ λ x, e.elim ⟨x⟩) dist_nonneg'
+lemma dist_zero_of_empty [is_empty α] : dist f g = 0 :=
+le_antisymm ((dist_le (le_refl _)).2 is_empty_elim) dist_nonneg'
 
 /-- The type of bounded continuous functions, with the uniform distance, is a metric space. -/
 instance : metric_space (α →ᵇ β) :=