diff --git a/googletest/src/gtest.cc b/googletest/src/gtest.cc
index f476044b..97966377 100644
--- a/googletest/src/gtest.cc
+++ b/googletest/src/gtest.cc
@@ -459,8 +459,6 @@ FilePath GetCurrentExecutableName() {
 // Returns the output format, or "" for normal printed output.
 std::string UnitTestOptions::GetOutputFormat() {
   const char* const gtest_output_flag = GTEST_FLAG(output).c_str();
-  if (gtest_output_flag == NULL) return std::string("");
-
   const char* const colon = strchr(gtest_output_flag, ':');
   return (colon == NULL) ?
       std::string(gtest_output_flag) :
@@ -469,11 +467,8 @@ std::string UnitTestOptions::GetOutputFormat() {
 
 // Returns the name of the requested output file, or the default if none
 // was explicitly specified.
-// FIXME Remove GetAbsolutePathToOutputFile checking gtest_output_flag == NULL
 std::string UnitTestOptions::GetAbsolutePathToOutputFile() {
   const char* const gtest_output_flag = GTEST_FLAG(output).c_str();
-  if (gtest_output_flag == NULL)
-    return "";
 
   std::string format = GetOutputFormat();
   if (format.empty())
@@ -3505,7 +3500,7 @@ class XmlUnitTestResultPrinter : public EmptyTestEventListener {
 // Creates a new XmlUnitTestResultPrinter.
 XmlUnitTestResultPrinter::XmlUnitTestResultPrinter(const char* output_file)
     : output_file_(output_file) {
-  if (output_file_.c_str() == NULL || output_file_.empty()) {
+  if (output_file_.empty()) {
     GTEST_LOG_(FATAL) << "XML output file may not be null";
   }
 }