diff --git a/src/h5core/h5_hdf5_private.h b/src/h5core/h5_hdf5_private.h
index 972c593..009e5a0 100644
--- a/src/h5core/h5_hdf5_private.h
+++ b/src/h5core/h5_hdf5_private.h
@@ -60,9 +60,9 @@ hdf5_get_objname (
    Determine whether a link with the specified name exists in a group.
 
    Result:
-   1	if link exists
-   0	if link doesn't exist
-   error else
+   TRUE		if link exists
+   FALSE	if link doesn't exist
+   H5_FAILURE	on error
 */
 static inline h5_err_t
 hdf5_link_exists (
diff --git a/src/h5core/h5_model.c b/src/h5core/h5_model.c
index 23773e3..0d72279 100644
--- a/src/h5core/h5_model.c
+++ b/src/h5core/h5_model.c
@@ -118,6 +118,12 @@ h5priv_get_dataset_type(
 	H5_CORE_API_RETURN (type);
 }
 
+/*
+  returns:
+  TRUE (value > 0): if step exists
+  FALSE (i.e. 0): if step does not exist
+  H5_FAILURE: on error
+ */
 h5_err_t
 h5_has_step (
 	const h5_file_t f_,		/*!< [in]  Handle to open file */
@@ -128,8 +134,11 @@ h5_has_step (
 	char name[2*H5_STEPNAME_LEN];
 	sprintf (name,
 		"%s#%0*lld",
-		f->props->prefix_step_name, f->props->width_step_idx, (long long)step_idx);
-	H5_CORE_API_RETURN (hdf5_link_exists(f->file, name));
+		f->props->prefix_step_name, f->props->width_step_idx,
+		 (long long)step_idx);
+        h5_err_t exists;
+        TRY (exists = hdf5_link_exists (f->file, name));
+	H5_CORE_API_RETURN (exists);
 }
 
 h5_err_t
diff --git a/src/h5core/h5b_model.c b/src/h5core/h5b_model.c
index c042710..e7838ed 100644
--- a/src/h5core/h5b_model.c
+++ b/src/h5core/h5b_model.c
@@ -42,11 +42,8 @@ h5b_has_field_data (
         H5_CORE_API_ENTER (h5_err_t, "f=%p", f);
         CHECK_FILEHANDLE (f);
         h5_err_t exists;
-        h5_err_t result = H5_NOK;
         TRY (exists = hdf5_link_exists (f->step_gid, H5BLOCK_GROUPNAME_BLOCK));
-        if (exists)
-                result = H5_SUCCESS;
-        H5_CORE_API_RETURN (result);
+        H5_CORE_API_RETURN (exists);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -482,19 +479,6 @@ _create_block_group (
 	H5_PRIV_FUNC_RETURN (H5_SUCCESS);
 }
 
-h5_err_t
-h5bpriv_have_field_group (
-	const h5_file_p f,			/*!< IN: file handle */
-	const char *name
-	) {
-	H5_PRIV_API_ENTER (h5_err_t, "f=%p, name='%s'", f, name);
-	char name2[H5_DATANAME_LEN];
-	h5priv_normalize_dataset_name (name, name2);
-
-	TRY( h5bpriv_open_block_group(f) );
-	H5_PRIV_API_RETURN (hdf5_link_exists(f->b->block_gid, name2));
-}
-
 h5_err_t
 h5bpriv_open_field_group (
 	const h5_file_p f,			/*!< IN: file handle */
@@ -545,7 +529,7 @@ h5_int64_t
 h5b_3d_has_view (
 	const h5_file_t fh		/*!< IN: File handle		*/
 	) {
-	return ( ((h5_file_p)fh)->b->have_layout > 0 ? H5_SUCCESS : H5_NOK );
+	return (((h5_file_p)fh)->b->have_layout > 0);
 }
 
 h5_err_t
diff --git a/src/h5core/h5b_model_private.h b/src/h5core/h5b_model_private.h
index ebff2d0..758a008 100644
--- a/src/h5core/h5b_model_private.h
+++ b/src/h5core/h5b_model_private.h
@@ -17,12 +17,6 @@
                      H5_ERR_VIEW,                               \
                      "No view has been defined!"));
 
-h5_err_t
-h5bpriv_have_field_group (
-	const h5_file_p f,			/*!< IN: file handle */
-	const char *name
-	);
-
 h5_err_t
 h5bpriv_open_field_group (
 	const h5_file_p f,			/*!< IN: file handle */
diff --git a/src/h5core/h5u_model.c b/src/h5core/h5u_model.c
index c92a2de..882cdf6 100644
--- a/src/h5core/h5u_model.c
+++ b/src/h5core/h5u_model.c
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ h5u_get_num_points (
 	H5_CORE_API_ENTER (h5_ssize_t, "f=%p", f);
 	h5_ssize_t nparticles;
 
-	if (h5u_has_view ((h5_file_t)f) == H5_OK) {
+	if (h5u_has_view ((h5_file_t)f)) {
                 /* if a view exists, use its size as the number of particles */
 		TRY (nparticles = h5u_get_num_points_in_view (fh));
 	} else {
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ h5u_get_num_points_in_view (
 	H5_CORE_API_ENTER (h5_ssize_t, "f=%p", f);
 	h5_ssize_t nparticles;
 
-	if (h5u_has_view (fh) != H5_OK) {
+	if (!h5u_has_view (fh)) {
                 H5_CORE_API_LEAVE (
                         h5_error (
                                 H5_ERR_H5PART,
@@ -211,8 +211,7 @@ h5u_has_view (
 	) {
         h5_file_p f = (h5_file_p)fh;
 	H5_CORE_API_ENTER (h5_ssize_t, "f=%p", f);
-	h5_err_t result = (f->u->viewindexed || f->u->viewstart >= 0) ? H5_SUCCESS : H5_NOK;
-	H5_CORE_API_RETURN (result);
+	H5_CORE_API_RETURN (f->u->viewindexed || f->u->viewstart >= 0);
 }
 
 h5_err_t