diff --git a/clientapi/routing/directory.go b/clientapi/routing/directory.go
index 5eda03912..034296f45 100644
--- a/clientapi/routing/directory.go
+++ b/clientapi/routing/directory.go
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ func SetVisibility(
 	// NOTSPEC: Check if the user's power is greater than power required to change m.room.canonical_alias event
 	power, _ := gomatrixserverlib.NewPowerLevelContentFromEvent(queryEventsRes.StateEvents[0].PDU)
 	fullUserID, err := spec.NewUserID(dev.UserID, true)
-	if err != nil || fullUserID == nil {
+	if err != nil {
 		return util.JSONResponse{
 			Code: http.StatusForbidden,
 			JSON: spec.Forbidden("userID doesn't have power level to change visibility"),
diff --git a/clientapi/routing/membership.go b/clientapi/routing/membership.go
index a8044fdf6..78829bec9 100644
--- a/clientapi/routing/membership.go
+++ b/clientapi/routing/membership.go
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ func SendBan(
 		return *errRes
 	}
 	fullUserID, err := spec.NewUserID(device.UserID, true)
-	if err != nil || fullUserID == nil {
+	if err != nil {
 		return util.JSONResponse{
 			Code: http.StatusForbidden,
 			JSON: spec.Forbidden("You don't have permission to ban this user, bad userID"),
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ func SendKick(
 		return *errRes
 	}
 	fullUserID, err := spec.NewUserID(device.UserID, true)
-	if err != nil || fullUserID == nil {
+	if err != nil {
 		return util.JSONResponse{
 			Code: http.StatusForbidden,
 			JSON: spec.Forbidden("You don't have permission to kick this user, bad userID"),
diff --git a/clientapi/routing/redaction.go b/clientapi/routing/redaction.go
index 914712a78..22474fc08 100644
--- a/clientapi/routing/redaction.go
+++ b/clientapi/routing/redaction.go
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ func SendRedaction(
 	}
 
 	fullUserID, userIDErr := spec.NewUserID(device.UserID, true)
-	if userIDErr != nil || fullUserID == nil {
+	if userIDErr != nil {
 		return util.JSONResponse{
 			Code: http.StatusForbidden,
 			JSON: spec.Forbidden("userID doesn't have power level to redact"),
diff --git a/clientapi/routing/sendevent.go b/clientapi/routing/sendevent.go
index 8788949d5..4d0a9f24a 100644
--- a/clientapi/routing/sendevent.go
+++ b/clientapi/routing/sendevent.go
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ func generateSendEvent(
 ) (gomatrixserverlib.PDU, *util.JSONResponse) {
 	// parse the incoming http request
 	fullUserID, err := spec.NewUserID(device.UserID, true)
-	if err != nil || fullUserID == nil {
+	if err != nil {
 		return nil, &util.JSONResponse{
 			Code: http.StatusBadRequest,
 			JSON: spec.BadJSON("Bad userID"),
diff --git a/federationapi/internal/perform.go b/federationapi/internal/perform.go
index 5f4dc682a..485b79a03 100644
--- a/federationapi/internal/perform.go
+++ b/federationapi/internal/perform.go
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ func (r *FederationInternalAPI) performJoinUsingServer(
 	}
 
 	user, err := spec.NewUserID(userID, true)
-	if err != nil || user == nil {
+	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	room, err := spec.NewRoomID(roomID)
diff --git a/roomserver/internal/perform/perform_admin.go b/roomserver/internal/perform/perform_admin.go
index f8e3e577f..eeb1ac406 100644
--- a/roomserver/internal/perform/perform_admin.go
+++ b/roomserver/internal/perform/perform_admin.go
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ func (r *Admin) PerformAdminDownloadState(
 	roomID, userID string, serverName spec.ServerName,
 ) error {
 	fullUserID, err := spec.NewUserID(userID, true)
-	if err != nil || fullUserID == nil {
+	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	senderDomain := fullUserID.Domain()