diff --git a/src/directives.cpp b/src/directives.cpp
index 8653ccf..f6e9587 100644
--- a/src/directives.cpp
+++ b/src/directives.cpp
@@ -3,19 +3,15 @@
 namespace YAML {
 Directives::Directives() : version{true, 1, 2}, tags{} {}
 
-std::string Directives::TranslateTagHandle(
+const std::string Directives::TranslateTagHandle(
     const std::string& handle) const {
-  std::string result;
   auto it = tags.find(handle);
   if (it == tags.end()) {
     if (handle == "!!")
-      result = "tag:yaml.org,2002:";
-    else
-      result = handle;
-  } else {
-    result = it->second;
+      return "tag:yaml.org,2002:";
+    return handle;
   }
 
-  return result;
+  return it->second;
 }
 }  // namespace YAML
diff --git a/src/tag.cpp b/src/tag.cpp
index 0a8168e..df8a2cf 100644
--- a/src/tag.cpp
+++ b/src/tag.cpp
@@ -29,31 +29,22 @@ Tag::Tag(const Token& token)
   }
 }
 
-std::string Tag::Translate(const Directives& directives) {
-  std::string result;
-
+const std::string Tag::Translate(const Directives& directives) {
   switch (type) {
     case VERBATIM:
-      result = value;
-      break;
+      return value;
     case PRIMARY_HANDLE:
-      result = directives.TranslateTagHandle("!") + value;
-      break;
+      return directives.TranslateTagHandle("!") + value;
     case SECONDARY_HANDLE:
-      result = directives.TranslateTagHandle("!!") + value;
-      break;
+      return directives.TranslateTagHandle("!!") + value;
     case NAMED_HANDLE:
-      result = directives.TranslateTagHandle("!" + handle + "!") + value;
-      break;
+      return directives.TranslateTagHandle("!" + handle + "!") + value;
     case NON_SPECIFIC:
       // TODO:
-      result = "!";
-      break;
+      return "!";
     default:
       assert(false);
-      throw std::runtime_error("yaml-cpp: internal error, bad tag type");
   }
-
-  return result;
+  throw std::runtime_error("yaml-cpp: internal error, bad tag type");
 }
 }  // namespace YAML