diff --git a/src/main/java/org/sablecc/sablecc/parser/Parser.java b/src/main/java/org/sablecc/sablecc/parser/Parser.java
index 82bfea29231289410cbd57997a7a61ac8fbebdc4..c23684d97bc6ad40fc6a2548c44ef60dfbdf7a48 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/sablecc/sablecc/parser/Parser.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/sablecc/sablecc/parser/Parser.java
@@ -50,13 +50,11 @@ public class Parser implements IParser
              * added to it
              */
             final List<?> nodeList = (List<?>) elementToCheck;
-
-            if (nodeList.size() > 0) {
-                elementToCheck = nodeList.get(nodeList.size() - 1);
-            } else {
+            if (nodeList.isEmpty()) {
                 // no positions for empty lists...
                 return;
             }
+            elementToCheck = nodeList.get(nodeList.size() - 1);
         }
 
         final PositionedNode node = (PositionedNode) elementToCheck;
diff --git a/src/main/resources/org/sablecc/sablecc/parser.txt b/src/main/resources/org/sablecc/sablecc/parser.txt
index 21a877da31f81c5b93cc40529c12aea455919d48..e5a46dc88e2a8f439c4512b47838348d6414f1db 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/org/sablecc/sablecc/parser.txt
+++ b/src/main/resources/org/sablecc/sablecc/parser.txt
@@ -58,13 +58,11 @@ public class Parser implements IParser
              * added to it
              */
             final List<?> nodeList = (List<?>) elementToCheck;
-
-            if (nodeList.size() > 0) {
-                elementToCheck = nodeList.get(nodeList.size() - 1);
-            } else {
+            if (nodeList.isEmpty()) {
                 // no positions for empty lists...
                 return;
             }
+            elementToCheck = nodeList.get(nodeList.size() - 1);
         }
 
         final PositionedNode node = (PositionedNode) elementToCheck;