diff --git a/src/node_crypto.cc b/src/node_crypto.cc
index d7dcd6936c..eda62489a7 100644
--- a/src/node_crypto.cc
+++ b/src/node_crypto.cc
@@ -3591,13 +3591,10 @@ void Hmac::HmacInit(const char* hash_type, const char* key, int key_len) {
     return env()->ThrowError("Unknown message digest");
   }
   HMAC_CTX_init(&ctx_);
-  int result = 0;
   if (key_len == 0) {
-    result = HMAC_Init(&ctx_, "", 0, md);
-  } else {
-    result = HMAC_Init(&ctx_, key, key_len, md);
+    key = "";
   }
-  if (!result) {
+  if (!HMAC_Init(&ctx_, key, key_len, md)) {
     return ThrowCryptoError(env(), ERR_get_error());
   }
   initialised_ = true;