diff --git a/src/net.cpp b/src/net.cpp
index 479f77c46..ac0da26de 100644
--- a/src/net.cpp
+++ b/src/net.cpp
@@ -469,11 +469,10 @@ CNode* ConnectNode(CAddress addrConnect, const char *pszDest)
         }
     }
 
-
     /// debug print
     LogPrint("net", "trying connection %s lastseen=%.1fhrs\n",
         pszDest ? pszDest : addrConnect.ToString(),
-        pszDest ? 0 : (double)(GetAdjustedTime() - addrConnect.nTime)/3600.0);
+        pszDest ? 0.0 : (double)(GetAdjustedTime() - addrConnect.nTime)/3600.0);
 
     // Connect
     SOCKET hSocket;
@@ -505,10 +504,8 @@ CNode* ConnectNode(CAddress addrConnect, const char *pszDest)
         pnode->nTimeConnected = GetTime();
         return pnode;
     }
-    else
-    {
-        return NULL;
-    }
+
+    return NULL;
 }
 
 void CNode::CloseSocketDisconnect()
@@ -535,7 +532,6 @@ void CNode::Cleanup()
 {
 }
 
-
 void CNode::PushVersion()
 {
     int nBestHeight = g_signals.GetHeight().get_value_or(0);
@@ -1425,21 +1421,21 @@ void ThreadOpenAddedConnections()
 }
 
 // if successful, this moves the passed grant to the constructed node
-bool OpenNetworkConnection(const CAddress& addrConnect, CSemaphoreGrant *grantOutbound, const char *strDest, bool fOneShot)
+bool OpenNetworkConnection(const CAddress& addrConnect, CSemaphoreGrant *grantOutbound, const char *pszDest, bool fOneShot)
 {
     //
     // Initiate outbound network connection
     //
     boost::this_thread::interruption_point();
-    if (!strDest)
+    if (!pszDest) {
         if (IsLocal(addrConnect) ||
             FindNode((CNetAddr)addrConnect) || CNode::IsBanned(addrConnect) ||
             FindNode(addrConnect.ToStringIPPort().c_str()))
             return false;
-    if (strDest && FindNode(strDest))
+    } else if (FindNode(pszDest))
         return false;
 
-    CNode* pnode = ConnectNode(addrConnect, strDest);
+    CNode* pnode = ConnectNode(addrConnect, pszDest);
     boost::this_thread::interruption_point();
 
     if (!pnode)
@@ -1575,7 +1571,7 @@ bool BindListenPort(const CService &addrBind, string& strError)
     socklen_t len = sizeof(sockaddr);
     if (!addrBind.GetSockAddr((struct sockaddr*)&sockaddr, &len))
     {
-        strError = strprintf("Error: bind address family for %s not supported", addrBind.ToString());
+        strError = strprintf("Error: Bind address family for %s not supported", addrBind.ToString());
         LogPrintf("%s\n", strError);
         return false;
     }
@@ -1769,9 +1765,8 @@ bool StopNode()
 class CNetCleanup
 {
 public:
-    CNetCleanup()
-    {
-    }
+    CNetCleanup() {}
+
     ~CNetCleanup()
     {
         // Close sockets
diff --git a/src/net.h b/src/net.h
index 11744aa7c..f1ac888f5 100644
--- a/src/net.h
+++ b/src/net.h
@@ -56,11 +56,11 @@ bool GetMyExternalIP(CNetAddr& ipRet);
 void AddressCurrentlyConnected(const CService& addr);
 CNode* FindNode(const CNetAddr& ip);
 CNode* FindNode(const CService& ip);
-CNode* ConnectNode(CAddress addrConnect, const char *strDest = NULL);
+CNode* ConnectNode(CAddress addrConnect, const char *pszDest = NULL);
 bool OpenNetworkConnection(const CAddress& addrConnect, CSemaphoreGrant *grantOutbound = NULL, const char *strDest = NULL, bool fOneShot = false);
 void MapPort(bool fUseUPnP);
 unsigned short GetListenPort();
-bool BindListenPort(const CService &bindAddr, std::string& strError=REF(std::string()));
+bool BindListenPort(const CService &bindAddr, std::string& strError);
 void StartNode(boost::thread_group& threadGroup);
 bool StopNode();
 void SocketSendData(CNode *pnode);