diff --git a/include/armadillo_bits/op_rank_meat.hpp b/include/armadillo_bits/op_rank_meat.hpp
index bf0de236..2fb31c61 100644
--- a/include/armadillo_bits/op_rank_meat.hpp
+++ b/include/armadillo_bits/op_rank_meat.hpp
@@ -87,6 +87,8 @@ op_rank::apply_diag(uword& out, Mat<eT>& A, typename get_pod_type<eT>::result to
   
   typedef typename get_pod_type<eT>::result T;
   
+  out = uword(0);
+  
   const uword N = (std::min)(A.n_rows, A.n_cols);
   
   podarray<T> diag_abs_vals(N);
@@ -98,7 +100,7 @@ op_rank::apply_diag(uword& out, Mat<eT>& A, typename get_pod_type<eT>::result to
     const eT     Aii = A.at(i,i);
     const  T abs_Aii = std::abs(Aii);
     
-    if(arma_isnan(Aii))  { out = uword(0); return false; }
+    if(arma_isnan(Aii))  { return false; }
     
     diag_abs_vals[i] = abs_Aii;
     
@@ -108,7 +110,7 @@ op_rank::apply_diag(uword& out, Mat<eT>& A, typename get_pod_type<eT>::result to
   // set tolerance to default if it hasn't been specified
   if(tol == T(0))  { tol = (std::max)(A.n_rows, A.n_cols) * max_abs_Aii * std::numeric_limits<T>::epsilon(); }
   
-  if(arma_isnan(tol))  { out = uword(0); return false; }
+  if(arma_isnan(tol))  { return false; }
   
   uword count = 0;
   
@@ -130,18 +132,20 @@ op_rank::apply_sym(uword& out, Mat<eT>& A, typename get_pod_type<eT>::result tol
   
   typedef typename get_pod_type<eT>::result T;
   
-  if(A.is_square() == false)  { out = uword(0); return false; }
+  out = uword(0);
+  
+  if(A.is_square() == false)  { return false; }
   
   Col<T> v;
   
   const bool status = auxlib::eig_sym(v, A);
   
-  if(status == false)  { out = uword(0); return false; }
+  if(status == false)  { return false; }
   
   const uword v_n_elem = v.n_elem;
         T*    v_mem    = v.memptr();
   
-  if(v_n_elem == 0)  { out = uword(0); return true; }
+  if(v_n_elem == 0)  { return true; }
   
   T max_abs_v = T(0);
   
@@ -150,7 +154,7 @@ op_rank::apply_sym(uword& out, Mat<eT>& A, typename get_pod_type<eT>::result tol
   // set tolerance to default if it hasn't been specified
   if(tol == T(0))  { tol = (std::max)(A.n_rows, A.n_cols) * max_abs_v * std::numeric_limits<T>::epsilon(); }
   
-  if(arma_isnan(tol))  { out = uword(0); return false; }
+  if(arma_isnan(tol))  { return false; }
   
   uword count = 0;
   
@@ -172,21 +176,23 @@ op_rank::apply_gen(uword& out, Mat<eT>& A, typename get_pod_type<eT>::result tol
   
   typedef typename get_pod_type<eT>::result T;
   
+  out = uword(0);
+  
   Col<T> s;
   
   const bool status = auxlib::svd_dc(s, A);
   
-  if(status == false)  { out = uword(0); return false; }
+  if(status == false)  { return false; }
   
   const uword s_n_elem = s.n_elem;
   const T*    s_mem    = s.memptr();
   
-  if(s_n_elem == 0)  { out = uword(0); return true; }
+  if(s_n_elem == 0)  { return true; }
   
   // set tolerance to default if it hasn't been specified
   if(tol == T(0))  { tol = (std::max)(A.n_rows, A.n_cols) * s_mem[0] * std::numeric_limits<T>::epsilon(); }
   
-  if(arma_isnan(tol))  { out = uword(0); return false; }
+  if(arma_isnan(tol))  { return false; }
   
   uword count = 0;