diff --git a/core/java/src/net/i2p/data/DataHelper.java b/core/java/src/net/i2p/data/DataHelper.java
index 5cfaad8ef..fb86c5eaa 100644
--- a/core/java/src/net/i2p/data/DataHelper.java
+++ b/core/java/src/net/i2p/data/DataHelper.java
@@ -55,16 +55,8 @@ import net.i2p.util.Translate;
  * @author jrandom
  */
 public class DataHelper {
-    private static final byte EQUAL_BYTES[];
-    private static final byte SEMICOLON_BYTES[];
-    static {
-        try {
-            EQUAL_BYTES = "=".getBytes("UTF-8");
-            SEMICOLON_BYTES = ";".getBytes("UTF-8");
-        } catch (UnsupportedEncodingException uee) {
-            throw new RuntimeException("no utf8!?");
-        }
-    }
+    private static final byte[] EQUAL_BYTES = getUTF8("=");
+    private static final byte[] SEMICOLON_BYTES = getUTF8(";");
 
     /** Read a mapping from the stream, as defined by the I2P data structure spec,
      * and store it into a Properties object.
diff --git a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/networkdb/kademlia/XORComparator.java b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/networkdb/kademlia/XORComparator.java
index 797448dbf..bfd897f0a 100644
--- a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/networkdb/kademlia/XORComparator.java
+++ b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/networkdb/kademlia/XORComparator.java
@@ -10,20 +10,18 @@ import net.i2p.data.Hash;
  *
  */
 class XORComparator implements Comparator<Hash> {
-    private final Hash _base;
+    private final byte[] _base;
 
     /**
      * @param target key to compare distances with
      */
     public XORComparator(Hash target) {
-        _base = target;
+        _base = target.getData();
     }
 
     public int compare(Hash lhs, Hash rhs) {
-        if (lhs == null) throw new NullPointerException("LHS is null");
-        if (rhs == null) throw new NullPointerException("RHS is null");
-        byte lhsDelta[] = DataHelper.xor(lhs.getData(), _base.getData());
-        byte rhsDelta[] = DataHelper.xor(rhs.getData(), _base.getData());
+        byte lhsDelta[] = DataHelper.xor(lhs.getData(), _base);
+        byte rhsDelta[] = DataHelper.xor(rhs.getData(), _base);
         return DataHelper.compareTo(lhsDelta, rhsDelta);
     }
 }