diff --git a/lib/events.js b/lib/events.js
index 8ee587e87c5ff5..bd6a36866187e5 100644
--- a/lib/events.js
+++ b/lib/events.js
@@ -481,23 +481,19 @@ EventEmitter.prototype.removeAllListeners =
     };
 
 EventEmitter.prototype.listeners = function listeners(type) {
-  var evlistener;
-  var ret;
-  var events = this._events;
+  const events = this._events;
 
   if (events === undefined)
-    ret = [];
-  else {
-    evlistener = events[type];
-    if (evlistener === undefined)
-      ret = [];
-    else if (typeof evlistener === 'function')
-      ret = [evlistener.listener || evlistener];
-    else
-      ret = unwrapListeners(evlistener);
-  }
+    return [];
 
-  return ret;
+  const evlistener = events[type];
+  if (evlistener === undefined)
+    return [];
+
+  if (typeof evlistener === 'function')
+    return [evlistener.listener || evlistener];
+
+  return unwrapListeners(evlistener);
 };
 
 EventEmitter.listenerCount = function(emitter, type) {