diff --git a/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgGroupThread.cpp b/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgGroupThread.cpp
index eec1fd41c2..e933120c3a 100644
--- a/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgGroupThread.cpp
+++ b/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgGroupThread.cpp
@@ -604,14 +604,12 @@ nsresult nsMsgGroupThread::GetChildHdrForKey(nsMsgKey desiredKey,
 NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgGroupThread::GetFirstUnreadChild(nsIMsgDBHdr** result) {
   NS_ENSURE_ARG_POINTER(result);
 
-  nsresult rv = NS_OK;
-
   uint32_t numChildren = 0;
   GetNumChildren(&numChildren);
 
   for (uint32_t childIndex = 0; childIndex < numChildren; childIndex++) {
     nsCOMPtr<nsIMsgDBHdr> child;
-    rv = GetChildHdrAt(childIndex, getter_AddRefs(child));
+    nsresult rv = GetChildHdrAt(childIndex, getter_AddRefs(child));
     if (NS_SUCCEEDED(rv) && child) {
       nsMsgKey msgKey;
       child->GetMessageKey(&msgKey);
@@ -625,7 +623,7 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgGroupThread::GetFirstUnreadChild(nsIMsgDBHdr** result) {
     }
   }
 
-  return rv;
+  return (*result) ? NS_OK : NS_ERROR_NULL_POINTER;
 }
 
 NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgGroupThread::GetNewestMsgDate(uint32_t* aResult) {
diff --git a/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgXFViewThread.cpp b/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgXFViewThread.cpp
index 12d83c5783..18f9f63f09 100644
--- a/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgXFViewThread.cpp
+++ b/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgXFViewThread.cpp
@@ -412,15 +412,13 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP
 nsMsgXFViewThread::GetFirstUnreadChild(nsIMsgDBHdr** aResult) {
   NS_ENSURE_ARG(aResult);
   uint32_t numChildren;
-  nsresult rv = NS_OK;
-
   GetNumChildren(&numChildren);
 
   if ((int32_t)numChildren < 0) numChildren = 0;
 
   for (uint32_t childIndex = 0; childIndex < numChildren; childIndex++) {
     nsCOMPtr<nsIMsgDBHdr> child;
-    rv = GetChildHdrAt(childIndex, getter_AddRefs(child));
+    nsresult rv = GetChildHdrAt(childIndex, getter_AddRefs(child));
     if (NS_SUCCEEDED(rv) && child) {
       nsMsgKey msgKey;
       child->GetMessageKey(&msgKey);
@@ -437,7 +435,7 @@ nsMsgXFViewThread::GetFirstUnreadChild(nsIMsgDBHdr** aResult) {
     }
   }
 
-  return rv;
+  return (*aResult) ? NS_OK : NS_ERROR_NULL_POINTER;
 }
 
 NS_IMETHODIMP
diff --git a/mailnews/db/msgdb/src/nsMsgThread.cpp b/mailnews/db/msgdb/src/nsMsgThread.cpp
index 64d4d16b26..96409074bf 100644
--- a/mailnews/db/msgdb/src/nsMsgThread.cpp
+++ b/mailnews/db/msgdb/src/nsMsgThread.cpp
@@ -978,7 +978,6 @@ nsresult nsMsgThread::GetChildHdrForKey(nsMsgKey desiredKey,
 NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgThread::GetFirstUnreadChild(nsIMsgDBHdr** result) {
   NS_ENSURE_ARG_POINTER(result);
 
-  nsresult rv = NS_OK;
   uint8_t minLevel = 0xff;
 
   uint32_t numChildren = 0;
@@ -988,7 +987,7 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgThread::GetFirstUnreadChild(nsIMsgDBHdr** result) {
 
   for (uint32_t childIndex = 0; childIndex < numChildren; childIndex++) {
     nsCOMPtr<nsIMsgDBHdr> child;
-    rv = GetChildHdrAt(childIndex, getter_AddRefs(child));
+    nsresult rv = GetChildHdrAt(childIndex, getter_AddRefs(child));
     if (NS_SUCCEEDED(rv) && child) {
       nsMsgKey msgKey;
       child->GetMessageKey(&msgKey);
@@ -1022,7 +1021,7 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgThread::GetFirstUnreadChild(nsIMsgDBHdr** result) {
   }
 
   retHdr.forget(result);
-  return rv;
+  return (*result) ? NS_OK : NS_ERROR_NULL_POINTER;
 }
 
 NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgThread::GetNewestMsgDate(uint32_t* aResult) {