diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/akismet/AkismetComment.kt b/src/main/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/akismet/AkismetComment.kt
index 900b7a9..93d0178 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/akismet/AkismetComment.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/net/thauvin/erik/akismet/AkismetComment.kt
@@ -185,8 +185,8 @@ open class AkismetComment(val userIp: String, val userAgent: String) {
      *
      * @see [serverEnv]
      */
-    constructor(request: HttpServletRequest) : this(request.remoteAddr, request.getNonNullHeader("User-Agent")) {
-        referrer = request.getNonNullHeader("referer")
+    constructor(request: HttpServletRequest) : this(request.remoteAddr.ifNull(), request.getHeader("User-Agent").ifNull()) {
+        referrer = request.getHeader("referer").ifNull()
         serverEnv = buildServerEnv(request)
     }
 
@@ -268,17 +268,16 @@ private fun buildServerEnv(request: HttpServletRequest): HashMap<String, String>
     while (names.hasMoreElements()) {
         val name = names.nextElement()
         if (!name.equals("cookie", true)) {
-            params["HTTP_${name.toUpperCase().replace('-', '_')}"] = request.getNonNullHeader(name)
+            params["HTTP_${name.toUpperCase().replace('-', '_')}"] = request.getHeader(name).ifNull()
         }
     }
 
     return params
 }
 
-private fun HttpServletRequest.getNonNullHeader(name: String): String {
-    val header = getHeader(name)
-    if (header != null) {
-        return header
+private fun String.ifNull(): String {
+    if (this == null) {
+       return ""
     }
-    return ""
+    return this
 }