diff --git a/lib/message.cc b/lib/message.cc
index ecda75af..a5a65e21 100644
--- a/lib/message.cc
+++ b/lib/message.cc
@@ -213,7 +213,6 @@ _notmuch_message_create_for_message_id (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
 {
     notmuch_message_t *message;
     Xapian::Document doc;
-    Xapian::WritableDatabase *db;
     unsigned int doc_id;
     char *term;
 
@@ -233,7 +232,6 @@ _notmuch_message_create_for_message_id (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
     if (notmuch->mode == NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_ONLY)
 	INTERNAL_ERROR ("Failure to ensure database is writable.");
 
-    db = static_cast<Xapian::WritableDatabase *> (notmuch->xapian_db);
     try {
 	doc.add_term (term, 0);
 	talloc_free (term);
diff --git a/notmuch-new.c b/notmuch-new.c
index 4874a1c1..744f4ca3 100644
--- a/notmuch-new.c
+++ b/notmuch-new.c
@@ -64,10 +64,9 @@ static volatile sig_atomic_t interrupted;
 static void
 handle_sigint (unused (int sig))
 {
-    ssize_t ignored;
     static char msg[] = "Stopping...         \n";
 
-    ignored = write(2, msg, sizeof(msg)-1);
+    write(2, msg, sizeof(msg)-1);
     interrupted = 1;
 }
 
diff --git a/notmuch-tag.c b/notmuch-tag.c
index 60e21e0d..6204ae3c 100644
--- a/notmuch-tag.c
+++ b/notmuch-tag.c
@@ -25,10 +25,8 @@ static volatile sig_atomic_t interrupted;
 static void
 handle_sigint (unused (int sig))
 {
-    ssize_t ignored;
-
     static char msg[] = "Stopping...         \n";
-    ignored = write(2, msg, sizeof(msg)-1);
+    write(2, msg, sizeof(msg)-1);
     interrupted = 1;
 }