diff --git a/mypy/join.py b/mypy/join.py
index 31266827e17d..f651f43203c5 100644
--- a/mypy/join.py
+++ b/mypy/join.py
@@ -48,14 +48,6 @@ def join_simple(declaration: Optional[Type], s: Type, t: Type) -> Type:
         s, t = t, s
 
     value = t.accept(TypeJoinVisitor(s))
-
-    if value is None:
-        # XXX this code path probably should be avoided.
-        # It seems to happen when a line (x = y) is a type error, and
-        # it's not clear that assuming that x is arbitrary afterward
-        # is a good idea.
-        return declaration
-
     if declaration is None or is_subtype(value, declaration):
         return value
 
diff --git a/mypy/newsemanal/semanal_classprop.py b/mypy/newsemanal/semanal_classprop.py
index b10daae471e1..8f8ccd91fc6b 100644
--- a/mypy/newsemanal/semanal_classprop.py
+++ b/mypy/newsemanal/semanal_classprop.py
@@ -113,11 +113,10 @@ def check_protocol_status(info: TypeInfo, errors: Errors) -> None:
     """Check that all classes in MRO of a protocol are protocols"""
     if info.is_protocol:
         for type in info.bases:
-            if not isinstance(type, Instance) or not type.type.is_protocol:
-                if type.type.fullname() != 'builtins.object':
-                    def report(message: str, severity: str) -> None:
-                        errors.report(info.line, info.column, message, severity=severity)
-                    report('All bases of a protocol must be protocols', 'error')
+            if not type.type.is_protocol and type.type.fullname() != 'builtins.object':
+                def report(message: str, severity: str) -> None:
+                    errors.report(info.line, info.column, message, severity=severity)
+                report('All bases of a protocol must be protocols', 'error')
 
 
 def calculate_class_vars(info: TypeInfo) -> None:
diff --git a/mypy/semanal_pass3.py b/mypy/semanal_pass3.py
index 9d139eada4d1..3af1b2e5faa1 100644
--- a/mypy/semanal_pass3.py
+++ b/mypy/semanal_pass3.py
@@ -176,9 +176,8 @@ def visit_class_def(self, tdef: ClassDef) -> None:
             self.analyze_types(types, tdef.info)
             for type in tdef.info.bases:
                 if tdef.info.is_protocol:
-                    if not isinstance(type, Instance) or not type.type.is_protocol:
-                        if type.type.fullname() != 'builtins.object':
-                            self.fail('All bases of a protocol must be protocols', tdef)
+                    if not type.type.is_protocol and type.type.fullname() != 'builtins.object':
+                        self.fail('All bases of a protocol must be protocols', tdef)
         # Recompute MRO now that we have analyzed all modules, to pick
         # up superclasses of bases imported from other modules in an
         # import loop. (Only do so if we succeeded the first time.)
diff --git a/mypy/suggestions.py b/mypy/suggestions.py
index d4fa50308638..c0b2540b30e5 100644
--- a/mypy/suggestions.py
+++ b/mypy/suggestions.py
@@ -542,10 +542,7 @@ def __init__(self, module: Optional[str], graph: Graph) -> None:
         self.graph = graph
 
     def visit_instance(self, t: Instance) -> str:
-        if t.type is not None:
-            s = t.type.fullname() or t.type.name() or None
-        else:
-            s = None
+        s = t.type.fullname() or t.type.name() or None
         if s is None:
             return '<???>'
         if s in reverse_builtin_aliases:
diff --git a/mypy/types.py b/mypy/types.py
index ca2f4e085bc4..c6f8b0e687dc 100644
--- a/mypy/types.py
+++ b/mypy/types.py
@@ -1947,10 +1947,7 @@ def visit_deleted_type(self, t: DeletedType) -> str:
             return "<Deleted '{}'>".format(t.source)
 
     def visit_instance(self, t: Instance) -> str:
-        if t.type is not None:
-            s = t.type.fullname() or t.type.name() or '<???>'
-        else:
-            s = '<?>'
+        s = t.type.fullname() or t.type.name() or '<???>'
         if t.erased:
             s += '*'
         if t.args != []:
@@ -2081,10 +2078,7 @@ def list_str(self, a: List[Type]) -> str:
         """
         res = []
         for t in a:
-            if isinstance(t, Type):
-                res.append(t.accept(self))
-            else:
-                res.append(str(t))
+            res.append(t.accept(self))
         return ', '.join(res)
 
 
@@ -2101,9 +2095,7 @@ def strip_type(typ: Type) -> Type:
 
 
 def is_named_instance(t: Type, fullname: str) -> bool:
-    return (isinstance(t, Instance) and
-            t.type is not None and
-            t.type.fullname() == fullname)
+    return isinstance(t, Instance) and t.type.fullname() == fullname
 
 
 def copy_type(t: Type) -> Type: