diff --git a/HLT/Trigger/TrigControl/TrigServices/src/TrigMonTHistSvc.cxx b/HLT/Trigger/TrigControl/TrigServices/src/TrigMonTHistSvc.cxx
index 261792955032631accedfc4b2aa7d69bb710b9c5..4946e91fb9493f06c9e82479eb43545ff6098825 100644
--- a/HLT/Trigger/TrigControl/TrigServices/src/TrigMonTHistSvc.cxx
+++ b/HLT/Trigger/TrigControl/TrigServices/src/TrigMonTHistSvc.cxx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
-  Copyright (C) 2002-2019 CERN for the benefit of the ATLAS collaboration
+  Copyright (C) 2002-2020 CERN for the benefit of the ATLAS collaboration
 */
 
 #include "TrigMonTHistSvc.h"
@@ -280,14 +280,9 @@ StatusCode TrigMonTHistSvc::regHist(const std::string& id, std::unique_ptr<TH1>
   return regHist_i(std::move(hist), id, false, hid);
 }
 
-StatusCode TrigMonTHistSvc::regHist(const std::string& id, std::unique_ptr<TH1> hist, TH1* hist_ptr)
+StatusCode TrigMonTHistSvc::regHist(const std::string& id, std::unique_ptr<TH1> hist, TH1* /*hist_ptr*/)
 {
   THistID* hid = nullptr;
-  // This is only to support a common use case where the histogram is used after
-  // its registration
-  if (hist_ptr != nullptr) {
-    hist_ptr = hist.get();
-  }
   return regHist_i(std::move(hist), id, false, hid);
 }
 
diff --git a/HLT/Trigger/TrigControl/TrigServices/src/TrigMonTHistSvc.h b/HLT/Trigger/TrigControl/TrigServices/src/TrigMonTHistSvc.h
index 595d7ba9955a6047033523a04f704221d9587456..5770b3c2b93f6093b2639045ca3f0279a63ed358 100644
--- a/HLT/Trigger/TrigControl/TrigServices/src/TrigMonTHistSvc.h
+++ b/HLT/Trigger/TrigControl/TrigServices/src/TrigMonTHistSvc.h
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ public:
 private:
   /// Helper struct that bundles the histogram, name and mutex
   struct THistID {
-    THistID(const std::string s, TObject* o) : id(s), obj(o) {};
+    THistID(const std::string& s, TObject* o) : id(s), obj(o) {};
     ~THistID() { delete mutex; }
     std::string id;
     TObject* obj{nullptr};
diff --git a/HLT/Trigger/TrigControl/TrigServices/test/test_TrigMessageSvc.cxx b/HLT/Trigger/TrigControl/TrigServices/test/test_TrigMessageSvc.cxx
index e368409425ff29840de609940faba60d480d355e..19197250209a9cb869b26b08f32a6e3dc77c5a29 100644
--- a/HLT/Trigger/TrigControl/TrigServices/test/test_TrigMessageSvc.cxx
+++ b/HLT/Trigger/TrigControl/TrigServices/test/test_TrigMessageSvc.cxx
@@ -45,10 +45,13 @@ int main() {
   //--------------------------------------------------
   // Initialise and start the services
   //--------------------------------------------------
-  assert(msgsvc.initialize().isSuccess());
+  StatusCode sc = msgsvc.initialize();
+  assert(sc.isSuccess());
 
-  assert(hsvc->start().isSuccess());
-  assert(msgsvc.start().isSuccess());
+  sc = hsvc->start();
+  assert(sc.isSuccess());
+  sc = msgsvc.start();
+  assert(sc.isSuccess());
 
   //--------------------------------------------------
   // Prepare the benchmark
@@ -81,11 +84,15 @@ int main() {
   //--------------------------------------------------
   // Stop and finalise the services
   //--------------------------------------------------
-  assert(msgsvc.stop().isSuccess());
-  assert(hsvc->stop().isSuccess());
-
-  assert(msgsvc.finalize().isSuccess());
-  assert(hsvc->finalize().isSuccess());
+  sc = msgsvc.stop();
+  assert(sc.isSuccess());
+  sc = hsvc->stop();
+  assert(sc.isSuccess());
+
+  sc = msgsvc.finalize();
+  assert(sc.isSuccess());
+  sc = hsvc->finalize();
+  assert(sc.isSuccess());
 
   return 0;
 }