diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/CollectionUtils.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/CollectionUtils.java
index bd9ddf09a5..5993ce15c9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/CollectionUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/CollectionUtils.java
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ public static boolean containsAll(final Collection<?> coll1, final Collection<?>
             while (it.hasNext()) {
                 final Object p = it.next();
                 elementsAlreadySeen.add(p);
-                if (nextElement == null ? p == null : nextElement.equals(p)) {
+                if (Objects.equals(nextElement, p)) {
                     foundCurrentElement = true;
                     break;
                 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/ListUtils.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/ListUtils.java
index 6b518d246f..2e94515a67 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/ListUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/ListUtils.java
@@ -323,14 +323,12 @@ public static boolean isEqualList(final Collection<?> list1, final Collection<?>
 
         final Iterator<?> it1 = list1.iterator();
         final Iterator<?> it2 = list2.iterator();
-        Object obj1 = null;
-        Object obj2 = null;
 
         while (it1.hasNext() && it2.hasNext()) {
-            obj1 = it1.next();
-            obj2 = it2.next();
+            final Object obj1 = it1.next();
+            final Object obj2 = it2.next();
 
-            if (!(obj1 == null ? obj2 == null : obj1.equals(obj2))) {
+            if (!(Objects.equals(obj1, obj2))) {
                 return false;
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/comparators/ComparatorChain.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/comparators/ComparatorChain.java
index ee1fdb5cea..4653092172 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/comparators/ComparatorChain.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/comparators/ComparatorChain.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 import java.util.Comparator;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Objects;
 
 /**
  * A ComparatorChain is a Comparator that wraps one or more Comparators in
@@ -338,9 +339,8 @@ public boolean equals(final Object object) {
         }
         if (object.getClass().equals(this.getClass())) {
             final ComparatorChain<?> chain = (ComparatorChain<?>) object;
-            return (null == orderingBits ? null == chain.orderingBits : orderingBits.equals(chain.orderingBits)) &&
-                   (null == comparatorChain ? null == chain.comparatorChain :
-                                              comparatorChain.equals(chain.comparatorChain));
+            return (Objects.equals(orderingBits, chain.orderingBits)) &&
+                   (Objects.equals(comparatorChain, chain.comparatorChain));
         }
         return false;
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/comparators/TransformingComparator.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/comparators/TransformingComparator.java
index 2631a35cb9..a582a6f21c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/comparators/TransformingComparator.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/comparators/TransformingComparator.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 import java.io.Serializable;
 import java.util.Comparator;
+import java.util.Objects;
 
 import org.apache.commons.collections4.ComparatorUtils;
 import org.apache.commons.collections4.Transformer;
@@ -120,8 +121,8 @@ public boolean equals(final Object object) {
         }
         if (object.getClass().equals(this.getClass())) {
             final TransformingComparator<?, ?> comp = (TransformingComparator<?, ?>) object;
-            return (null == decorated ? null == comp.decorated : decorated.equals(comp.decorated)) &&
-                   (null == transformer ? null == comp.transformer : transformer.equals(comp.transformer));
+            return (Objects.equals(decorated, comp.decorated)) &&
+                   (Objects.equals(transformer, comp.transformer));
         }
         return false;
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/functors/DefaultEquator.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/functors/DefaultEquator.java
index 010ed78cff..63b79c94f5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/functors/DefaultEquator.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/functors/DefaultEquator.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 package org.apache.commons.collections4.functors;
 
 import java.io.Serializable;
+import java.util.Objects;
 
 import org.apache.commons.collections4.Equator;
 
@@ -57,11 +58,11 @@ private DefaultEquator() {
     }
 
     /**
-     * {@inheritDoc} Delegates to {@link Object#equals(Object)}.
+     * {@inheritDoc} Delegates to {@link Objects#equals(Object, Object)}.
      */
     @Override
     public boolean equate(final T o1, final T o2) {
-        return o1 == o2 || o1 != null && o1.equals(o2);
+        return Objects.equals(o1, o2);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/map/Flat3Map.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/map/Flat3Map.java
index 8e55be6220..4ac53fcaa8 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/map/Flat3Map.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/map/Flat3Map.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.NoSuchElementException;
+import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.Set;
 
 import org.apache.commons.collections4.CollectionUtils;
@@ -1187,7 +1188,7 @@ public boolean equals(final Object obj) {
                     return false;
                 }
                 otherValue = other.get(key3);
-                if (value3 == null ? otherValue != null : !value3.equals(otherValue)) {
+                if (!Objects.equals(value3, otherValue)) {
                     return false;
                 }
             case 2:
@@ -1195,7 +1196,7 @@ public boolean equals(final Object obj) {
                     return false;
                 }
                 otherValue = other.get(key2);
-                if (value2 == null ? otherValue != null : !value2.equals(otherValue)) {
+                if (!Objects.equals(value2, otherValue)) {
                     return false;
                 }
             case 1:
@@ -1203,7 +1204,7 @@ public boolean equals(final Object obj) {
                     return false;
                 }
                 otherValue = other.get(key1);
-                if (value1 == null ? otherValue != null : !value1.equals(otherValue)) {
+                if (!Objects.equals(value1, otherValue)) {
                     return false;
                 }
             }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/map/StaticBucketMap.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/map/StaticBucketMap.java
index a526e73861..d8ccb31a7a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/map/StaticBucketMap.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/map/StaticBucketMap.java
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ public V get(final Object key) {
             Node<K, V> n = buckets[hash];
 
             while (n != null) {
-                if (n.key == key || (n.key != null && n.key.equals(key))) {
+                if (Objects.equals(n.key, key)) {
                     return n.value;
                 }
 
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ public boolean containsKey(final Object key) {
             Node<K, V> n = buckets[hash];
 
             while (n != null) {
-                if (n.key == key || (n.key != null && n.key.equals(key))) {
+                if (Objects.equals(n.key, key)) {
                     return true;
                 }
 
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ public boolean containsValue(final Object value) {
                 Node<K, V> n = buckets[i];
 
                 while (n != null) {
-                    if (n.value == value || (n.value != null && n.value.equals(value))) {
+                    if (Objects.equals(n.value, value)) {
                         return true;
                     }
 
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ public V put(final K key, final V value) {
             for (Node<K, V> next = n; next != null; next = next.next) {
                 n = next;
 
-                if (n.key == key || (n.key != null && n.key.equals(key))) {
+                if (Objects.equals(n.key, key)) {
                     final V returnVal = n.value;
                     n.value = value;
                     return returnVal;
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ public V remove(final Object key) {
             Node<K, V> prev = null;
 
             while (n != null) {
-                if (n.key == key || (n.key != null && n.key.equals(key))) {
+                if (Objects.equals(n.key, key)) {
                     // Remove this node from the linked list of nodes.
                     if (null == prev) {
                         // This node was the head, set the next node to be the new head.
@@ -647,7 +647,7 @@ public boolean remove(final Object obj) {
             synchronized (locks[hash]) {
                 for (Node<K, V> n = buckets[hash]; n != null; n = n.next) {
                     final Object k = n.getKey();
-                    if ((k == obj) || ((k != null) && k.equals(obj))) {
+                    if (Objects.equals(k, obj)) {
                         StaticBucketMap.this.remove(k);
                         return true;
                     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/multiset/AbstractMultiSet.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/multiset/AbstractMultiSet.java
index 34b2703ed8..fc7babb605 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/multiset/AbstractMultiSet.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/multiset/AbstractMultiSet.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 import java.util.AbstractSet;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Iterator;
+import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.Set;
 
 import org.apache.commons.collections4.IteratorUtils;
@@ -74,8 +75,7 @@ public int size() {
     public int getCount(final Object object) {
         for (final Entry<E> entry : entrySet()) {
             final E element = entry.getElement();
-            if (element == object ||
-                element != null && element.equals(object)) {
+            if (Objects.equals(element, object)) {
                 return entry.getCount();
             }
         }
@@ -405,8 +405,7 @@ public boolean equals(final Object object) {
                 final Object otherElement = other.getElement();
 
                 return this.getCount() == other.getCount() &&
-                       (element == otherElement ||
-                        element != null && element.equals(otherElement));
+                       (Objects.equals(element, otherElement));
             }
             return false;
         }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/trie/AbstractBitwiseTrie.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/trie/AbstractBitwiseTrie.java
index c8cae4309b..714b395c00 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/trie/AbstractBitwiseTrie.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/collections4/trie/AbstractBitwiseTrie.java
@@ -134,10 +134,10 @@ final boolean compareKeys(final K key, final K other) {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Returns true if both values are either null or equal.
+     * Delegates to {@link Objects#equals(Object, Object)}.
      */
     static boolean compare(final Object a, final Object b) {
-        return a == null ? b == null : a.equals(b);
+        return Objects.equals(a, b);
     }
 
     /**