diff --git a/bindings/java/c_kzg_4844_jni.c b/bindings/java/c_kzg_4844_jni.c
index 51d59e3..f3c9a5b 100644
--- a/bindings/java/c_kzg_4844_jni.c
+++ b/bindings/java/c_kzg_4844_jni.c
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 static const char *C_KZG_RETURN_TYPES[] = {
     "C_KZG_OK", "C_KZG_BADARGS", "C_KZG_ERROR", "C_KZG_MALLOC"};
 
+static const char *TRUSTED_SETUP_NOT_LOADED = "Trusted Setup is not loaded.";
+
 KZGSettings *settings;
 
 void reset_trusted_setup()
@@ -20,16 +22,6 @@ void throw_exception(JNIEnv *env, const char *message)
   (*env)->ThrowNew(env, Exception, message);
 }
 
-bool verify_trusted_setup_is_loaded(JNIEnv *env)
-{
-  if (settings == NULL)
-  {
-    throw_exception(env, "Trusted Setup is not loaded.");
-    return false;
-  }
-  return true;
-}
-
 JNIEXPORT void JNICALL Java_CKzg4844JNI_loadTrustedSetup(JNIEnv *env, jclass thisCls, jstring file)
 {
   if (settings != NULL)
@@ -71,8 +63,9 @@ JNIEXPORT void JNICALL Java_CKzg4844JNI_loadTrustedSetup(JNIEnv *env, jclass thi
 
 JNIEXPORT void JNICALL Java_CKzg4844JNI_freeTrustedSetup(JNIEnv *env, jclass thisCls)
 {
-  if (!verify_trusted_setup_is_loaded(env))
+  if (settings == NULL)
   {
+    throw_exception(env, TRUSTED_SETUP_NOT_LOADED);
     return;
   }
   free_trusted_setup(settings);
@@ -81,8 +74,9 @@ JNIEXPORT void JNICALL Java_CKzg4844JNI_freeTrustedSetup(JNIEnv *env, jclass thi
 
 JNIEXPORT jbyteArray JNICALL Java_CKzg4844JNI_computeAggregateKzgProof(JNIEnv *env, jclass thisCls, jbyteArray blobs, jlong count)
 {
-  if (!verify_trusted_setup_is_loaded(env))
+  if (settings == NULL)
   {
+    throw_exception(env, TRUSTED_SETUP_NOT_LOADED);
     return NULL;
   }
 
@@ -112,8 +106,9 @@ JNIEXPORT jbyteArray JNICALL Java_CKzg4844JNI_computeAggregateKzgProof(JNIEnv *e
 
 JNIEXPORT jboolean JNICALL Java_CKzg4844JNI_verifyAggregateKzgProof(JNIEnv *env, jclass thisCls, jbyteArray blobs, jbyteArray commitments, jlong count, jbyteArray proof)
 {
-  if (!verify_trusted_setup_is_loaded(env))
+  if (settings == NULL)
   {
+    throw_exception(env, TRUSTED_SETUP_NOT_LOADED);
     return 0;
   }
 
@@ -170,8 +165,9 @@ JNIEXPORT jboolean JNICALL Java_CKzg4844JNI_verifyAggregateKzgProof(JNIEnv *env,
 
 JNIEXPORT jbyteArray JNICALL Java_CKzg4844JNI_blobToKzgCommitment(JNIEnv *env, jclass thisCls, jbyteArray blob)
 {
-  if (!verify_trusted_setup_is_loaded(env))
+  if (settings == NULL)
   {
+    throw_exception(env, TRUSTED_SETUP_NOT_LOADED);
     return NULL;
   }
 
@@ -192,8 +188,9 @@ JNIEXPORT jbyteArray JNICALL Java_CKzg4844JNI_blobToKzgCommitment(JNIEnv *env, j
 
 JNIEXPORT jboolean JNICALL Java_CKzg4844JNI_verifyKzgProof(JNIEnv *env, jclass thisCls, jbyteArray commitment, jbyteArray z, jbyteArray y, jbyteArray proof)
 {
-  if (!verify_trusted_setup_is_loaded(env))
+  if (settings == NULL)
   {
+    throw_exception(env, TRUSTED_SETUP_NOT_LOADED);
     return 0;
   }
 
diff --git a/bindings/java/src/test/java/CKZg4844JNITest.java b/bindings/java/src/test/java/CKZg4844JNITest.java
index 9e121b9..13f9d53 100644
--- a/bindings/java/src/test/java/CKZg4844JNITest.java
+++ b/bindings/java/src/test/java/CKZg4844JNITest.java
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ public class CKZg4844JNITest {
     final RuntimeException exception = assertThrows(RuntimeException.class,
         () -> CKzg4844JNI.blobToKzgCommitment(createRandomBlob()));
 
-    assertEquals(exception.getMessage(), "Trusted Setup is not loaded.");
+    assertExceptionIsTrustedSetupIsNotLoaded(exception);
 
   }
 
@@ -78,8 +78,8 @@ public class CKZg4844JNITest {
 
     final RuntimeException exception = assertThrows(RuntimeException.class, this::loadTrustedSetup);
 
-    assertEquals(exception.getMessage(),
-        "Trusted Setup is already loaded. Free it before loading a new one.");
+    assertEquals("Trusted Setup is already loaded. Free it before loading a new one.",
+        exception.getMessage());
 
     CKzg4844JNI.freeTrustedSetup();
   }
@@ -90,10 +90,14 @@ public class CKZg4844JNITest {
     final RuntimeException exception = assertThrows(RuntimeException.class,
         CKzg4844JNI::freeTrustedSetup);
 
-    assertEquals(exception.getMessage(), "Trusted Setup is not loaded.");
+    assertExceptionIsTrustedSetupIsNotLoaded(exception);
 
   }
 
+  private void assertExceptionIsTrustedSetupIsNotLoaded(final RuntimeException exception) {
+    assertEquals("Trusted Setup is not loaded.", exception.getMessage());
+  }
+
   private void loadTrustedSetup() {
     CKzg4844JNI.loadTrustedSetup("../../src/trusted_setup.txt");
   }