diff --git a/src/main/java/dev/openfeature/sdk/HookSupport.java b/src/main/java/dev/openfeature/sdk/HookSupport.java
index 90f41b932..f0216b255 100644
--- a/src/main/java/dev/openfeature/sdk/HookSupport.java
+++ b/src/main/java/dev/openfeature/sdk/HookSupport.java
@@ -79,8 +79,9 @@ private EvaluationContext callBeforeHooks(FlagValueType flagValueType, HookConte
         EvaluationContext context = hookCtx.getCtx();
         for (Hook hook : reversedHooks) {
             if (hook.supportsFlagValueType(flagValueType)) {
-                Optional<EvaluationContext> optional = hook.before(hookCtx, hints);
-                if (optional != null && optional.isPresent()) {
+                Optional<EvaluationContext> optional = Optional.ofNullable(hook.before(hookCtx, hints))
+                        .orElse(Optional.empty());
+                if (optional.isPresent()) {
                     context = context.merge(optional.get());
                 }
             }
diff --git a/src/test/java/dev/openfeature/sdk/testutils/TestFlagsUtils.java b/src/test/java/dev/openfeature/sdk/testutils/TestFlagsUtils.java
index d7f436c24..dd2d03ca1 100644
--- a/src/test/java/dev/openfeature/sdk/testutils/TestFlagsUtils.java
+++ b/src/test/java/dev/openfeature/sdk/testutils/TestFlagsUtils.java
@@ -16,13 +16,13 @@
 @UtilityClass
 public class TestFlagsUtils {
 
-    public static String BOOLEAN_FLAG_KEY = "boolean-flag";
-    public static String STRING_FLAG_KEY = "string-flag";
-    public static String INT_FLAG_KEY = "integer-flag";
-    public static String FLOAT_FLAG_KEY = "float-flag";
-    public static String OBJECT_FLAG_KEY = "object-flag";
-    public static String CONTEXT_AWARE_FLAG_KEY = "context-aware";
-    public static String WRONG_FLAG_KEY = "wrong-flag";
+    public static final String BOOLEAN_FLAG_KEY = "boolean-flag";
+    public static final String STRING_FLAG_KEY = "string-flag";
+    public static final String INT_FLAG_KEY = "integer-flag";
+    public static final String FLOAT_FLAG_KEY = "float-flag";
+    public static final String OBJECT_FLAG_KEY = "object-flag";
+    public static final String CONTEXT_AWARE_FLAG_KEY = "context-aware";
+    public static final String WRONG_FLAG_KEY = "wrong-flag";
 
     /**
      * Building flags for testing purposes.