diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/UserData.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/UserData.java
index 6bcbcfa73..85b98dcbb 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/UserData.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/UserData.java
@@ -536,6 +536,10 @@ public abstract class UserData extends PlayerExtension implements IConf {
         config.save();
     }
 
+    public boolean hasMuteReason(){
+        return getMuteReason().equals("");
+    }
+
     private long muteTimeout;
 
     private long _getMuteTimeout() {
diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandafk.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandafk.java
index c431482fe..0206dd00e 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandafk.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandafk.java
@@ -51,12 +51,8 @@ public class Commandafk extends EssentialsCommand {
     private void toggleAfk(User sender, User user, String message) throws Exception {
         if (message != null && sender != null) {
             if (sender.isMuted()) {
-                if (sender.getMuteReason ().equals ("")) {
-                    throw new Exception(tl("voiceSilenced"));
-                }
-                else {
-                    throw new Exception(tl("voiceSilenced") + " " + tl("muteReason", sender.getMuteReason ()));
-                }
+                throw new Exception(tl("voiceSilenced") + (sender.hasMuteReason() ?
+                        tl("muteReason", sender.getMuteReason()) : ""));
             }
             if (!sender.isAuthorized("essentials.afk.message")) {
                 throw new Exception(tl("noPermToAFKMessage"));
diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandmail.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandmail.java
index b9f524251..5e4e5bbf3 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandmail.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandmail.java
@@ -48,12 +48,8 @@ public class Commandmail extends EssentialsCommand {
             }
 
             if (user.isMuted()) {
-                if (user.getMuteReason ().equals ("")) {
-                    throw new Exception(tl("voiceSilenced"));
-                }
-                else {
-                    throw new Exception(tl("voiceSilenced") + " " + tl("muteReason", user.getMuteReason ()));
-                }
+                throw new Exception(tl("voiceSilenced") + (user.hasMuteReason() ?
+                        tl("muteReason", user.getMuteReason()) : ""));
             }
 
             User u = getPlayer(server, args[1], true, true);
diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandme.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandme.java
index c8814a450..f41f09d0e 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandme.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandme.java
@@ -24,12 +24,8 @@ public class Commandme extends EssentialsCommand {
     @Override
     public void run(Server server, User user, String commandLabel, String[] args) throws Exception {
         if (user.isMuted()) {
-            if (user.getMuteReason ().equals ("")) {
-                throw new Exception(tl("voiceSilenced"));
-            }
-            else {
-                throw new Exception(tl("voiceSilenced") + " " + tl("muteReason", user.getMuteReason ()));
-            }
+            throw new Exception(tl("voiceSilenced") + (user.hasMuteReason() ?
+                    tl("muteReason", user.getMuteReason()) : ""));
         }
 
         if (args.length < 1) {
diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandr.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandr.java
index 64a5693de..9b997ca1f 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandr.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandr.java
@@ -28,12 +28,8 @@ public class Commandr extends EssentialsCommand {
             User user = ess.getUser(sender.getPlayer());
 
             if (user.isMuted()) {
-                if (user.getMuteReason ().equals ("")) {
-                    throw new Exception(tl("voiceSilenced"));
-                }
-                else {
-                    throw new Exception(tl("voiceSilenced") + " " + tl("muteReason", user.getMuteReason ()));
-                }
+                throw new Exception(tl("voiceSilenced") + (user.hasMuteReason() ?
+                        tl("muteReason", user.getMuteReason()) : ""));
             }
 
             message = FormatUtil.formatMessage(user, "essentials.msg", message);
diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandseen.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandseen.java
index b42de1370..41a8f0501 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandseen.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandseen.java
@@ -117,12 +117,8 @@ public class Commandseen extends EssentialsCommand {
             sender.sendMessage(tl("whoisJail", (user.getJailTimeout() > 0 ? DateUtil.formatDateDiff(user.getJailTimeout()) : tl("true"))));
         }
         if (user.isMuted()) {
-            if (user.getMuteReason ().equals ("")) {
-                sender.sendMessage(tl("whoisMuted", (user.getMuteTimeout() > 0 ? DateUtil.formatDateDiff(user.getMuteTimeout()) : tl("true"))));
-            }
-            else {
-                sender.sendMessage(tl("whoisMuted", (user.getMuteTimeout() > 0 ? DateUtil.formatDateDiff(user.getMuteTimeout()) : tl("true"))) + " " + tl("muteReason", user.getMuteReason ()));
-            }
+            throw new Exception(tl("whoisMuted", (user.getMuteTimeout() > 0 ? DateUtil.formatDateDiff(user.getMuteTimeout()) : tl("true"))) + (user.hasMuteReason() ?
+                    tl("muteReason", user.getMuteReason()) : ""));
         }
         final String location = user.getGeoLocation();
         if (location != null && (!(sender.isPlayer()) || ess.getUser(sender.getPlayer()).isAuthorized("essentials.geoip.show"))) {
diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandwhois.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandwhois.java
index 4fc96d04e..d9598f77c 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandwhois.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/commands/Commandwhois.java
@@ -56,12 +56,8 @@ public class Commandwhois extends EssentialsCommand {
             sender.sendMessage(tl("whoisAFK", tl("false")));
         }
         sender.sendMessage(tl("whoisJail", (user.isJailed() ? user.getJailTimeout() > 0 ? DateUtil.formatDateDiff(user.getJailTimeout()) : tl("true") : tl("false"))));
-        if (user.getMuteReason ().equals ("")) {
-            sender.sendMessage(tl("whoisMuted", (user.isMuted() ? user.getMuteTimeout() > 0 ? DateUtil.formatDateDiff(user.getMuteTimeout()) : tl("true") : tl("false"))));
-        }
-        else {
-            sender.sendMessage(tl("whoisMuted", (user.isMuted() ? user.getMuteTimeout() > 0 ? DateUtil.formatDateDiff(user.getMuteTimeout()) : tl("true") : tl("false")) + " " + tl("muteReason", user.getMuteReason ())));
-        }
+        throw new Exception(tl("voiceSilenced") + (user.hasMuteReason() ?
+                tl("muteReason", user.getMuteReason()) : ""));
     }
 
     @Override