diff --git a/nd4j/nd4j-backends/nd4j-api-parent/nd4j-api/src/main/java/org/nd4j/linalg/factory/Nd4j.java b/nd4j/nd4j-backends/nd4j-api-parent/nd4j-api/src/main/java/org/nd4j/linalg/factory/Nd4j.java
index 9a28b9155..a5185ef88 100644
--- a/nd4j/nd4j-backends/nd4j-api-parent/nd4j-api/src/main/java/org/nd4j/linalg/factory/Nd4j.java
+++ b/nd4j/nd4j-backends/nd4j-api-parent/nd4j-api/src/main/java/org/nd4j/linalg/factory/Nd4j.java
@@ -2554,20 +2554,18 @@ public class Nd4j {
      * @param dis the data input stream to read from
      * @return the ndarray
      */
-    public static INDArray read(DataInputStream dis) throws IOException {
+    public static INDArray read(DataInputStream dis) {
         val headerShape = BaseDataBuffer.readHeader(dis);
 
-        var shapeInformation = Nd4j.createBufferDetached(new long[]{headerShape.getMiddle().longValue()}, headerShape.getRight());
+        var shapeInformation = Nd4j.createBufferDetached(new long[]{headerShape.getMiddle()}, headerShape.getRight());
         shapeInformation.read(dis, headerShape.getLeft(), headerShape.getMiddle(), headerShape.getThird());
-        val length = Shape.length(shapeInformation);
-        DataType type = null;
+        DataType type;
         DataBuffer data = null;
 
         val headerData = BaseDataBuffer.readHeader(dis);
         try {
             // current version contains dtype in extras
             data = CompressedDataBuffer.readUnknown(dis, headerData.getFirst(), headerData.getMiddle(), headerData.getRight());
-            type = ArrayOptionsHelper.dataType(shapeInformation.asLong());
         } catch (ND4JUnknownDataTypeException e) {
             // manually setting data type
             type = headerData.getRight();
@@ -2767,23 +2765,9 @@ public class Nd4j {
     }
 
     public static INDArray appendBias(@NonNull INDArray... vectors) {
-        INDArray ret = INSTANCE.appendBias(vectors);
-        return ret;
+        return INSTANCE.appendBias(vectors);
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Perform an operation along a diagonal
-     *
-     * @param x    the ndarray to perform the operation on
-     * @param func the operation to perform
-     */
-    public static void doAlongDiagonal(INDArray x, Function<Number, Number> func) {
-        if (x.isMatrix())
-            for (int i = 0; i < x.rows(); i++)
-                x.put(i, i, func.apply(x.getDouble(i, i)));
-    }
-
-
     ////////////////////// RANDOM ///////////////////////////////
 
     /**
@@ -2859,7 +2843,7 @@ public class Nd4j {
      * @return the random ndarray with the specified shape
      */
     public static INDArray rand(@NonNull DataType dataType, char order, @NonNull long... shape) {
-        INDArray ret = Nd4j.createUninitialized(dataType, shape, order); //INSTANCE.rand(order, shape);
+        INDArray ret = Nd4j.createUninitialized(dataType, shape, order);
         return rand(ret);
     }
 
@@ -2874,7 +2858,7 @@ public class Nd4j {
      * @return the random ndarray with the specified shape
      */
     public static INDArray rand(@NonNull DataType dataType, @NonNull int... shape) {
-        INDArray ret = Nd4j.createUninitialized(dataType, ArrayUtil.toLongArray(shape), Nd4j.order()); //INSTANCE.rand(order, shape);
+        INDArray ret = Nd4j.createUninitialized(dataType, ArrayUtil.toLongArray(shape), Nd4j.order());
         return rand(ret);
     }
 
@@ -2889,7 +2873,7 @@ public class Nd4j {
         if (rows < 1 || columns < 1)
             throw new ND4JIllegalStateException("Number of rows and columns should be positive for new INDArray");
 
-        INDArray ret = createUninitialized(new int[] {rows, columns}, Nd4j.order());//INSTANCE.rand(rows, columns, Nd4j.getRandom());
+        INDArray ret = createUninitialized(new int[] {rows, columns}, Nd4j.order());
         return rand(ret);
     }
 
@@ -2928,7 +2912,6 @@ public class Nd4j {
      */
     @Deprecated
     public static INDArray rand(int[] shape, long seed) {
-        INDArray ret = createUninitialized(shape, Nd4j.order());//;INSTANCE.rand(shape, seed);
         return rand(seed, ArrayUtil.toLongArray(shape));
     }
 
@@ -2992,8 +2975,6 @@ public class Nd4j {
      * @return the random ndarray with the specified shape
      */
     public static INDArray rand(@NonNull Distribution dist, @NonNull long... shape) {
-        //INDArray ret = INSTANCE.rand(shape, dist);
-        //logCreationIfNecessary(ret);
         return dist.sample(shape);
     }
 
@@ -3006,7 +2987,7 @@ public class Nd4j {
      * @return the random ndarray with the specified shape
      */
     public static INDArray rand(int rows, int columns, @NonNull org.nd4j.linalg.api.rng.Random rng) {
-        INDArray ret = createUninitialized(new int[] {rows, columns}, order());//INSTANCE.rand(rows, columns, rng);
+        INDArray ret = createUninitialized(new int[] {rows, columns}, order());
         return rand(ret, rng);
     }
 
@@ -3023,7 +3004,7 @@ public class Nd4j {
      */
     @Deprecated
     public static INDArray rand(long[] shape, double min, double max, @NonNull org.nd4j.linalg.api.rng.Random rng) {
-        INDArray ret = createUninitialized(shape, order()); //INSTANCE.rand(shape, min, max, rng);
+        INDArray ret = createUninitialized(shape, order());
         return rand(ret, min, max, rng);
     }
 
@@ -3037,7 +3018,7 @@ public class Nd4j {
      * @return a random matrix of the specified shape and range
      */
     public static INDArray rand(double min, double max, @NonNull org.nd4j.linalg.api.rng.Random rng, @NonNull long... shape) {
-        INDArray ret = createUninitialized(shape, order()); //INSTANCE.rand(shape, min, max, rng);
+        INDArray ret = createUninitialized(shape, order());
         return rand(ret, min, max, rng);
     }
 
@@ -3052,7 +3033,7 @@ public class Nd4j {
      * @return a drandom matrix of the specified shape and range
      */
     public static INDArray rand(int rows, int columns, double min, double max, @NonNull org.nd4j.linalg.api.rng.Random rng) {
-        INDArray ret = createUninitialized(rows, columns);//INSTANCE.rand(rows, columns, min, max, rng);
+        INDArray ret = createUninitialized(rows, columns);
         return rand(ret, min, max, rng);
     }
 
@@ -3081,7 +3062,7 @@ public class Nd4j {
      * Create a ndarray of the given shape and data type with values from N(0,1)
      *
      * @param shape the shape of the ndarray
-     * @return
+     * @return new array with random values
      */
     public static INDArray randn(@NonNull DataType dataType, @NonNull int... shape) {
         return randn(dataType, ArrayUtil.toLongArray(shape));
@@ -3161,7 +3142,7 @@ public class Nd4j {
      * Random normal N(0, 1) using the specified seed
      *
      * @param shape the shape of the array
-     * @return
+     * @return new array with random values
      */
     public static INDArray randn(long seed, @NonNull long... shape) {
         INDArray ret = Nd4j.createUninitialized(shape, order());
@@ -3173,7 +3154,7 @@ public class Nd4j {
      *
      * @param rows    the number of rows in the matrix
      * @param columns the number of columns in the matrix
-     * @return
+     * @return new array with random values
      */
     public static INDArray randn(long rows, long columns) {
         INDArray ret = Nd4j.createUninitialized(new long[]{rows, columns}, order());
@@ -3197,7 +3178,7 @@ public class Nd4j {
      *
      * @param rows    the number of rows in the matrix
      * @param columns the number of columns in the matrix
-     * @return
+     * @return new array with random values
      */
     public static INDArray randn(long rows, long columns, long seed) {
         INDArray ret = Nd4j.createUninitialized(new long[]{rows, columns}, order());
@@ -3210,7 +3191,7 @@ public class Nd4j {
      * @param rows    the number of rows in the matrix
      * @param columns the number of columns in the matrix
      * @param r       the random generator to use
-     * @return
+     * @return new array with random values
      */
     public static INDArray randn(long rows, long columns, @NonNull org.nd4j.linalg.api.rng.Random r) {
         INDArray ret = Nd4j.createUninitialized(new long[]{rows, columns}, order());
@@ -3238,7 +3219,7 @@ public class Nd4j {
      *
      * @param shape the shape of the array
      * @param r     the random generator to use
-     * @return
+     * @return new array with random values
      */
     public static INDArray randn(@NonNull org.nd4j.linalg.api.rng.Random r, @NonNull long... shape) {
         final INDArray ret = Nd4j.createUninitialized(shape, order());
@@ -3409,9 +3390,9 @@ public class Nd4j {
      *
      * PLEASE NOTE: memory of underlying array will be NOT initialized, and won't be set to 0.0
      *
-     * @param rows
-     * @param columns
-     * @return
+     * @param rows rows
+     * @param columns columns
+     * @return uninitialized 2D array of rows x columns
      */
     public static INDArray createUninitialized(long rows, long columns) {
         return createUninitialized(new long[] {rows, columns});
@@ -3532,7 +3513,7 @@ public class Nd4j {
      * @return the created ndarray.
      */
     public static INDArray create(double[][][] data) {
-        return create(ArrayUtil.flatten(data), new int[] {data.length, data[0].length, data[0][0].length});
+        return create(ArrayUtil.flatten(data), data.length, data[0].length, data[0][0].length);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -3541,7 +3522,7 @@ public class Nd4j {
      * @return the created ndarray.
      */
     public static INDArray create(float[][][] data) {
-        return create(ArrayUtil.flatten(data), new int[] {data.length, data[0].length, data[0][0].length});
+        return create(ArrayUtil.flatten(data), data.length, data[0].length, data[0][0].length);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -3559,7 +3540,7 @@ public class Nd4j {
      * @return the created ndarray.
      */
     public static INDArray create(double[][][][] data) {
-        return create(ArrayUtil.flatten(data), new int[] {data.length, data[0].length, data[0][0].length, data[0][0][0].length});
+        return create(ArrayUtil.flatten(data), data.length, data[0].length, data[0][0].length, data[0][0][0].length);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -3568,7 +3549,7 @@ public class Nd4j {
      * @return the created ndarray.
      */
     public static INDArray create(float[][][][] data) {
-        return create(ArrayUtil.flatten(data), new int[] {data.length, data[0].length, data[0][0].length, data[0][0][0].length});
+        return create(ArrayUtil.flatten(data), data.length, data[0].length, data[0][0].length, data[0][0][0].length);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -3609,8 +3590,7 @@ public class Nd4j {
      * @return the created ndarray
      */
     public static INDArray create(float[] data, char order) {
-        INDArray ret = INSTANCE.create(data, order);
-        return ret;
+        return INSTANCE.create(data, order);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -3621,8 +3601,7 @@ public class Nd4j {
      * @return the created ndarray
      */
     public static INDArray create(double[] data, char order) {
-        INDArray ret = INSTANCE.create(data, order);
-        return ret;
+        return INSTANCE.create(data, order);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -3633,8 +3612,7 @@ public class Nd4j {
      * @return the created ndarray
      */
     public static INDArray create(int columns, char order) {
-        INDArray ret = INSTANCE.create(new long[] {columns}, Nd4j.getStrides(new long[] {columns}, order), 0, order);
-        return ret;
+        return INSTANCE.create(new long[] {columns}, Nd4j.getStrides(new long[] {columns}, order), 0, order);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -3719,8 +3697,7 @@ public class Nd4j {
      * @return the created ndarray.
      */
     public static INDArray create(int[] data, long[] shape, long[]strides, char order, DataType type) {
-        val ret = INSTANCE.create(data, shape, strides, order, type, Nd4j.getMemoryManager().getCurrentWorkspace());
-        return ret;
+        return INSTANCE.create(data, shape, strides, order, type, Nd4j.getMemoryManager().getCurrentWorkspace());
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/nd4j/nd4j-backends/nd4j-tests/src/test/java/org/nd4j/linalg/api/rng/RngTests.java b/nd4j/nd4j-backends/nd4j-tests/src/test/java/org/nd4j/linalg/api/rng/RngTests.java
index b068a1a65..1bf709a5f 100644
--- a/nd4j/nd4j-backends/nd4j-tests/src/test/java/org/nd4j/linalg/api/rng/RngTests.java
+++ b/nd4j/nd4j-backends/nd4j-tests/src/test/java/org/nd4j/linalg/api/rng/RngTests.java
@@ -101,6 +101,22 @@ public class RngTests extends BaseNd4jTest {
 
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void testRandomBinomial() {
+        //silly tests. Just increasing the usage for randomBinomial to stop compiler warnings.
+        INDArray x = Nd4j.randomBinomial(10, 0.5, 3,3);
+        assertTrue(x.sum().getDouble(0) > 0.0); //silly test. Just increasing th usage for randomBinomial
+
+        x =  Nd4j.randomBinomial(10, 0.5, x);
+        assertTrue(x.sum().getDouble(0) > 0.0);
+
+        x = Nd4j.randomExponential(0.5, 3,3);
+        assertTrue(x.sum().getDouble(0) > 0.0);
+
+        x = Nd4j.randomExponential(0.5, x);
+        assertTrue(x.sum().getDouble(0) > 0.0);
+    }
+
 
     @Override
     public char ordering() {