oxc-project/oxc · warning

Unnecessary `else` after `return`.

Error message

Unnecessary `else` after `return`.

What it means

This diagnostic comes from the `no_else_return` rule in oxlint. It reports an `else` block that follows an `if` block whose last statement returns. The `else` adds nothing: without it, the code runs the same way. The rule option `allowElseIf` defaults to `true`, so an `else if` chain after a return stays allowed until you set it to `false`.

Source

Thrown at crates/oxc_linter/src/rules/eslint/no_else_return.rs:18

use schemars::JsonSchema;
use serde::Deserialize;

use oxc_ast::{AstKind, ast::Statement};
use oxc_diagnostics::OxcDiagnostic;
use oxc_macros::declare_oxc_lint;
use oxc_semantic::ScopeId;
use oxc_span::{GetSpan, Span};
use oxc_syntax::line_terminator::is_line_terminator;

use crate::{
    AstNode,
    context::LintContext,
    rule::{DefaultRuleConfig, Rule},
};

fn no_else_return_diagnostic(else_keyword: Span, last_return: Span) -> OxcDiagnostic {
    OxcDiagnostic::warn("Unnecessary `else` after `return`.")
        .with_labels([
            last_return.label("This consequent block always returns,"),
            else_keyword.primary_label("Making this `else` block unnecessary."),
        ])
        .with_help("Remove the `else` block, moving its contents outside of the `if` statement.")
}

#[derive(Debug, Clone, JsonSchema, Deserialize)]
#[serde(rename_all = "camelCase", default, deny_unknown_fields)]
pub struct NoElseReturn {
    /// Whether to allow `else if` blocks after a return statement.
    ///
    /// Examples of **incorrect** code for this rule with `allowElseIf: false`:
    /// ```javascript
    /// function foo() {
    ///     if (error) {
    ///         return 'It failed';
    ///     } else if (loading) {

View on GitHub (pinned to e1e7af627c)

Solutions

1. Delete the `else` keyword and dedent its block.
2. Set `"allowElseIf": false` in the rule config when `else if` after a return should also be flagged.
3. Disable the rule for the file with an `oxlint-disable` comment when the current shape is the team style.

Example fix

// before
function check(x) {
  if (x < 0) {
    return 'neg';
  } else {
    log(x);
    return 'pos';
  }
}

// after
function check(x) {
  if (x < 0) {
    return 'neg';
  }
  log(x);
  return 'pos';
}

When it happens

Trigger: An `if` consequent that ends with a `return`, followed by a plain `else` block: `if (ok) { return 1; } else { doWork(); }`. With `allowElseIf: false`, a following `else if` is also reported.

Common situations: A guard-clause refactor leaves the old `else` behind. Developers trained to always pair `if` with `else`. A team adopts oxlint and existing code lights up in CI.

Related errors

• Unexpected empty block statements
• Labeled statement is not allowed
• Label in break statement is not allowed
• Label in continue statement is not allowed
• `debugger` statement is not allowed

AI-assisted analysis of oxc-project/oxc@e1e7af627c (2026-08-20). Data as JSON: /api/errors/56b15e63c30a8943. Report an issue: GitHub.