diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/controllerbuttonsoverlay.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/controllerbuttonsoverlay.cpp
index 065fb46d77..aee2ae2631 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/controllerbuttonsoverlay.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/controllerbuttonsoverlay.cpp
@@ -99,14 +99,23 @@ namespace MWGui
 
     void ControllerButtonsOverlay::setIcon(MyGUI::ImageBox* image, const std::string& imagePath)
     {
-        if (imagePath.length() > 0)
+        if (!imagePath.empty())
             image->setImageTexture(imagePath);
     }
 
     int ControllerButtonsOverlay::updateButton(
         MyGUI::TextBox* text, MyGUI::ImageBox* image, const std::string& buttonStr)
     {
-        if (buttonStr.length() > 0)
+        if (buttonStr.empty())
+        {
+            image->setVisible(false);
+            image->setUserString("Hidden", "true");
+
+            text->setVisible(false);
+            text->setUserString("Hidden", "true");
+            return 0;
+        }
+        else
         {
             image->setVisible(true);
             image->setUserString("Hidden", "false");
@@ -117,14 +126,5 @@ namespace MWGui
             text->setSize(text->getTextSize().width + 16, 48);
             return 1;
         }
-        else
-        {
-            image->setVisible(false);
-            image->setUserString("Hidden", "true");
-
-            text->setVisible(false);
-            text->setUserString("Hidden", "true");
-            return 0;
-        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/dialogue.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/dialogue.cpp
index 0d694a6c4d..20fd6c9e3c 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/dialogue.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/dialogue.cpp
@@ -347,6 +347,10 @@ namespace MWGui
 
     // --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+
+    // Morrowind uses 3 px invisible borders for padding topics
+    static constexpr int sVerticalPadding = 3;
+
     DialogueWindow::DialogueWindow()
         : WindowBase("openmw_dialogue_window.layout")
         , mIsCompanion(false)
@@ -603,10 +607,9 @@ namespace MWGui
 
     void DialogueWindow::updateTopicsPane()
     {
-        const std::string focusedTopic
-            = Settings::gui().mControllerMenus && mControllerFocus < static_cast<int>(mTopicsList->getItemCount())
-            ? mTopicsList->getItemNameAt(mControllerFocus)
-            : "";
+        std::string focusedTopic;
+        if (Settings::gui().mControllerMenus && mControllerFocus < static_cast<int>(mTopicsList->getItemCount()))
+            focusedTopic = mTopicsList->getItemNameAt(mControllerFocus);
 
         mTopicsList->clear();
         for (auto& linkPair : mTopicLinks)
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/dialogue.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/dialogue.hpp
index 90f1c3eaaf..6f03076e92 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/dialogue.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/dialogue.hpp
@@ -226,9 +226,6 @@ namespace MWGui
 
         MyGUI::IntSize mCurrentWindowSize;
 
-        // Morrowind uses 3 px invisible borders for padding topics
-        static const int sVerticalPadding = 3;
-
         std::unique_ptr<ResponseCallback> mCallback;
         std::unique_ptr<ResponseCallback> mGreetingCallback;
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/inventorywindow.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/inventorywindow.cpp
index 0e8c67f8bd..642cfed05d 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/inventorywindow.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/inventorywindow.cpp
@@ -977,22 +977,22 @@ namespace MWGui
             case MWGui::GM_Companion:
                 mControllerButtons.a = "#{OMWEngine:InventorySelect}";
                 mControllerButtons.b = "#{sClose}";
-                mControllerButtons.x = "";
-                mControllerButtons.y = "";
+                mControllerButtons.x.clear();
+                mControllerButtons.y.clear();
                 mControllerButtons.r2 = "#{sCompanionShare}";
                 break;
             case MWGui::GM_Container:
                 mControllerButtons.a = "#{OMWEngine:InventorySelect}";
                 mControllerButtons.b = "#{sClose}";
                 mControllerButtons.x = "#{sTakeAll}";
-                mControllerButtons.y = "";
+                mControllerButtons.y.clear();
                 mControllerButtons.r2 = "#{sContainer}";
                 break;
             case MWGui::GM_Barter:
                 mControllerButtons.a = "#{sSell}";
                 mControllerButtons.b = "#{sCancel}";
                 mControllerButtons.x = "#{sOffer}";
-                mControllerButtons.y = "";
+                mControllerButtons.y.clear();
                 mControllerButtons.r2 = "#{sBarter}";
                 break;
             case MWGui::GM_Inventory:
@@ -1001,7 +1001,7 @@ namespace MWGui
                 mControllerButtons.b = "#{sBack}";
                 mControllerButtons.x = "#{sDrop}";
                 mControllerButtons.y = "#{sUnequip}";
-                mControllerButtons.r2 = "";
+                mControllerButtons.r2.clear();
                 break;
         }
         return &mControllerButtons;
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowbase.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowbase.cpp
index b607ec50b2..d6a5cb9086 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowbase.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowbase.cpp
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ int MWGui::wrap(int index, int max)
         return index;
 }
 
-void MWGui::setControllerFocus(std::vector<MyGUI::Button*> buttons, int index, bool focused)
+void MWGui::setControllerFocus(const std::vector<MyGUI::Button*>& buttons, int index, bool focused)
 {
     if (index >= 0 && index < static_cast<int>(buttons.size()))
         buttons[index]->setStateSelected(focused);
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowbase.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowbase.hpp
index b4d17a1ba3..fb88af499a 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowbase.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowbase.hpp
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ namespace MWGui
     class DragAndDrop;
 
     int wrap(int index, int max);
-    void setControllerFocus(std::vector<MyGUI::Button*> buttons, int index, bool selected);
+    void setControllerFocus(const std::vector<MyGUI::Button*>& buttons, int index, bool selected);
 
     struct ControllerButtonStr
     {
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.cpp
index 145e07d2c7..866dd1580a 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.cpp
@@ -898,9 +898,6 @@ namespace MWGui
 
             int activeIndex = std::clamp(mActiveControllerWindows[mode], 0, (int)state.mWindows.size() - 1);
 
-            Log(Debug::Debug) << "Getting active controller window: mode=" << mode << ", " << state.mWindows.size()
-                              << " window(s), activeIndex=" << activeIndex;
-
             // If the active window is no longer visible, find the next visible window.
             if (!state.mWindows[activeIndex]->isVisible())
                 cycleActiveControllerWindow(true);
@@ -2634,7 +2631,7 @@ namespace MWGui
         if (!Settings::gui().mControllerMenus || !mControllerButtonsOverlay)
             return;
 
-        WindowBase* topWin = this->getActiveControllerWindow();
+        WindowBase* topWin = getActiveControllerWindow();
         if (!topWin || !topWin->isVisible())
         {
             mControllerButtonsOverlay->setVisible(false);
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwinput/controllermanager.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwinput/controllermanager.cpp
index 68cd9a7dbd..61e12a3b1a 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwinput/controllermanager.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwinput/controllermanager.cpp
@@ -538,7 +538,7 @@ namespace MWInput
                 return "textures/omw_steam_button_y.dds";
             case SDL_CONTROLLER_BUTTON_GUIDE:
             default:
-                return "";
+                return {};
         }
     }