diff --git a/RF24.cpp b/RF24.cpp
index f0f7a087..d66e6070 100644
--- a/RF24.cpp
+++ b/RF24.cpp
@@ -1488,23 +1488,18 @@ uint8_t RF24::getDynamicPayloadSize(void)
 
 bool RF24::available(void)
 {
-    uint8_t pipe = RF24_NO_FETCH_PIPE;
-    return available(&pipe);
+    return read_register(FIFO_STATUS) & 1 == 0;
 }
 
 /****************************************************************************/
 
 bool RF24::available(uint8_t* pipe_num)
 {
-    if (read_register(FIFO_STATUS) & 1) { // if RX FIFO is empty
-        return 0;
-    }
-
-    // If the caller wants the pipe number, include that
-    if (*pipe_num != RF24_NO_FETCH_PIPE)
+    if (available()) { // if RX FIFO is not empty
         *pipe_num = (get_status() >> RX_P_NO) & 0x07;
-
-    return 1;
+        return 1;
+    }
+    return 0;
 }
 
 /****************************************************************************/
diff --git a/RF24_config.h b/RF24_config.h
index 8fbc7fb2..156f71bd 100644
--- a/RF24_config.h
+++ b/RF24_config.h
@@ -44,9 +44,6 @@
     #define RF24_SPI_SPEED 10000000
 #endif
 
-/// A sentinel used to control fetching the pipe info in `RF24::available()`.
-#define RF24_NO_FETCH_PIPE 0XFF
-
 //ATXMega
 #if defined(__AVR_ATxmega64D3__) || defined(__AVR_ATxmega128D3__) || defined(__AVR_ATxmega192D3__) || defined(__AVR_ATxmega256D3__) || defined(__AVR_ATxmega384D3__)
     // In order to be available both in Windows and Linux this should take presence here.