diff --git a/error-prone-contrib/src/main/java/tech/picnic/errorprone/bugpatterns/DirectReturn.java b/error-prone-contrib/src/main/java/tech/picnic/errorprone/bugpatterns/DirectReturn.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..268c1550e0c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/error-prone-contrib/src/main/java/tech/picnic/errorprone/bugpatterns/DirectReturn.java
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+package tech.picnic.errorprone.bugpatterns;
+
+import static com.google.errorprone.BugPattern.LinkType.CUSTOM;
+import static com.google.errorprone.BugPattern.SeverityLevel.SUGGESTION;
+import static com.google.errorprone.BugPattern.StandardTags.SIMPLIFICATION;
+import static com.google.errorprone.matchers.Matchers.isVariable;
+import static com.google.errorprone.matchers.Matchers.returnStatement;
+import static tech.picnic.errorprone.bugpatterns.util.Documentation.BUG_PATTERNS_BASE_URL;
+
+import com.google.auto.service.AutoService;
+import com.google.errorprone.BugPattern;
+import com.google.errorprone.VisitorState;
+import com.google.errorprone.bugpatterns.BugChecker;
+import com.google.errorprone.bugpatterns.BugChecker.BlockTreeMatcher;
+import com.google.errorprone.fixes.SuggestedFix;
+import com.google.errorprone.matchers.Description;
+import com.google.errorprone.matchers.Matcher;
+import com.google.errorprone.util.ASTHelpers;
+import com.sun.source.tree.AssignmentTree;
+import com.sun.source.tree.BlockTree;
+import com.sun.source.tree.ExpressionStatementTree;
+import com.sun.source.tree.ExpressionTree;
+import com.sun.source.tree.ReturnTree;
+import com.sun.source.tree.StatementTree;
+import com.sun.source.tree.Tree;
+import com.sun.source.tree.VariableTree;
+import com.sun.tools.javac.code.Symbol;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Optional;
+import tech.picnic.errorprone.bugpatterns.util.SourceCode;
+
+/**
+ * A {@link BugChecker} that flags unnecessary local variable assignments preceding a return
+ * statement.
+ */
+@AutoService(BugChecker.class)
+@BugPattern(
+    summary = "Variable assignment is redundant; value can be returned directly",
+    link = BUG_PATTERNS_BASE_URL + "DirectReturn",
+    linkType = CUSTOM,
+    severity = SUGGESTION,
+    tags = SIMPLIFICATION)
+public final class DirectReturn extends BugChecker implements BlockTreeMatcher {
+  private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
+  private static final Matcher<StatementTree> VARIABLE_RETURN = returnStatement(isVariable());
+
+  /** Instantiates a new {@link DirectReturn} instance. */
+  public DirectReturn() {}
+
+  @Override
+  public Description matchBlock(BlockTree tree, VisitorState state) {
+    List<? extends StatementTree> statements = tree.getStatements();
+    if (statements.size() < 2) {
+      return Description.NO_MATCH;
+    }
+
+    StatementTree finalStatement = statements.get(statements.size() - 1);
+    if (!VARIABLE_RETURN.matches(finalStatement, state)) {
+      return Description.NO_MATCH;
+    }
+
+    Symbol variableSymbol = ASTHelpers.getSymbol(((ReturnTree) finalStatement).getExpression());
+    StatementTree precedingStatement = statements.get(statements.size() - 2);
+
+    return tryMatchAssignment(variableSymbol, precedingStatement)
+        .map(
+            resultExpr ->
+                describeMatch(
+                    precedingStatement,
+                    SuggestedFix.builder()
+                        .replace(
+                            precedingStatement,
+                            String.format("return %s;", SourceCode.treeToString(resultExpr, state)))
+                        .delete(finalStatement)
+                        .build()))
+        .orElse(Description.NO_MATCH);
+  }
+
+  private static Optional<ExpressionTree> tryMatchAssignment(Symbol targetSymbol, Tree tree) {
+    if (tree instanceof ExpressionStatementTree) {
+      return tryMatchAssignment(targetSymbol, ((ExpressionStatementTree) tree).getExpression());
+    }
+
+    if (tree instanceof AssignmentTree) {
+      AssignmentTree assignment = (AssignmentTree) tree;
+      return targetSymbol.equals(ASTHelpers.getSymbol(assignment.getVariable()))
+          ? Optional.of(assignment.getExpression())
+          : Optional.empty();
+    }
+
+    if (tree instanceof VariableTree) {
+      VariableTree declaration = (VariableTree) tree;
+      return declaration.getModifiers().getAnnotations().isEmpty()
+              && targetSymbol.equals(ASTHelpers.getSymbol(declaration))
+          ? Optional.ofNullable(declaration.getInitializer())
+          : Optional.empty();
+    }
+
+    return Optional.empty();
+  }
+}
diff --git a/error-prone-contrib/src/test/java/tech/picnic/errorprone/bugpatterns/DirectReturnTest.java b/error-prone-contrib/src/test/java/tech/picnic/errorprone/bugpatterns/DirectReturnTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ccfda3179b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/error-prone-contrib/src/test/java/tech/picnic/errorprone/bugpatterns/DirectReturnTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,127 @@
+package tech.picnic.errorprone.bugpatterns;
+
+import com.google.errorprone.BugCheckerRefactoringTestHelper;
+import com.google.errorprone.BugCheckerRefactoringTestHelper.TestMode;
+import com.google.errorprone.CompilationTestHelper;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+
+final class DirectReturnTest {
+  @Test
+  void identification() {
+    CompilationTestHelper.newInstance(DirectReturn.class, getClass())
+        .addSourceLines(
+            "A.java",
+            "class A {",
+            "  private String field;",
+            "",
+            "  void emptyMethod() {}",
+            "",
+            "  void voidMethod() {",
+            "    toString();",
+            "    return;",
+            "  }",
+            "",
+            "  String directReturnOfParam(String param) {",
+            "    return param;",
+            "  }",
+            "",
+            "  String assignmentToField() {",
+            "    field = toString();",
+            "    return field;",
+            "  }",
+            "",
+            "  String redundantAssignmentToParam(String param) {",
+            "    // BUG: Diagnostic contains:",
+            "    param = toString();",
+            "    return param;",
+            "  }",
+            "",
+            "  String redundantAssignmentToLocalVariable() {",
+            "    String variable = null;",
+            "    // BUG: Diagnostic contains:",
+            "    variable = toString();",
+            "    return variable;",
+            "  }",
+            "",
+            "  String unusedAssignmentToLocalVariable(String param) {",
+            "    String variable = null;",
+            "    variable = toString();",
+            "    return param;",
+            "  }",
+            "",
+            "  String redundantVariableDeclaration() {",
+            "    // BUG: Diagnostic contains:",
+            "    String variable = toString();",
+            "    return variable;",
+            "  }",
+            "",
+            "  String unusedVariableDeclaration(String param) {",
+            "    String variable = toString();",
+            "    return param;",
+            "  }",
+            "",
+            "  String assignmentToAnnotatedVariable() {",
+            "    @SuppressWarnings(\"HereBeDragons\")",
+            "    String variable = toString();",
+            "    return variable;",
+            "  }",
+            "",
+            "  String complexReturnStatement() {",
+            "    String variable = toString();",
+            "    return variable + toString();",
+            "  }",
+            "",
+            "  String assignmentInsideIfClause() {",
+            "    String variable = null;",
+            "    if (true) {",
+            "      variable = toString();",
+            "    }",
+            "    return variable;",
+            "  }",
+            "",
+            "  String redundantAssignmentInsideElseClause() {",
+            "    String variable = toString();",
+            "    if (true) {",
+            "      return variable;",
+            "    } else {",
+            "      // BUG: Diagnostic contains:",
+            "      variable = \"foo\";",
+            "      return variable;",
+            "    }",
+            "  }",
+            "}")
+        .doTest();
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  void replacement() {
+    BugCheckerRefactoringTestHelper.newInstance(DirectReturn.class, getClass())
+        .addInputLines(
+            "A.java",
+            "class A {",
+            "  String m1() {",
+            "    String variable = null;",
+            "    variable = toString();",
+            "    return variable;",
+            "  }",
+            "",
+            "  String m2() {",
+            "    String variable = toString();",
+            "    return variable;",
+            "  }",
+            "}")
+        .addOutputLines(
+            "A.java",
+            "class A {",
+            "  String m1() {",
+            "    String variable = null;",
+            "    return toString();",
+            "  }",
+            "",
+            "  String m2() {",
+            "    return toString();",
+            "  }",
+            "}")
+        .doTest(TestMode.TEXT_MATCH);
+  }
+}