diff --git a/jina/serve/networking.py b/jina/serve/networking.py
index 54dab66097d0c..4eade14858478 100644
--- a/jina/serve/networking.py
+++ b/jina/serve/networking.py
@@ -1013,7 +1013,6 @@ async def task_wrapper():
                         connection_list=connections,
                     )
                     if error:
-                        print(f'--->returning error: {type(error)}')
                         return error
 
         return asyncio.create_task(task_wrapper())
diff --git a/jina/serve/runtimes/gateway/graph/topology_graph.py b/jina/serve/runtimes/gateway/graph/topology_graph.py
index a261ae189289c..df4554c0052cd 100644
--- a/jina/serve/runtimes/gateway/graph/topology_graph.py
+++ b/jina/serve/runtimes/gateway/graph/topology_graph.py
@@ -141,9 +141,7 @@ async def _wait_previous_and_send(
                             need_copy=not copy_request_at_send
                         )
                     if self._reduce and len(self.parts_to_send) > 1:
-                        self.parts_to_send = [
-                            WorkerRequestHandler.reduce_requests(self.parts_to_send)
-                        ]
+                        WorkerRequestHandler.reduce_requests(self.parts_to_send)
 
                     # avoid sending to executor which does not bind to this endpoint
                     if endpoint is not None and executor_endpoint_mapping is not None:
diff --git a/jina/serve/runtimes/head/__init__.py b/jina/serve/runtimes/head/__init__.py
index 5b5fc1ab3a966..81edf40c628d4 100644
--- a/jina/serve/runtimes/head/__init__.py
+++ b/jina/serve/runtimes/head/__init__.py
@@ -382,7 +382,8 @@ async def _handle_data_request(
             else:
                 response_request, uses_after_metadata = result
         elif len(worker_results) > 1 and self._reduce:
-            response_request = WorkerRequestHandler.reduce_requests(worker_results)
+            # reduce in place
+            WorkerRequestHandler.reduce_requests(worker_results)
         elif len(worker_results) > 1 and not self._reduce:
             # worker returned multiple responses, but the head is configured to skip reduction
             # just concatenate the docs in this case
diff --git a/jina/serve/runtimes/request_handlers/worker_request_handler.py b/jina/serve/runtimes/request_handlers/worker_request_handler.py
index 5e132fe632d6f..88f0bb5573e86 100644
--- a/jina/serve/runtimes/request_handlers/worker_request_handler.py
+++ b/jina/serve/runtimes/request_handlers/worker_request_handler.py
@@ -463,5 +463,3 @@ def reduce_requests(requests: List['DataRequest']) -> 'DataRequest':
 
         params = WorkerRequestHandler.get_parameters_dict_from_request(requests)
         WorkerRequestHandler.replace_parameters(requests[0], params)
-
-        return requests[0]