diff --git a/rust/src/cursor.rs b/rust/src/cursor.rs
index ebfc868..d6c0a93 100644
--- a/rust/src/cursor.rs
+++ b/rust/src/cursor.rs
@@ -83,16 +83,14 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn cursorFromString(
         env.throw_new(
             "java/lang/IllegalArgumentException",
             "invalid cursor string",
-        )
-        .unwrap();
+        );
         return JObject::null().into_raw();
     };
     let Ok(cursor) = automerge::Cursor::try_from(s) else {
         env.throw_new(
             "java/lang/IllegalArgumentException",
             "invalid cursor string",
-        )
-        .unwrap();
+        );
         return JObject::null().into_raw();
     };
     Cursor::from(cursor).into_raw(&mut env).unwrap()
@@ -109,8 +107,7 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn cursorFromBytes(
     let bytes = env.convert_byte_array(&jarr).unwrap();
     let Ok(cursor) = automerge::Cursor::try_from(bytes) else {
         // throw IllegalArgumentException
-        env.throw_new("java/lang/IllegalArgumentException", "invalid cursor bytes")
-            .unwrap();
+        env.throw_new("java/lang/IllegalArgumentException", "invalid cursor bytes");
         return JObject::null().into_raw();
     };
     Cursor::from(cursor).into_raw(&mut env).unwrap()
diff --git a/rust/src/document.rs b/rust/src/document.rs
index 5e77833..c7530a6 100644
--- a/rust/src/document.rs
+++ b/rust/src/document.rs
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn loadDoc(
     let doc = match automerge::Automerge::load(&bytes) {
         Ok(d) => d,
         Err(e) => {
-            env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string()).unwrap();
+            env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string());
             return JObject::null().into_raw();
         }
     };
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ pub unsafe fn do_fork_at(
     let doc = match doc.fork_at(&heads) {
         Ok(d) => d,
         Err(e) => {
-            env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string()).unwrap();
+            env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string());
             return JObject::null().into_raw();
         }
     };
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn mergeDoc(
     match doc1.merge(other_doc) {
         Ok(_) => {}
         Err(e) => {
-            env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string()).unwrap();
+            env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string());
         }
     }
 }
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn mergeDocLogPatches(
     match doc1.merge_and_log_patches(other_doc, patch_log) {
         Ok(_) => {}
         Err(e) => {
-            env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string()).unwrap();
+            env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string());
         }
     }
 }
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn applyEncodedChanges(
     match doc.load_incremental(&changes_bytes) {
         Ok(_) => {}
         Err(e) => {
-            env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string()).unwrap();
+            env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string());
         }
     };
 }
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn applyEncodedChangesLogPatches(
     match doc.load_incremental_log_patches(&changes_bytes, patchlog) {
         Ok(_) => {}
         Err(e) => {
-            env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string()).unwrap();
+            env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string());
         }
     };
 }
diff --git a/rust/src/interop.rs b/rust/src/interop.rs
index 1016c9b..ee648f5 100644
--- a/rust/src/interop.rs
+++ b/rust/src/interop.rs
@@ -134,10 +134,10 @@ pub(crate) unsafe fn heads_from_jobject(
     Ok(heads)
 }
 
-pub(crate) unsafe fn changehash_to_jobject<'a>(
-    env: &mut jni::JNIEnv<'a>,
+pub(crate) fn changehash_to_jobject<'local>(
+    env: &mut jni::JNIEnv<'local>,
     hash: &ChangeHash,
-) -> Result<JObject<'a>, jni::errors::Error> {
+) -> Result<JObject<'local>, jni::errors::Error> {
     let jhash = env.alloc_object(CHANGEHASH_CLASS)?;
     let byte_array = env.byte_array_from_slice(hash.as_ref())?;
     env.set_field(&jhash, "hash", "[B", (&byte_array).into())
diff --git a/rust/src/java_option.rs b/rust/src/java_option.rs
index 93164b6..4632bed 100644
--- a/rust/src/java_option.rs
+++ b/rust/src/java_option.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
-use jni::objects::{JObject, JValue};
+use jni::{
+    objects::{JObject, JValue},
+    JNIEnv,
+};
 
-pub(crate) unsafe fn make_optional<'a>(
+pub(crate) fn make_optional<'a>(
     env: &mut jni::JNIEnv<'a>,
     val: JValue,
 ) -> Result<JObject<'a>, jni::errors::Error> {
@@ -13,9 +16,25 @@ pub(crate) unsafe fn make_optional<'a>(
     .l()
 }
 
-pub(crate) unsafe fn make_empty_option<'a>(
+pub(crate) fn make_empty_option<'a>(
     env: &mut jni::JNIEnv<'a>,
 ) -> Result<JObject<'a>, jni::errors::Error> {
     env.call_static_method("java/util/Optional", "empty", "()Ljava/util/Optional;", &[])?
         .l()
 }
+
+pub(crate) fn make_optional_of<'local, T, F>(
+    env: &mut JNIEnv<'local>,
+    opt: &Option<T>,
+    func: F,
+) -> Result<JObject<'local>, jni::errors::Error>
+where
+    F: for<'a> FnOnce(&mut JNIEnv<'a>, &T) -> Result<JObject<'a>, jni::errors::Error>,
+{
+    if let Some(val) = opt {
+        let val_obj = func(env, val)?;
+        make_optional(env, (&val_obj).into())
+    } else {
+        make_empty_option(env)
+    }
+}
diff --git a/rust/src/obj_id.rs b/rust/src/obj_id.rs
index d1b4ed1..d57cbff 100644
--- a/rust/src/obj_id.rs
+++ b/rust/src/obj_id.rs
@@ -99,15 +99,13 @@ macro_rules! obj_id_or_throw {
                 $env.throw_new(
                     "java/lang/IllegalArgumentException",
                     "Object ID cannot be null",
-                )
-                .unwrap();
+                );
                 #[allow(clippy::unused_unit)]
                 return $returning;
             }
             Err(e) => {
                 use crate::AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION;
-                $env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, format!("{}", e))
-                    .unwrap();
+                $env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, format!("{}", e));
                 #[allow(clippy::unused_unit)]
                 return $returning;
             }
@@ -179,8 +177,7 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn objectIdsEqual(
             env.throw_new(
                 "java/lang/IllegalArgumentException",
                 "Object ID cannot be null",
-            )
-            .unwrap();
+            );
             false.into()
         }
         (Some(left), Some(right)) => (left.as_ref() == right.as_ref()).into(),
diff --git a/rust/src/read_methods.rs b/rust/src/read_methods.rs
index 9c139a2..d4d831e 100644
--- a/rust/src/read_methods.rs
+++ b/rust/src/read_methods.rs
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ macro_rules! catch {
         match $e {
             Ok(r) => r,
             Err(e) => {
-                $env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string()).unwrap();
+                $env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string());
                 return JObject::null().into_raw();
             }
         }
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ impl SomeReadPointer {
             Ok(Some(c)) => make_optional(&mut env, (&c).into()).unwrap().into_raw(),
             Ok(None) => make_empty_option(&mut env).unwrap().into_raw(),
             Err(e) => {
-                env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string()).unwrap();
+                env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string());
                 JObject::null().into_raw()
             }
         }
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ impl SomeReadPointer {
             },
             Ok(_) => return make_empty_option(env).unwrap().into_raw(),
             Err(e) => {
-                env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string()).unwrap();
+                env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string());
                 return JObject::null().into_raw();
             }
         };
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ impl SomeReadPointer {
                 return make_empty_option(&mut env).unwrap().into_raw()
             }
             Err(e) => {
-                env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string()).unwrap();
+                env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string());
                 return JObject::null().into_raw();
             }
         };
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ impl SomeReadPointer {
                 return make_empty_option(&mut env).unwrap().into_raw()
             }
             Err(e) => {
-                env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string()).unwrap();
+                env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string());
                 return JObject::null().into_raw();
             }
         };
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ impl SomeReadPointer {
                 return make_empty_option(&mut env).unwrap().into_raw()
             }
             Err(e) => {
-                env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string()).unwrap();
+                env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string());
                 return JObject::null().into_raw();
             }
         };
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ impl SomeReadPointer {
         let marks = match marks {
             Ok(m) => m,
             Err(e) => {
-                env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string()).unwrap();
+                env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string());
                 return JObject::null().into_raw();
             }
         };
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ impl SomeReadPointer {
         let marks = match marks {
             Ok(m) => m,
             Err(e) => {
-                env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string()).unwrap();
+                env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string());
                 return JObject::null().into_raw();
             }
         };
@@ -406,15 +406,14 @@ impl SomeReadPointer {
         let heads = maybe_heads(&mut env, maybe_heads_pointer).unwrap();
         let read = SomeRead::from_pointer(&mut env, self);
         if index < 0 {
-            env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, "Index must be >= 0")
-                .unwrap();
+            env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, "Index must be >= 0");
             return JObject::null().into_raw();
         }
         let cursor = read.get_cursor(obj, index as usize, heads.as_deref());
         let cursor = match cursor {
             Ok(c) => c,
             Err(e) => {
-                env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string()).unwrap();
+                env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string());
                 return JObject::null().into_raw();
             }
         };
@@ -437,7 +436,7 @@ impl SomeReadPointer {
         let index = match index {
             Ok(i) => i,
             Err(e) => {
-                env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string()).unwrap();
+                env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string());
                 return 0;
             }
         };
@@ -453,7 +452,7 @@ impl SomeReadPointer {
                 return make_empty_option(&mut env).unwrap().into_raw();
             }
             Err(e) => {
-                env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string()).unwrap();
+                env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string());
                 return JObject::null().into_raw();
             }
         };
diff --git a/rust/src/sync.rs b/rust/src/sync.rs
index 53e4f20..86dd705 100644
--- a/rust/src/sync.rs
+++ b/rust/src/sync.rs
@@ -60,14 +60,14 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn receiveSyncMessage(
     let message = match Message::decode(&message_bytes) {
         Ok(m) => m,
         Err(e) => {
-            env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string()).unwrap();
+            env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string());
             return;
         }
     };
     match doc.receive_sync_message(state, message) {
         Ok(()) => {}
         Err(e) => {
-            env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string()).unwrap();
+            env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string());
         }
     }
 }
@@ -90,14 +90,14 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn receiveSyncMessageLogPatches(
     let message = match Message::decode(&message_bytes) {
         Ok(m) => m,
         Err(e) => {
-            env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string()).unwrap();
+            env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string());
             return;
         }
     };
     match doc.receive_sync_message_log_patches(state, message, patch_log) {
         Ok(_) => {}
         Err(e) => {
-            env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string()).unwrap();
+            env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string());
         }
     }
 }
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn decodeSyncState(
     match SyncState::decode(&bytes) {
         Ok(state) => state.to_pointer_obj(&mut env).unwrap().into_raw(),
         Err(e) => {
-            env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string()).unwrap();
+            env.throw_new(AUTOMERGE_EXCEPTION, e.to_string());
             JObject::null().into_raw()
         }
     }