diff --git a/src/main/java/teetime/framework/AbstractIntraThreadPipe.java b/src/main/java/teetime/framework/AbstractIntraThreadPipe.java
index dffefffc2e8024f1be72fb1e8d51be6fe6318df7..9d0223009c18ca560f29d1589160d90a81e1012f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/teetime/framework/AbstractIntraThreadPipe.java
+++ b/src/main/java/teetime/framework/AbstractIntraThreadPipe.java
@@ -10,10 +10,10 @@ public abstract class AbstractIntraThreadPipe extends AbstractPipe {
 	}
 
 	@Override
-	public void sendSignal(final ISignal signal) {
-		if (this.getTargetPort() != null) { // BETTER remove this check since there are DummyPorts
-			this.cachedTargetStage.onSignal(signal, this.getTargetPort());
-		}
+	public final void sendSignal(final ISignal signal) {
+		// if (this.getTargetPort() != null) { // BETTER remove this check since there are DummyPorts
+		this.cachedTargetStage.onSignal(signal, this.getTargetPort());
+		// }
 	}
 
 	@Override
diff --git a/src/main/java/teetime/framework/OutputPort.java b/src/main/java/teetime/framework/OutputPort.java
index 588669bb10cc4cb47f3d693d2c3041f7b3ecb899..ca8f84affc5410b5123f2c982ee55dd4cd071d29 100644
--- a/src/main/java/teetime/framework/OutputPort.java
+++ b/src/main/java/teetime/framework/OutputPort.java
@@ -9,18 +9,20 @@ public final class OutputPort<T> extends AbstractPort<T> {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 *
 	 * @param element
-	 * @return <code>true</code> iff the given <code>element</code> could be sent, <code>false</code> otherwise (then use a re-try strategy)
+	 *            to be sent
 	 */
-	public boolean send(final T element) {
-		boolean added = this.pipe.add(element);
-		if (added) {
+	public void send(final T element) {
+		if (this.pipe.add(element)) {
 			this.pipe.reportNewElement();
 		}
-		return added;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 *
+	 * @param signal
+	 *            to be sent
+	 */
 	public void sendSignal(final ISignal signal) {
 		this.pipe.sendSignal(signal);
 	}