diff --git a/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/util/StringUtilities.java b/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/util/StringUtilities.java
index 3104c2905..2b57c748e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/util/StringUtilities.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/util/StringUtilities.java
@@ -58,6 +58,5 @@ static String toCamelCase(String inputString) {
     static String formatConstantForSQL(String in) {
         String escaped = in.replace("'", "''"); //$NON-NLS-1$ //$NON-NLS-2$
         return "'" + escaped + "'"; //$NON-NLS-1$ //$NON-NLS-2$
-
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/util/Utilities.java b/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/util/Utilities.java
index 87ea18e12..0c3bd188f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/util/Utilities.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/util/Utilities.java
@@ -15,23 +15,10 @@
  */
 package org.mybatis.dynamic.sql.util;
 
-import java.util.Collection;
-import java.util.Objects;
-import java.util.stream.Stream;
-
-import org.jspecify.annotations.NonNull;
 import org.jspecify.annotations.Nullable;
 
 public interface Utilities {
     static long safelyUnbox(@Nullable Long l) {
         return l == null ? 0 : l;
     }
-
-    static <T> Stream<@NonNull T> filterNullValues(Stream<@Nullable T> values) {
-        return values.filter(Objects::nonNull);
-    }
-
-    static <T> Collection<@NonNull T> removeNullElements(Collection<@Nullable T> values) {
-        return filterNullValues(values.stream()).toList();
-    }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/where/condition/IsInCaseInsensitive.java b/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/where/condition/IsInCaseInsensitive.java
index 67f37951e..e521d28b2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/where/condition/IsInCaseInsensitive.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/where/condition/IsInCaseInsensitive.java
@@ -70,8 +70,7 @@ public static IsInCaseInsensitive of(String... values) {
     }
 
     public static IsInCaseInsensitive of(Collection<String> values) {
-        // Keep the null safe upper case utility for backwards compatibility
-        //noinspection DataFlowIssue
-        return new IsInCaseInsensitive(values).map(StringUtilities::safelyUpperCase);
+        // Keep the null safe upper case utility for backwards compatibility in case someone passes in a null
+        return new IsInCaseInsensitive(values.stream().map(StringUtilities::safelyUpperCase).toList());
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/where/condition/IsInCaseInsensitiveWhenPresent.java b/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/where/condition/IsInCaseInsensitiveWhenPresent.java
index cff58415d..7d81bba69 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/where/condition/IsInCaseInsensitiveWhenPresent.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/where/condition/IsInCaseInsensitiveWhenPresent.java
@@ -18,13 +18,12 @@
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.function.Predicate;
 import java.util.function.UnaryOperator;
 
 import org.jspecify.annotations.Nullable;
 import org.mybatis.dynamic.sql.AbstractListValueCondition;
-import org.mybatis.dynamic.sql.util.StringUtilities;
-import org.mybatis.dynamic.sql.util.Utilities;
 
 public class IsInCaseInsensitiveWhenPresent extends AbstractListValueCondition<String>
         implements CaseInsensitiveRenderableCondition {
@@ -35,8 +34,8 @@ public static IsInCaseInsensitiveWhenPresent empty() {
         return EMPTY;
     }
 
-    protected IsInCaseInsensitiveWhenPresent(Collection<@Nullable String> values) {
-        super(Utilities.removeNullElements(values));
+    protected IsInCaseInsensitiveWhenPresent(Collection<String> values) {
+        super(values);
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -66,8 +65,7 @@ public static IsInCaseInsensitiveWhenPresent of(@Nullable String... values) {
     }
 
     public static IsInCaseInsensitiveWhenPresent of(Collection<@Nullable String> values) {
-        // Keep the null safe upper case utility for backwards compatibility
-        //noinspection DataFlowIssue
-        return new IsInCaseInsensitiveWhenPresent(values).map(StringUtilities::safelyUpperCase);
+        return new IsInCaseInsensitiveWhenPresent(
+                values.stream().filter(Objects::nonNull).map(String::toUpperCase).toList());
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/where/condition/IsLikeCaseInsensitive.java b/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/where/condition/IsLikeCaseInsensitive.java
index 4ebdb00fb..de8d72cd0 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/where/condition/IsLikeCaseInsensitive.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/where/condition/IsLikeCaseInsensitive.java
@@ -67,8 +67,7 @@ public IsLikeCaseInsensitive map(UnaryOperator<String> mapper) {
     }
 
     public static IsLikeCaseInsensitive of(String value) {
-        // Keep the null safe upper case utility for backwards compatibility
-        //noinspection DataFlowIssue
-        return new IsLikeCaseInsensitive(value).map(StringUtilities::safelyUpperCase);
+        // Keep the null safe upper case utility for backwards compatibility in case someone passes in a null
+        return new IsLikeCaseInsensitive(StringUtilities.safelyUpperCase(value));
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/where/condition/IsNotInCaseInsensitive.java b/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/where/condition/IsNotInCaseInsensitive.java
index f5f970c45..c956b4d55 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/where/condition/IsNotInCaseInsensitive.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/where/condition/IsNotInCaseInsensitive.java
@@ -70,8 +70,7 @@ public static IsNotInCaseInsensitive of(String... values) {
     }
 
     public static IsNotInCaseInsensitive of(Collection<String> values) {
-        // Keep the null safe upper case utility for backwards compatibility
-        //noinspection DataFlowIssue
-        return new IsNotInCaseInsensitive(values).map(StringUtilities::safelyUpperCase);
+        // Keep the null safe upper case utility for backwards compatibility in case someone passes in a null
+        return new IsNotInCaseInsensitive(values.stream().map(StringUtilities::safelyUpperCase).toList());
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/where/condition/IsNotInCaseInsensitiveWhenPresent.java b/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/where/condition/IsNotInCaseInsensitiveWhenPresent.java
index a8873a7e4..9202a2ad1 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/where/condition/IsNotInCaseInsensitiveWhenPresent.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/where/condition/IsNotInCaseInsensitiveWhenPresent.java
@@ -18,13 +18,12 @@
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.function.Predicate;
 import java.util.function.UnaryOperator;
 
 import org.jspecify.annotations.Nullable;
 import org.mybatis.dynamic.sql.AbstractListValueCondition;
-import org.mybatis.dynamic.sql.util.StringUtilities;
-import org.mybatis.dynamic.sql.util.Utilities;
 
 public class IsNotInCaseInsensitiveWhenPresent extends AbstractListValueCondition<String>
         implements CaseInsensitiveRenderableCondition {
@@ -35,8 +34,8 @@ public static IsNotInCaseInsensitiveWhenPresent empty() {
         return EMPTY;
     }
 
-    protected IsNotInCaseInsensitiveWhenPresent(Collection<@Nullable String> values) {
-        super(Utilities.removeNullElements(values));
+    protected IsNotInCaseInsensitiveWhenPresent(Collection<String> values) {
+        super(values);
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -66,8 +65,7 @@ public static IsNotInCaseInsensitiveWhenPresent of(@Nullable String... values) {
     }
 
     public static IsNotInCaseInsensitiveWhenPresent of(Collection<@Nullable String> values) {
-        // Keep the null safe upper case utility for backwards compatibility
-        //noinspection DataFlowIssue
-        return new IsNotInCaseInsensitiveWhenPresent(values).map(StringUtilities::safelyUpperCase);
+        return new IsNotInCaseInsensitiveWhenPresent(
+                values.stream().filter(Objects::nonNull).map(String::toUpperCase).toList());
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/where/condition/IsNotLikeCaseInsensitive.java b/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/where/condition/IsNotLikeCaseInsensitive.java
index 1fb6847c0..c26168e42 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/where/condition/IsNotLikeCaseInsensitive.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/mybatis/dynamic/sql/where/condition/IsNotLikeCaseInsensitive.java
@@ -69,8 +69,7 @@ public IsNotLikeCaseInsensitive map(UnaryOperator<String> mapper) {
     }
 
     public static IsNotLikeCaseInsensitive of(String value) {
-        // Keep the null safe upper case utility for backwards compatibility
-        //noinspection DataFlowIssue
-        return new IsNotLikeCaseInsensitive(value).map(StringUtilities::safelyUpperCase);
+        // Keep the null safe upper case utility for backwards compatibility in case someone passes in a null
+        return new IsNotLikeCaseInsensitive(StringUtilities.safelyUpperCase(value));
     }
 }