diff --git a/include/boost/optional/detail/optional_reference_spec.hpp b/include/boost/optional/detail/optional_reference_spec.hpp
index 4471ab06..ecdbe7c0 100644
--- a/include/boost/optional/detail/optional_reference_spec.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/optional/detail/optional_reference_spec.hpp
@@ -172,9 +172,10 @@ class optional<T&> : public optional_detail::optional_tag
 
     constexpr T& value() const
     {
-      return this->is_initialized() ?
-             this->get() :
-             (boost::throw_exception(boost::bad_optional_access()), this->get());
+      if (!this->is_initialized()) {
+        boost::throw_exception(boost::bad_optional_access());
+      }
+      return this->get();
     }
 
     constexpr explicit operator bool() const BOOST_NOEXCEPT { return ptr_ != 0; }
diff --git a/include/boost/optional/detail/union_optional.hpp b/include/boost/optional/detail/union_optional.hpp
index b735d5ab..c12e12fe 100644
--- a/include/boost/optional/detail/union_optional.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/optional/detail/union_optional.hpp
@@ -599,7 +599,10 @@ namespace boost {
 
     constexpr reference_const_type value() const&
     {
-      return this->is_initialized() ? this->get() : (boost::throw_exception(boost::bad_optional_access()), this->get());
+      if (this->is_initialized())
+        return this->get();
+      else
+        boost::throw_exception(boost::bad_optional_access());
     }
 
     BOOST_CXX14_CONSTEXPR reference_type value() &