diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 3026314161..da005a0122 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1,4 +1,14 @@
 
+4.1.0-dev.284 | 2021-03-05 17:37:03 -0800
+
+  * Simplify some copy_string() usages in threading::Field (Jon Siwek, Corelight)
+
+  * Use const-reference in plugin::Manager::MetaHookPost for minor performance gain (Tim Wojtulewicz, Corelight)
+
+  * Fix missing assigmnent operator/copy constructor pairings reported by LGTM (Tim Wojtulewicz, Corelight)
+
+  * Fix variable shadowing issues reported by LGTM (Tim Wojtulewicz, Corelight)
+
 4.1.0-dev.277 | 2021-03-05 16:14:23 -0800
 
   * Avoid reporting paths repeatedly in zeek-config --include_dir (Christian Kreibich, Corelight)
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index a4ce34900d..d8d162473c 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-4.1.0-dev.277
+4.1.0-dev.284
diff --git a/src/threading/SerialTypes.h b/src/threading/SerialTypes.h
index 49fc113204..fe7970ead1 100644
--- a/src/threading/SerialTypes.h
+++ b/src/threading/SerialTypes.h
@@ -29,16 +29,16 @@ struct Field {
 	 * Constructor.
 	 */
 	Field(const char* name, const char* secondary_name, TypeTag type, TypeTag subtype, bool optional)
-		: name(name ? util::copy_string(name) : nullptr),
-		  secondary_name(secondary_name ? util::copy_string(secondary_name) : nullptr),
+		: name(util::copy_string(name)),
+		  secondary_name(util::copy_string(secondary_name)),
 		  type(type), subtype(subtype), optional(optional)	{ }
 
 	/**
 	 * Copy constructor.
 	 */
 	Field(const Field& other)
-		: name(other.name ? util::copy_string(other.name) : nullptr),
-		  secondary_name(other.secondary_name ? util::copy_string(other.secondary_name) : nullptr),
+		: name(util::copy_string(other.name)),
+		  secondary_name(util::copy_string(other.secondary_name)),
 		  type(other.type), subtype(other.subtype), optional(other.optional)	{ }
 
 	~Field()
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ struct Field {
 			{
 			delete [] name;
 			delete [] secondary_name;
-			name = other.name ? util::copy_string(other.name) : nullptr;
-			secondary_name = other.secondary_name ? util::copy_string(other.secondary_name) : nullptr;
+			name = util::copy_string(other.name);
+			secondary_name = util::copy_string(other.secondary_name);
 			type = other.type;
 			subtype = other.subtype;
 			optional = other.optional;