diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 1ea351f0..69adab1e 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -139,8 +139,9 @@ try to follow the rules below.
 - no braces in an if-body with just one statement;
 - if one of the branches of an if-else condition has braces, then the
   other branch should also have braces;
-- there is always an empty line between variable declarations and the
-  code;
+- there is always an empty line between initial variable declarations and
+  the code;
+- variable declarations may be interspersed with code
 
 ```c
 static int
diff --git a/src/wayland-client.c b/src/wayland-client.c
index ed686b5c..6a61089e 100644
--- a/src/wayland-client.c
+++ b/src/wayland-client.c
@@ -252,14 +252,12 @@ wl_proxy_unref(struct wl_proxy *proxy)
 static void
 validate_closure_objects(struct wl_closure *closure)
 {
-	const char *signature;
-	struct argument_details arg;
-	int i, count;
-	struct wl_proxy *proxy;
+	const char *signature = closure->message->signature;
+	int count = arg_count_for_signature(signature);
+	for (int i = 0; i < count; i++) {
+		struct wl_proxy *proxy;
+		struct argument_details arg;
 
-	signature = closure->message->signature;
-	count = arg_count_for_signature(signature);
-	for (i = 0; i < count; i++) {
 		signature = get_next_argument(signature, &arg);
 		switch (arg.type) {
 		case WL_ARG_NEW_ID:
@@ -280,14 +278,13 @@ validate_closure_objects(struct wl_closure *closure)
 static void
 destroy_queued_closure(struct wl_closure *closure)
 {
-	const char *signature;
-	struct argument_details arg;
-	struct wl_proxy *proxy;
-	int i, count;
+	const char *signature = closure->message->signature;
+	int count = arg_count_for_signature(signature);
+
+	for (int i = 0; i < count; i++) {
+		struct wl_proxy *proxy;
+		struct argument_details arg;
 
-	signature = closure->message->signature;
-	count = arg_count_for_signature(signature);
-	for (i = 0; i < count; i++) {
 		signature = get_next_argument(signature, &arg);
 		switch (arg.type) {
 		case WL_ARG_NEW_ID:
@@ -419,11 +416,11 @@ wl_display_create_queue_with_name(struct wl_display *display, const char *name)
 static int
 message_count_fds(const char *signature)
 {
-	unsigned int count, i, fds = 0;
-	struct argument_details arg;
+	unsigned int fds = 0;
 
-	count = arg_count_for_signature(signature);
-	for (i = 0; i < count; i++) {
+	unsigned int count = arg_count_for_signature(signature);
+	for (unsigned int i = 0; i < count; i++) {
+		struct argument_details arg;
 		signature = get_next_argument(signature, &arg);
 		if (arg.type == WL_ARG_FD)
 			fds++;
@@ -899,14 +896,13 @@ wl_proxy_marshal_array_flags(struct wl_proxy *proxy, uint32_t opcode,
 			     const struct wl_interface *interface, uint32_t version,
 			     uint32_t flags, union wl_argument *args)
 {
-	struct wl_closure *closure;
 	struct wl_proxy *new_proxy = NULL;
-	const struct wl_message *message;
 	struct wl_display *disp = proxy->display;
 
 	pthread_mutex_lock(&disp->mutex);
 
-	message = &proxy->object.interface->methods[opcode];
+	const struct wl_message *message =
+		&proxy->object.interface->methods[opcode];
 	if (interface) {
 		new_proxy = create_outgoing_proxy(proxy, message,
 						  args, interface,
@@ -919,7 +915,8 @@ wl_proxy_marshal_array_flags(struct wl_proxy *proxy, uint32_t opcode,
 		goto err_unlock;
 	}
 
-	closure = wl_closure_marshal(&proxy->object, opcode, args, message);
+	struct wl_closure *closure =
+		wl_closure_marshal(&proxy->object, opcode, args, message);
 	if (closure == NULL) {
 		wl_log("Error marshalling request for %s.%s: %s\n",
 		       proxy->object.interface->name, message->name,
@@ -1120,11 +1117,9 @@ display_handle_error(void *data,
 static void
 display_handle_delete_id(void *data, struct wl_display *display, uint32_t id)
 {
-	struct wl_proxy *proxy;
-
 	pthread_mutex_lock(&display->mutex);
 
-	proxy = wl_map_lookup(&display->objects, id);
+	struct wl_proxy *proxy = wl_map_lookup(&display->objects, id);
 
 	if (wl_object_is_zombie(&display->objects, id)) {
 		/* For zombie objects, the 'proxy' is actually the zombie