diff --git a/common/3d/instance.cpp b/common/3d/instance.cpp
index ee539a5ec..4edd8ed95 100644
--- a/common/3d/instance.cpp
+++ b/common/3d/instance.cpp
@@ -54,17 +54,12 @@ void g3_start_instance_matrix(const vms_vector &pos,const vms_matrix *orient)
 //if angles==NULL, don't modify matrix.  This will be like doing an offset
 void g3_start_instance_angles(const vms_vector &pos,const vms_angvec *angles)
 {
-	vms_matrix tm;
-
 	if (angles==NULL) {
 		g3_start_instance_matrix(pos,NULL);
 		return;
 	}
-
-	vm_angles_2_matrix(tm,*angles);
-
+	const auto tm = vm_angles_2_matrix(*angles);
 	g3_start_instance_matrix(pos,&tm);
-
 }
 
 
diff --git a/common/include/vecmat.h b/common/include/vecmat.h
index 5e4ce5991..bfcd5fb9e 100644
--- a/common/include/vecmat.h
+++ b/common/include/vecmat.h
@@ -279,6 +279,12 @@ fixang vm_vec_delta_ang_norm (const vms_vector &v0, const vms_vector &v1, const
 
 //computes a matrix from a set of three angles.  returns ptr to matrix
 vms_matrix &vm_angles_2_matrix (vms_matrix &m, const vms_angvec &a);
+static inline vms_matrix vm_angles_2_matrix (const vms_angvec &a) __attribute_warn_unused_result;
+static inline vms_matrix vm_angles_2_matrix (const vms_angvec &a)
+{
+	vms_matrix m;
+	return vm_angles_2_matrix(m, a), m;
+}
 
 
 //computes a matrix from a forward vector and an angle
diff --git a/similar/editor/eobject.cpp b/similar/editor/eobject.cpp
index 0033445f2..52a16075a 100644
--- a/similar/editor/eobject.cpp
+++ b/similar/editor/eobject.cpp
@@ -672,8 +672,6 @@ int	ObjectMoveDown(void)
 static int rotate_object(const vobjptridx_t obj, int p, int b, int h)
 {
 	vms_angvec ang;
-	vms_matrix rotmat;
-	
 //	vm_extract_angles_matrix( &ang,&obj->orient);
 
 //	ang.p += p;
@@ -684,7 +682,7 @@ static int rotate_object(const vobjptridx_t obj, int p, int b, int h)
 	ang.b = b;
 	ang.h = h;
 
-	vm_angles_2_matrix(rotmat, ang);
+	const auto rotmat = vm_angles_2_matrix(ang);
 	obj->orient = vm_matrix_x_matrix(obj->orient, rotmat);
 //   vm_angles_2_matrix(&obj->orient, &ang);
 
diff --git a/similar/editor/group.cpp b/similar/editor/group.cpp
index 3eee39357..035d1ac0a 100644
--- a/similar/editor/group.cpp
+++ b/similar/editor/group.cpp
@@ -816,13 +816,11 @@ static segnum_t place_new_segment_in_world(void)
 static int AttachSegmentNewAng(const vms_angvec &pbh)
 {
 	int			newseg;
-	vms_matrix	orient_matrix;
-
 	GroupList[current_group].segments.clear();
 	newseg = place_new_segment_in_world();
 	GroupList[current_group].segments.emplace_back(newseg);
 
-	if (!med_move_group(1, Cursegp, Curside, &Segments[newseg], AttachSide, vm_angles_2_matrix(orient_matrix,pbh),0)) {
+	if (!med_move_group(1, Cursegp, Curside, &Segments[newseg], AttachSide, vm_angles_2_matrix(pbh),0)) {
 		autosave_mine(mine_filename);
 
 		med_propagate_tmaps_to_segments(Cursegp,&Segments[newseg],0);
@@ -888,7 +886,7 @@ void add_segment_to_group(int segment_num, int group_num)
 int rotate_segment_new(const vms_angvec &pbh)
 {
 	int			newseg,baseseg,newseg_side;
-	vms_matrix	tm1,tm2;
+	vms_matrix	tm1;
 	group::segment_array_type_t selected_segs_save;
 	int			child_save;
 	int			current_group_save;
@@ -929,7 +927,7 @@ int rotate_segment_new(const vms_angvec &pbh)
 
 	med_extract_matrix_from_segment(&Segments[newseg],&tm1);
 	tm1 = vmd_identity_matrix;
-	vm_angles_2_matrix(tm2,pbh);
+	const auto tm2 = vm_angles_2_matrix(pbh);
 	const auto orient_matrix = vm_matrix_x_matrix(tm1,tm2);
 
 	Segments[baseseg].children[baseseg_side] = segment_none;
diff --git a/similar/editor/medmisc.cpp b/similar/editor/medmisc.cpp
index 8ff7785e4..674ca65ea 100644
--- a/similar/editor/medmisc.cpp
+++ b/similar/editor/medmisc.cpp
@@ -151,14 +151,13 @@ int medlisp_delete_segment(void)
 
 int medlisp_scale_segment(void)
 {
-	vms_matrix	rotmat;
 	vms_vector	scale;
 
 	scale.x = fl2f((float) func_get_param(0));
 	scale.y = fl2f((float) func_get_param(1));
 	scale.z = fl2f((float) func_get_param(2));
 	med_create_new_segment(scale);
-	med_rotate_segment(Cursegp,vm_angles_2_matrix(rotmat,Seg_orientation));
+	med_rotate_segment(Cursegp,vm_angles_2_matrix(Seg_orientation));
 	Update_flags |= UF_WORLD_CHANGED;
 	mine_changed = 1;
 
diff --git a/similar/main/robot.cpp b/similar/main/robot.cpp
index 9cebeee25..228e45469 100644
--- a/similar/main/robot.cpp
+++ b/similar/main/robot.cpp
@@ -100,7 +100,6 @@ void calc_gun_point(vms_vector &gun_point,const vcobjptr_t obj,int gun_num)
 	polymodel *pm;
 	robot_info *r;
 	vms_vector pnt;
-	vms_matrix m;
 	int mn;				//submodel number
 
 	Assert(obj->render_type==RT_POLYOBJ || obj->render_type==RT_MORPH);
@@ -121,8 +120,7 @@ void calc_gun_point(vms_vector &gun_point,const vcobjptr_t obj,int gun_num)
 	while (mn != 0) {
 		vms_vector tpnt;
 
-		vm_angles_2_matrix(m,obj->rtype.pobj_info.anim_angles[mn]);
-		vm_transpose_matrix(m);
+		const auto m = vm_transposed_matrix(vm_angles_2_matrix(obj->rtype.pobj_info.anim_angles[mn]));
 		vm_vec_rotate(tpnt,pnt,m);
 
 		vm_vec_add(pnt,tpnt,pm->submodel_offsets[mn]);
@@ -132,7 +130,7 @@ void calc_gun_point(vms_vector &gun_point,const vcobjptr_t obj,int gun_num)
 
 	//now instance for the entire object
 
-	m = vm_transposed_matrix(obj->orient);
+	const auto m = vm_transposed_matrix(obj->orient);
 	vm_vec_rotate(gun_point,pnt,m);
 	vm_vec_add2(gun_point,obj->pos);