diff --git a/runtime-rpc/src/main/java/org/capnproto/RpcState.java b/runtime-rpc/src/main/java/org/capnproto/RpcState.java
index 7cc1e02..55be7b2 100644
--- a/runtime-rpc/src/main/java/org/capnproto/RpcState.java
+++ b/runtime-rpc/src/main/java/org/capnproto/RpcState.java
@@ -1939,10 +1939,10 @@ final class RpcState<VatId> {
                 // We resolved to some other RPC capability hosted by the same peer.
                 var promise = replacement.whenMoreResolved();
                 if (promise != null) {
-                    var other = (PromiseClient)replacement;
+                    var other = (PromiseClient) replacement;
                     while (other.resolutionType == ResolutionType.MERGED) {
                         replacement = other.cap;
-                        other = (PromiseClient)replacement;
+                        other = (PromiseClient) replacement;
                         assert replacement.getBrand() == replacementBrand;
                     }
 
@@ -1958,14 +1958,11 @@ final class RpcState<VatId> {
                     resolutionType = ResolutionType.REMOTE;
                 }
             }
+            else if (replacement.isNull() || replacement.isError()) {
+                resolutionType = ResolutionType.BROKEN;
+            }
             else {
-                if (replacementBrand == NULL_CAPABILITY_BRAND
-                        || replacementBrand == BROKEN_CAPABILITY_BRAND) {
-                    resolutionType = ResolutionType.BROKEN;
-                }
-                else {
-                    resolutionType = ResolutionType.REFLECTED;
-                }
+                resolutionType = ResolutionType.REFLECTED;
             }
 
             assert isResolved();
diff --git a/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/Capability.java b/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/Capability.java
index ee02617..ff8b593 100644
--- a/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/Capability.java
+++ b/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/Capability.java
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ import java.util.concurrent.CompletionStage;
 
 public final class Capability {
 
+    static final Object NULL_CAPABILITY_BRAND = new Object();
+    static final Object BROKEN_CAPABILITY_BRAND = new Object();
+
     static class BuilderContext {
         CapTableBuilder capTable;
     }
@@ -645,15 +648,15 @@ public final class Capability {
     }
 
     public static ClientHook newBrokenCap(String reason) {
-        return newBrokenClient(reason, false, ClientHook.BROKEN_CAPABILITY_BRAND);
+        return newBrokenClient(reason, false, BROKEN_CAPABILITY_BRAND);
     }
 
     public static ClientHook newBrokenCap(Throwable exc) {
-        return newBrokenClient(exc, false, ClientHook.BROKEN_CAPABILITY_BRAND);
+        return newBrokenClient(exc, false, BROKEN_CAPABILITY_BRAND);
     }
 
     public static ClientHook newNullCap() {
-        return newBrokenClient(RpcException.failed("Called null capability"), true, ClientHook.NULL_CAPABILITY_BRAND);
+        return newBrokenClient(RpcException.failed("Called null capability"), true, NULL_CAPABILITY_BRAND);
     }
 
     private static ClientHook newBrokenClient(String reason, boolean resolved, Object brand) {
@@ -800,6 +803,11 @@ public final class Capability {
         public CompletableFuture<ClientHook> whenMoreResolved() {
             return this.promiseForClientResolution.copy();
         }
+
+        @Override
+        public Object getBrand() {
+            return null;
+        }
     }
 
     public static final class CapabilityServerSet<T extends Capability.Server> {
diff --git a/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/ClientHook.java b/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/ClientHook.java
index d21156b..d04e125 100644
--- a/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/ClientHook.java
+++ b/runtime/src/main/java/org/capnproto/ClientHook.java
@@ -5,9 +5,6 @@ import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture;
 
 public interface ClientHook {
 
-    Object NULL_CAPABILITY_BRAND = new Object();
-    Object BROKEN_CAPABILITY_BRAND = new Object();
-
     /**
      * Start a new call, allowing the client to allocate request/response objects as it sees fit.
      * This version is used when calls are made from application code in the local process.
@@ -56,9 +53,7 @@ public interface ClientHook {
      discover when a capability it needs to marshal is one that it created in the first place, and
      therefore it can transfer the capability without proxying.
     */
-    default Object getBrand() {
-        return NULL_CAPABILITY_BRAND;
-    }
+    Object getBrand();
 
     /**
      *  Repeatedly calls whenMoreResolved() until it returns nullptr.
@@ -75,14 +70,14 @@ public interface ClientHook {
      * reading a null pointer out of a Cap'n Proto message.
      */
     default boolean isNull() {
-        return getBrand() == NULL_CAPABILITY_BRAND;
+        return getBrand() == Capability.NULL_CAPABILITY_BRAND;
     }
 
     /**
      * Returns true if the capability was created by newBrokenCap().
      */
     default boolean isError() {
-        return getBrand() == BROKEN_CAPABILITY_BRAND;
+        return getBrand() == Capability.BROKEN_CAPABILITY_BRAND;
     }
 
     /**