diff --git a/lib/umfmessage.js b/lib/umfmessage.js
index eec6f0f..fd75f88 100644
--- a/lib/umfmessage.js
+++ b/lib/umfmessage.js
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@ const uuid = require('uuid');
 const crypto = require('crypto');
 const UMF_VERSION = 'UMF/1.4.6';
 
+const isNotEmptyString = (string, checkContents = true) => string != null && (!checkContents || string.trim() != '');
+
+// Works like the es2020 ?? operator
+const nCoalescg = (...args) => args.find((el) => el != null && el != undefined);
+
 /**
 * @name UMFMessage
 * @summary UMF Message helper
@@ -76,46 +81,46 @@ class UMFMessage {
   */
   toShort() {
     let message = {};
-    if (this.message['to']) {
+    if (isNotEmptyString(this.message['to'])) {
       message['to'] = this.message['to'];
     }
-    if (this.message['from']) {
+    if (isNotEmptyString(this.message['from'])) {
       message['frm'] = this.message['from'];
     }
-    if (this.message['headers']) {
+    if (this.message['headers'] != null) {
       message['hdr'] = this.message['headers'];
     }
-    if (this.message['mid']) {
+    if (isNotEmptyString(this.message['mid'])) {
       message['mid'] = this.message['mid'];
     }
-    if (this.message['rmid']) {
+    if (isNotEmptyString(this.message['rmid'])) {
       message['rmid'] = this.message['rmid'];
     }
-    if (this.message['signature']) {
+    if (isNotEmptyString(this.message['signature'])) {
       message['sig'] = this.message['signature'];
     }
-    if (this.message['timeout']) {
+    if (isNotEmptyString(this.message['timeout'])) {
       message['tmo'] = this.message['timeout'];
     }
-    if (this.message['timestamp']) {
+    if (isNotEmptyString(this.message['timestamp'])) {
       message['ts'] = this.message['timestamp'];
     }
-    if (this.message['type']) {
+    if (isNotEmptyString(this.message['type'])) {
       message['typ'] = this.message['type'];
     }
-    if (this.message['version']) {
+    if (isNotEmptyString(this.message['version'])) {
       message['ver'] = this.message['version'];
     }
-    if (this.message['via']) {
+    if (isNotEmptyString(this.message['via'])) {
       message['via'] = this.message['via'];
     }
-    if (this.message['forward']) {
+    if (isNotEmptyString(this.message['forward'])) {
       message['fwd'] = this.message['forward'];
     }
-    if (this.message['body']) {
+    if (this.message['body'] != null) {
       message['bdy'] = this.message['body'];
     }
-    if (this.message['authorization']) {
+    if (isNotEmptyString(this.message['authorization'])) {
       message['aut'] = this.message['authorization'];
     }
     return message;
@@ -127,11 +132,7 @@ class UMFMessage {
   * @return {boolean} response - returns true is valid otherwise false
   */
   validate() {
-    if (!this.message.from || !this.message.to || !this.message.body) {
-      return false;
-    } else {
-      return true;
-    }
+    return isNotEmptyString(this.message.from) && isNotEmptyString(this.message.to) && this.message.body != null;
   }
 }
 
@@ -152,41 +153,41 @@ function createMessageInstance(message) {
       return true;
     }
   });
-  if (message.to) {
+  if (isNotEmptyString(message.to)) {
     proxy.to = message.to;
   }
-  if (message.from || message.frm) {
-    proxy.from = message.from || message.frm;
+  if (isNotEmptyString(nCoalescg(message.from, message.frm))) {
+    proxy.from = nCoalescg(message.from, message.frm);
   }
-  if (message.headers || message.hdr) {
-    proxy.headers = message.headers || message.hdr;
+  if (nCoalescg(message.headers, message.hdr) != null) {
+    proxy.headers = nCoalescg(message.headers, message.hdr);
   }
-  proxy.mid = message.mid || proxy.createMessageID();
-  if (message.rmid) {
+  proxy.mid = nCoalescg(message.mid, proxy.createMessageID());
+  if (isNotEmptyString(message.rmid)) {
     proxy.rmid = message.rmid;
   }
-  if (message.signature || message.sig) {
-    proxy.signature = message.signature || message.sig;
+  if (isNotEmptyString(nCoalescg(message.signature, message.sig))) {
+    proxy.signature = nCoalescg(message.signature, message.sig);
   }
-  if (message.timeout || message.tmo) {
-    proxy.timeout = message.timeout || message.tmo;
+  if (isNotEmptyString(nCoalescg(message.timeout, message.tmo))) {
+    proxy.timeout = nCoalescg(message.timeout, message.tmo);
   }
-  proxy.timestamp = message.timestamp || message.ts || proxy.getTimeStamp();
-  if (message.type || message.typ) {
-    proxy.type = message.type || message.typ;
+  proxy.timestamp = nCoalescg(message.timestamp, message.ts, proxy.getTimeStamp());
+  if (isNotEmptyString(nCoalescg(message.type, message.typ))) {
+    proxy.type = nCoalescg(message.type, message.typ);
   }
-  proxy.version = message.version || message.ver || UMF_VERSION;
-  if (message.via) {
+  proxy.version = nCoalescg(message.version, message.ver, UMF_VERSION);
+  if (isNotEmptyString(message.via)) {
     proxy.via = message.via;
   }
-  if (message.forward || message.fwd) {
-    proxy.forward = message.forward || message.fwd;
+  if (isNotEmptyString(nCoalescg(message.forward, message.fwd))) {
+    proxy.forward = nCoalescg(message.forward, message.fwd);
   }
-  if (message.body || message.bdy) {
-    proxy.body = message.body || message.bdy;
+  if (nCoalescg(message.body, message.bdy) != null) {
+    proxy.body = nCoalescg(message.body, message.bdy);
   }
-  if (message.authorization || message.aut) {
-    proxy.authorization = message.authorization || message.aut;
+  if (isNotEmptyString(nCoalescg(message.authorization, message.aut))) {
+    proxy.authorization = nCoalescg(message.authorization, message.aut);
   }
   return proxy;
 }