diff --git a/wp-includes/class.wp-object-query.php b/wp-includes/class.wp-object-query.php
index 485dd4f2d..39f633be9 100644
--- a/wp-includes/class.wp-object-query.php
+++ b/wp-includes/class.wp-object-query.php
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ class WP_Object_Query {
 			unset($meta_compare_string);
 		}
 
-		return array( $join, $where );
+		return compact( 'join', 'where' );
 	}
 
 	/*
diff --git a/wp-includes/query.php b/wp-includes/query.php
index 496b48aaf..d0aa35e8b 100644
--- a/wp-includes/query.php
+++ b/wp-includes/query.php
@@ -2119,9 +2119,9 @@ class WP_Query extends WP_Object_Query {
 		}
 
 		if ( !empty( $q['meta_query'] ) ) {
-			list( $meta_join, $meta_where ) = $this->get_meta_sql( $q['meta_query'], $wpdb->posts, 'ID', $wpdb->postmeta, 'post_id' );
-			$join .= $meta_join;
-			$where .= $meta_where;
+			$clauses = $this->get_meta_sql( $q['meta_query'], $wpdb->posts, 'ID', $wpdb->postmeta, 'post_id' );
+			$join .= $clauses['join'];
+			$where .= $clauses['where'];
 		}
 
 		// Apply filters on where and join prior to paging so that any
diff --git a/wp-includes/user.php b/wp-includes/user.php
index 97d42fde3..9e779fb78 100644
--- a/wp-includes/user.php
+++ b/wp-includes/user.php
@@ -468,9 +468,9 @@ class WP_User_Query extends WP_Object_Query {
 		}
 
 		if ( !empty( $qv['meta_query'] ) ) {
-			list( $meta_join, $meta_where ) = $this->get_meta_sql( $qv['meta_query'], $wpdb->users, 'ID', $wpdb->usermeta, 'user_id' );
-			$this->query_from .= $meta_join;
-			$this->query_where .= $meta_where;
+			$clauses = $this->get_meta_sql( $qv['meta_query'], $wpdb->users, 'ID', $wpdb->usermeta, 'user_id' );
+			$this->query_from .= $clauses['join'];
+			$this->query_where .= $clauses['where'];
 		}
 
 		if ( !empty( $qv['include'] ) ) {