diff --git a/geom/alg_buffer.go b/geom/alg_buffer.go
index 29139535..b05c6c51 100644
--- a/geom/alg_buffer.go
+++ b/geom/alg_buffer.go
@@ -27,19 +27,17 @@ func Buffer(g Geometry, distance float64, opts ...BufferOption) (Geometry, error
 		opt(params)
 	}
 
-	var result Geometry
-	err := catch(func() error {
+	return catch(func() (Geometry, error) {
 		wkbReader := jts.Io_NewWKBReader()
 		jtsG, err := wkbReader.ReadBytes(g.AsBinary())
 		if err != nil {
-			return wrap(err, "converting geometry to JTS")
+			return Geometry{}, wrap(err, "converting geometry to JTS")
 		}
 		jtsResult := jts.OperationBuffer_BufferOp_BufferOpWithParams(jtsG, distance, params)
 		wkbWriter := jts.Io_NewWKBWriter()
-		result, err = UnmarshalWKB(wkbWriter.Write(jtsResult), NoValidate{})
-		return wrap(err, "converting JTS buffer result to simplefeatures")
+		result, err := UnmarshalWKB(wkbWriter.Write(jtsResult), NoValidate{})
+		return result, wrap(err, "converting JTS buffer result to simplefeatures")
 	})
-	return result, err
 }
 
 // BufferOption allows the behaviour of the [Buffer] operation to be modified.
diff --git a/geom/alg_overlay.go b/geom/alg_overlay.go
index e3bb9524..a9b172a9 100644
--- a/geom/alg_overlay.go
+++ b/geom/alg_overlay.go
@@ -221,23 +221,21 @@ func gcAwareDifference(a, b Geometry) (Geometry, error) {
 
 // jtsOverlayOp invokes the JTS port's overlay operation with the given opCode.
 func jtsOverlayOp(a, b Geometry, opCode int) (Geometry, error) {
-	var result Geometry
-	err := catch(func() error {
+	return catch(func() (Geometry, error) {
 		wkbReader := jts.Io_NewWKBReader()
 		jtsA, err := wkbReader.ReadBytes(a.AsBinary())
 		if err != nil {
-			return wrap(err, "converting geometry A to JTS")
+			return Geometry{}, wrap(err, "converting geometry A to JTS")
 		}
 		jtsB, err := wkbReader.ReadBytes(b.AsBinary())
 		if err != nil {
-			return wrap(err, "converting geometry B to JTS")
+			return Geometry{}, wrap(err, "converting geometry B to JTS")
 		}
 		jtsResult := jts.OperationOverlayng_OverlayNGRobust_Overlay(jtsA, jtsB, opCode)
 		wkbWriter := jts.Io_NewWKBWriter()
-		result, err = UnmarshalWKB(wkbWriter.Write(jtsResult), NoValidate{})
-		return wrap(err, "converting JTS overlay result to simplefeatures")
+		result, err := UnmarshalWKB(wkbWriter.Write(jtsResult), NoValidate{})
+		return result, wrap(err, "converting JTS overlay result to simplefeatures")
 	})
-	return result, err
 }
 
 // SymmetricDifference returns a geometry that represents the parts of geometry
@@ -288,17 +286,15 @@ func UnionMany(gs []Geometry) (Geometry, error) {
 
 // jtsUnaryUnion invokes the JTS port's unary union operation.
 func jtsUnaryUnion(g Geometry) (Geometry, error) {
-	var result Geometry
-	err := catch(func() error {
+	return catch(func() (Geometry, error) {
 		wkbReader := jts.Io_NewWKBReader()
 		jtsG, err := wkbReader.ReadBytes(g.AsBinary())
 		if err != nil {
-			return wrap(err, "converting geometry to JTS")
+			return Geometry{}, wrap(err, "converting geometry to JTS")
 		}
 		jtsResult := jts.OperationOverlayng_OverlayNGRobust_Union(jtsG)
 		wkbWriter := jts.Io_NewWKBWriter()
-		result, err = UnmarshalWKB(wkbWriter.Write(jtsResult), NoValidate{})
-		return wrap(err, "converting JTS union result to simplefeatures")
+		result, err := UnmarshalWKB(wkbWriter.Write(jtsResult), NoValidate{})
+		return result, wrap(err, "converting JTS union result to simplefeatures")
 	})
-	return result, err
 }
diff --git a/geom/alg_prepared.go b/geom/alg_prepared.go
index 972b9ceb..de92355f 100644
--- a/geom/alg_prepared.go
+++ b/geom/alg_prepared.go
@@ -15,16 +15,15 @@ type PreparedGeometry struct {
 
 // Prepare preprocesses a geometry for efficient repeated predicate evaluation.
 func Prepare(g Geometry) (PreparedGeometry, error) {
-	var pg PreparedGeometry
-	err := catch(func() error {
+	return catch(func() (PreparedGeometry, error) {
 		jtsG, err := toJTS(g)
 		if err != nil {
-			return err
+			return PreparedGeometry{}, err
 		}
-		pg.prep = jts.GeomPrep_PreparedGeometryFactory_Prepare(jtsG)
-		return nil
+		return PreparedGeometry{
+			prep: jts.GeomPrep_PreparedGeometryFactory_Prepare(jtsG),
+		}, nil
 	})
-	return pg, err
 }
 
 func toJTS(g Geometry) (*jts.Geom_Geometry, error) {
@@ -36,16 +35,13 @@ func toJTS(g Geometry) (*jts.Geom_Geometry, error) {
 }
 
 func (p PreparedGeometry) eval(g Geometry, pred func(*jts.Geom_Geometry) bool) (bool, error) {
-	var result bool
-	err := catch(func() error {
+	return catch(func() (bool, error) {
 		jtsG, err := toJTS(g)
 		if err != nil {
-			return err
+			return false, err
 		}
-		result = pred(jtsG)
-		return nil
+		return pred(jtsG), nil
 	})
-	return result, err
 }
 
 // Intersects reports whether the prepared geometry intersects g.
diff --git a/geom/alg_relate.go b/geom/alg_relate.go
index 903f1191..99f1c95b 100644
--- a/geom/alg_relate.go
+++ b/geom/alg_relate.go
@@ -64,22 +64,20 @@ func relateWithEmptyInput(a, b Geometry) string {
 
 // jtsRelateNG invokes the JTS port's RelateNG operation.
 func jtsRelateNG(a, b Geometry) (string, error) {
-	var result string
-	err := catch(func() error {
+	return catch(func() (string, error) {
 		wkbReader := jts.Io_NewWKBReader()
 		jtsA, err := wkbReader.ReadBytes(a.AsBinary())
 		if err != nil {
-			return wrap(err, "converting geometry A to JTS")
+			return "", wrap(err, "converting geometry A to JTS")
 		}
 		jtsB, err := wkbReader.ReadBytes(b.AsBinary())
 		if err != nil {
-			return wrap(err, "converting geometry B to JTS")
+			return "", wrap(err, "converting geometry B to JTS")
 		}
 		im := jts.OperationRelateng_RelateNG_RelateMatrix(jtsA, jtsB)
-		result = im.String()
-		return validateIntersectionMatrix(result)
+		result := im.String()
+		return result, validateIntersectionMatrix(result)
 	})
-	return result, err
 }
 
 func relateMatchesAnyPattern(a, b Geometry, patterns ...string) (bool, error) {
diff --git a/geom/util.go b/geom/util.go
index 0ed6bca5..aea4c3fc 100644
--- a/geom/util.go
+++ b/geom/util.go
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ func arbitraryControlPoint(g Geometry) Point {
 	}
 }
 
-func catch(fn func() error) (err error) {
+func catch[T any](fn func() (T, error)) (result T, err error) { //nolint:ireturn
 	// In Go 1.21+, panic(nil) causes recover() to return a *runtime.PanicNilError
 	// rather than nil. In earlier versions, recover() returns nil for panic(nil),
 	// making it indistinguishable from "no panic". We emulate the Go 1.21+ behavior
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ func catch(fn func() error) (err error) {
 			}
 		}
 	}()
-	err = fn()
+	result, err = fn()
 	panicked = false
 	return
 }
diff --git a/geom/util_internal_test.go b/geom/util_internal_test.go
index e5617d12..c651d924 100644
--- a/geom/util_internal_test.go
+++ b/geom/util_internal_test.go
@@ -74,42 +74,42 @@ func BenchmarkMathMax(b *testing.B) {
 func TestCatch(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, tc := range []struct {
 		name    string
-		fn      func() error
+		fn      func() (struct{}, error)
 		wantErr string
 	}{
 		{
 			name:    "function returns nil",
-			fn:      func() error { return nil },
+			fn:      func() (struct{}, error) { return struct{}{}, nil },
 			wantErr: "",
 		},
 		{
 			name:    "function returns error",
-			fn:      func() error { return errors.New("test error") },
+			fn:      func() (struct{}, error) { return struct{}{}, errors.New("test error") },
 			wantErr: "test error",
 		},
 		{
 			name:    "function panics with string",
-			fn:      func() error { panic("something went wrong") },
+			fn:      func() (struct{}, error) { panic("something went wrong") },
 			wantErr: "panic: something went wrong",
 		},
 		{
 			name:    "function panics with error",
-			fn:      func() error { panic(errors.New("panic error")) },
+			fn:      func() (struct{}, error) { panic(errors.New("panic error")) },
 			wantErr: "panic: panic error",
 		},
 		{
 			name:    "function panics with int",
-			fn:      func() error { panic(42) },
+			fn:      func() (struct{}, error) { panic(42) },
 			wantErr: "panic: 42",
 		},
 		{
 			name:    "function panics with nil",
-			fn:      func() error { panic(nil) },
+			fn:      func() (struct{}, error) { panic(nil) },
 			wantErr: "panic: panic called with nil argument",
 		},
 	} {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			err := catch(tc.fn)
+			_, err := catch(tc.fn)
 			if tc.wantErr == "" {
 				if err != nil {
 					t.Errorf("got %v, want nil", err)