diff --git a/modules/swagger-codegen/src/main/resources/php/api.mustache b/modules/swagger-codegen/src/main/resources/php/api.mustache
index 9e2cabc92bc..db1d4c8cb4f 100644
--- a/modules/swagger-codegen/src/main/resources/php/api.mustache
+++ b/modules/swagger-codegen/src/main/resources/php/api.mustache
@@ -170,6 +170,13 @@ use \{{invokerPackage}}\ObjectSerializer;
                 $queryParams, $httpBody,
                 $headerParams{{#returnType}}, '{{returnType}}'{{/returnType}}
             );
+            {{#returnType}}
+            if (!$response) {
+                return null;
+            }
+
+            return $this->apiClient->getSerializer()->deserialize($response, '{{returnType}}', $httpHeader);
+            {{/returnType}}
         } catch (ApiException $e) {
             switch ($e->getCode()) { {{#responses}}{{#dataType}}
             case {{code}}:
@@ -181,11 +188,7 @@ use \{{invokerPackage}}\ObjectSerializer;
             throw $e;
         }
         {{#returnType}}
-        if (!$response) {
-            return null;
-        }
-  
-        return $this->apiClient->getSerializer()->deserialize($response, '{{returnType}}');
+        return null;
         {{/returnType}}
     }
     {{/operation}}
diff --git a/samples/client/petstore/php/SwaggerClient-php/lib/Api/PetApi.php b/samples/client/petstore/php/SwaggerClient-php/lib/Api/PetApi.php
index b94fd3c5e72..e8dea97be93 100644
--- a/samples/client/petstore/php/SwaggerClient-php/lib/Api/PetApi.php
+++ b/samples/client/petstore/php/SwaggerClient-php/lib/Api/PetApi.php
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ class PetApi
                 $queryParams, $httpBody,
                 $headerParams
             );
+            
         } catch (ApiException $e) {
             switch ($e->getCode()) { 
             }
@@ -210,6 +211,7 @@ class PetApi
                 $queryParams, $httpBody,
                 $headerParams
             );
+            
         } catch (ApiException $e) {
             switch ($e->getCode()) { 
             }
@@ -273,6 +275,13 @@ class PetApi
                 $queryParams, $httpBody,
                 $headerParams, '\Swagger\Client\Model\Pet[]'
             );
+            
+            if (!$response) {
+                return null;
+            }
+
+            return $this->apiClient->getSerializer()->deserialize($response, '\Swagger\Client\Model\Pet[]', $httpHeader);
+            
         } catch (ApiException $e) {
             switch ($e->getCode()) { 
             case 200:
@@ -284,11 +293,7 @@ class PetApi
             throw $e;
         }
         
-        if (!$response) {
-            return null;
-        }
-  
-        return $this->apiClient->getSerializer()->deserialize($response, '\Swagger\Client\Model\Pet[]');
+        return null;
         
     }
     
@@ -346,6 +351,13 @@ class PetApi
                 $queryParams, $httpBody,
                 $headerParams, '\Swagger\Client\Model\Pet[]'
             );
+            
+            if (!$response) {
+                return null;
+            }
+
+            return $this->apiClient->getSerializer()->deserialize($response, '\Swagger\Client\Model\Pet[]', $httpHeader);
+            
         } catch (ApiException $e) {
             switch ($e->getCode()) { 
             case 200:
@@ -357,11 +369,7 @@ class PetApi
             throw $e;
         }
         
-        if (!$response) {
-            return null;
-        }
-  
-        return $this->apiClient->getSerializer()->deserialize($response, '\Swagger\Client\Model\Pet[]');
+        return null;
         
     }
     
@@ -434,6 +442,13 @@ class PetApi
                 $queryParams, $httpBody,
                 $headerParams, '\Swagger\Client\Model\Pet'
             );
+            
+            if (!$response) {
+                return null;
+            }
+
+            return $this->apiClient->getSerializer()->deserialize($response, '\Swagger\Client\Model\Pet', $httpHeader);
+            
         } catch (ApiException $e) {
             switch ($e->getCode()) { 
             case 200:
@@ -445,11 +460,7 @@ class PetApi
             throw $e;
         }
         
-        if (!$response) {
-            return null;
-        }
-  
-        return $this->apiClient->getSerializer()->deserialize($response, '\Swagger\Client\Model\Pet');
+        return null;
         
     }
     
@@ -523,6 +534,7 @@ class PetApi
                 $queryParams, $httpBody,
                 $headerParams
             );
+            
         } catch (ApiException $e) {
             switch ($e->getCode()) { 
             }
@@ -598,6 +610,7 @@ class PetApi
                 $queryParams, $httpBody,
                 $headerParams
             );
+            
         } catch (ApiException $e) {
             switch ($e->getCode()) { 
             }
@@ -677,6 +690,7 @@ class PetApi
                 $queryParams, $httpBody,
                 $headerParams
             );
+            
         } catch (ApiException $e) {
             switch ($e->getCode()) { 
             }
diff --git a/samples/client/petstore/php/SwaggerClient-php/lib/Api/StoreApi.php b/samples/client/petstore/php/SwaggerClient-php/lib/Api/StoreApi.php
index d73032b3329..b64b52d2225 100644
--- a/samples/client/petstore/php/SwaggerClient-php/lib/Api/StoreApi.php
+++ b/samples/client/petstore/php/SwaggerClient-php/lib/Api/StoreApi.php
@@ -145,6 +145,13 @@ class StoreApi
                 $queryParams, $httpBody,
                 $headerParams, 'map[string,int]'
             );
+            
+            if (!$response) {
+                return null;
+            }
+
+            return $this->apiClient->getSerializer()->deserialize($response, 'map[string,int]', $httpHeader);
+            
         } catch (ApiException $e) {
             switch ($e->getCode()) { 
             case 200:
@@ -156,11 +163,7 @@ class StoreApi
             throw $e;
         }
         
-        if (!$response) {
-            return null;
-        }
-  
-        return $this->apiClient->getSerializer()->deserialize($response, 'map[string,int]');
+        return null;
         
     }
     
@@ -216,6 +219,13 @@ class StoreApi
                 $queryParams, $httpBody,
                 $headerParams, '\Swagger\Client\Model\Order'
             );
+            
+            if (!$response) {
+                return null;
+            }
+
+            return $this->apiClient->getSerializer()->deserialize($response, '\Swagger\Client\Model\Order', $httpHeader);
+            
         } catch (ApiException $e) {
             switch ($e->getCode()) { 
             case 200:
@@ -227,11 +237,7 @@ class StoreApi
             throw $e;
         }
         
-        if (!$response) {
-            return null;
-        }
-  
-        return $this->apiClient->getSerializer()->deserialize($response, '\Swagger\Client\Model\Order');
+        return null;
         
     }
     
@@ -294,6 +300,13 @@ class StoreApi
                 $queryParams, $httpBody,
                 $headerParams, '\Swagger\Client\Model\Order'
             );
+            
+            if (!$response) {
+                return null;
+            }
+
+            return $this->apiClient->getSerializer()->deserialize($response, '\Swagger\Client\Model\Order', $httpHeader);
+            
         } catch (ApiException $e) {
             switch ($e->getCode()) { 
             case 200:
@@ -305,11 +318,7 @@ class StoreApi
             throw $e;
         }
         
-        if (!$response) {
-            return null;
-        }
-  
-        return $this->apiClient->getSerializer()->deserialize($response, '\Swagger\Client\Model\Order');
+        return null;
         
     }
     
@@ -372,6 +381,7 @@ class StoreApi
                 $queryParams, $httpBody,
                 $headerParams
             );
+            
         } catch (ApiException $e) {
             switch ($e->getCode()) { 
             }
diff --git a/samples/client/petstore/php/SwaggerClient-php/lib/Api/UserApi.php b/samples/client/petstore/php/SwaggerClient-php/lib/Api/UserApi.php
index b1bbf32c09f..8ce6301a51e 100644
--- a/samples/client/petstore/php/SwaggerClient-php/lib/Api/UserApi.php
+++ b/samples/client/petstore/php/SwaggerClient-php/lib/Api/UserApi.php
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ class UserApi
                 $queryParams, $httpBody,
                 $headerParams
             );
+            
         } catch (ApiException $e) {
             switch ($e->getCode()) { 
             }
@@ -204,6 +205,7 @@ class UserApi
                 $queryParams, $httpBody,
                 $headerParams
             );
+            
         } catch (ApiException $e) {
             switch ($e->getCode()) { 
             }
@@ -265,6 +267,7 @@ class UserApi
                 $queryParams, $httpBody,
                 $headerParams
             );
+            
         } catch (ApiException $e) {
             switch ($e->getCode()) { 
             }
@@ -329,6 +332,13 @@ class UserApi
                 $queryParams, $httpBody,
                 $headerParams, 'string'
             );
+            
+            if (!$response) {
+                return null;
+            }
+
+            return $this->apiClient->getSerializer()->deserialize($response, 'string', $httpHeader);
+            
         } catch (ApiException $e) {
             switch ($e->getCode()) { 
             case 200:
@@ -340,11 +350,7 @@ class UserApi
             throw $e;
         }
         
-        if (!$response) {
-            return null;
-        }
-  
-        return $this->apiClient->getSerializer()->deserialize($response, 'string');
+        return null;
         
     }
     
@@ -395,6 +401,7 @@ class UserApi
                 $queryParams, $httpBody,
                 $headerParams
             );
+            
         } catch (ApiException $e) {
             switch ($e->getCode()) { 
             }
@@ -463,6 +470,13 @@ class UserApi
                 $queryParams, $httpBody,
                 $headerParams, '\Swagger\Client\Model\User'
             );
+            
+            if (!$response) {
+                return null;
+            }
+
+            return $this->apiClient->getSerializer()->deserialize($response, '\Swagger\Client\Model\User', $httpHeader);
+            
         } catch (ApiException $e) {
             switch ($e->getCode()) { 
             case 200:
@@ -474,11 +488,7 @@ class UserApi
             throw $e;
         }
         
-        if (!$response) {
-            return null;
-        }
-  
-        return $this->apiClient->getSerializer()->deserialize($response, '\Swagger\Client\Model\User');
+        return null;
         
     }
     
@@ -546,6 +556,7 @@ class UserApi
                 $queryParams, $httpBody,
                 $headerParams
             );
+            
         } catch (ApiException $e) {
             switch ($e->getCode()) { 
             }
@@ -614,6 +625,7 @@ class UserApi
                 $queryParams, $httpBody,
                 $headerParams
             );
+            
         } catch (ApiException $e) {
             switch ($e->getCode()) { 
             }