diff --git a/blackjax/mcmc/barker.py b/blackjax/mcmc/barker.py
index 56138aa05..7ae7d2463 100644
--- a/blackjax/mcmc/barker.py
+++ b/blackjax/mcmc/barker.py
@@ -94,11 +94,11 @@ def _compute_acceptance_probability(
 
         y_minus_x = jax.tree_util.tree_map(lambda a, b: a - b, y, x)
         x_minus_y = jax.tree_util.tree_map(lambda a: -a, y_minus_x)
-        z_tilde_x_to_y = metric.scale(x, y_minus_x, True, True)
-        z_tilde_y_to_x = metric.scale(y, x_minus_y, True, True)
+        z_tilde_x_to_y = metric.scale(x, y_minus_x, inv=True, trans=True)
+        z_tilde_y_to_x = metric.scale(y, x_minus_y, inv=True, trans=True)
 
-        c_x_to_y = metric.scale(x, log_x, False, True)
-        c_y_to_x = metric.scale(y, log_y, False, True)
+        c_x_to_y = metric.scale(x, log_x, inv=False, trans=True)
+        c_y_to_x = metric.scale(y, log_y, inv=False, trans=True)
 
         z_tilde_x_to_y_flat, _ = ravel_pytree(z_tilde_x_to_y)
         z_tilde_y_to_x_flat, _ = ravel_pytree(z_tilde_y_to_x)
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ def _barker_sample(key, mean, a, scale, metric):
     key1, key2 = jax.random.split(key)
 
     z = generate_gaussian_noise(key1, mean, sigma=scale)
-    c = metric.scale(mean, a, False, True)
+    c = metric.scale(mean, a, inv=False, trans=True)
 
     # Sample b=1 with probability p and 0 with probability 1 - p where
     # p = 1 / (1 + exp(-a * (z - mean)))
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ def _barker_sample(key, mean, a, scale, metric):
     bz = jax.tree_util.tree_map(lambda x, y: x * y - (1 - x) * y, b, z)
 
     return jax.tree_util.tree_map(
-        lambda a, b: a + b, mean, metric.scale(mean, bz, False, False)
+        lambda a, b: a + b, mean, metric.scale(mean, bz, inv=False, trans=False)
     )
 
 
diff --git a/blackjax/mcmc/metrics.py b/blackjax/mcmc/metrics.py
index 51e60fbcf..f0720acf4 100644
--- a/blackjax/mcmc/metrics.py
+++ b/blackjax/mcmc/metrics.py
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@
 """
 from typing import Callable, NamedTuple, Optional, Protocol, Union
 
-import jax
 import jax.numpy as jnp
 import jax.scipy as jscipy
 from jax.flatten_util import ravel_pytree
@@ -194,8 +193,9 @@ def is_turning(
     def scale(
         position: ArrayLikeTree,
         element: ArrayLikeTree,
-        inv: ArrayLikeTree,
-        trans: ArrayLikeTree,
+        *,
+        inv: bool,
+        trans: bool,
     ) -> ArrayLikeTree:
         """Scale elements by the mass matrix.
 
@@ -205,10 +205,9 @@ def scale(
             The current position. Not used in this metric.
         elements
             Elements to scale
-        invs
+        inv
             Whether to scale the elements by the inverse mass matrix or the mass matrix.
             If True, the element is scaled by the inverse square root mass matrix, i.e., elem <- (M^{1/2})^{-1} elem.
-            Same pytree structure as `elements`.
         trans
             whether to transpose mass matrix when scaling
 
@@ -296,8 +295,9 @@ def is_turning(
     def scale(
         position: ArrayLikeTree,
         element: ArrayLikeTree,
-        inv: ArrayLikeTree,
-        trans: ArrayLikeTree,
+        *,
+        inv: bool,
+        trans: bool,
     ) -> ArrayLikeTree:
         """Scale elements by the mass matrix.
 
@@ -317,21 +317,14 @@ def scale(
         )
         ravelled_element, unravel_fn = ravel_pytree(element)
 
-        def _linear_map_transpose():
-            return jax.lax.cond(
-                inv,
-                lambda: linear_map(inv_mass_matrix_sqrt.T, ravelled_element),
-                lambda: linear_map(mass_matrix_sqrt.T, ravelled_element),
-            )
-
-        def _linear_map():
-            return jax.lax.cond(
-                inv,
-                lambda: linear_map(inv_mass_matrix_sqrt, ravelled_element),
-                lambda: linear_map(mass_matrix_sqrt, ravelled_element),
-            )
+        if inv:
+            left_hand_side_matrix = inv_mass_matrix_sqrt
+        else:
+            left_hand_side_matrix = mass_matrix_sqrt
+        if trans:
+            left_hand_side_matrix = left_hand_side_matrix.T
 
-        scaled = jax.lax.cond(trans, _linear_map_transpose, _linear_map)
+        scaled = linear_map(left_hand_side_matrix, ravelled_element)
 
         return unravel_fn(scaled)
 
diff --git a/tests/mcmc/test_barker.py b/tests/mcmc/test_barker.py
index 65571b61c..04a86d1d4 100644
--- a/tests/mcmc/test_barker.py
+++ b/tests/mcmc/test_barker.py
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ def logdensity(x, data):
 
         # scaled, trivial pre-conditioning
         def scaled_logdensity(x_scaled, data, metric):
-            x = metric.scale(x_scaled, x_scaled, False, False)
+            x = metric.scale(x_scaled, x_scaled, inv=False, trans=False)
             return logdensity(x, data)
 
         logposterior_fn2 = functools.partial(
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ def scaled_logdensity(x_scaled, data, metric):
         )
         barker2 = blackjax.barker_proposal(logposterior_fn2, 1e-1, jnp.eye(2))
 
-        true_x_trans = metric.scale(true_x, true_x, True, True)
+        true_x_trans = metric.scale(true_x, true_x, inv=True, trans=True)
         state2 = barker2.init(true_x_trans)
 
         n_steps = 10
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ def scaled_logdensity(x_scaled, data, metric):
         states2_trans = []
         for ii in range(n_steps):
             s = states2[ii]
-            states2_trans.append(metric.scale(s, s, False, False))
+            states2_trans.append(metric.scale(s, s, inv=False, trans=False))
         states2_trans = jnp.array(states2_trans)
         assert jnp.allclose(states1, states2_trans)