diff --git a/virtcontainers/asset_test.go b/virtcontainers/asset_test.go
index b9798451a..132f9f6ba 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/asset_test.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/asset_test.go
@@ -112,6 +112,6 @@ func TestAssetNew(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 
-	a, err = newAsset(p, kernelAsset)
+	_, err = newAsset(p, kernelAsset)
 	assert.NotNil(err)
 }
diff --git a/virtcontainers/bridge.go b/virtcontainers/bridge.go
index c56c6ac58..dfddd3eee 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/bridge.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/bridge.go
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ type bridgeType string
 
 const (
 	pciBridge  bridgeType = "pci"
-	pcieBridge            = "pcie"
+	pcieBridge bridgeType = "pcie"
 )
 
 const pciBridgeMaxCapacity = 30
diff --git a/virtcontainers/pkg/hyperstart/hyperstart.go b/virtcontainers/pkg/hyperstart/hyperstart.go
index 991dfc88b..52401aa44 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/pkg/hyperstart/hyperstart.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/pkg/hyperstart/hyperstart.go
@@ -485,7 +485,7 @@ func (h *Hyperstart) WaitForPAE(containerID, processID string) (*PAECommand, err
 	msg := <-channel
 
 	var paeData PAECommand
-	err = json.Unmarshal(msg.Message, paeData)
+	err = json.Unmarshal(msg.Message, &paeData)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/virtcontainers/pkg/hyperstart/multicast.go b/virtcontainers/pkg/hyperstart/multicast.go
index ddf1c3037..cedb86eaf 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/pkg/hyperstart/multicast.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/pkg/hyperstart/multicast.go
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func (m *multicast) buildEventID(containerID, processID string) string {
 func (m *multicast) sendEvent(msg *DecodedMessage) error {
 	var paeData PAECommand
 
-	err := json.Unmarshal(msg.Message, paeData)
+	err := json.Unmarshal(msg.Message, &paeData)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/virtcontainers/pkg/nsenter/nsenter.go b/virtcontainers/pkg/nsenter/nsenter.go
index 782c25866..ffcfbfb69 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/pkg/nsenter/nsenter.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/pkg/nsenter/nsenter.go
@@ -52,10 +52,10 @@ type NSType string
 // without multithreading issues.
 const (
 	NSTypeCGroup NSType = "cgroup"
-	NSTypeIPC           = "ipc"
-	NSTypeNet           = "net"
-	NSTypePID           = "pid"
-	NSTypeUTS           = "uts"
+	NSTypeIPC    NSType = "ipc"
+	NSTypeNet    NSType = "net"
+	NSTypePID    NSType = "pid"
+	NSTypeUTS    NSType = "uts"
 )
 
 // CloneFlagsTable is exported so that consumers of this package don't need