diff --git a/hack/conformance/check_conformance_test_requirements.go b/hack/conformance/check_conformance_test_requirements.go
index 1cb7445a3e0..86020faebbf 100644
--- a/hack/conformance/check_conformance_test_requirements.go
+++ b/hack/conformance/check_conformance_test_requirements.go
@@ -32,9 +32,9 @@ import (
 
 const (
 	//e.g. framework.ConformanceIt("should provide secure master service ", func() {
-	patternStartConformance = "framework.ConformanceIt\\(.*, func\\(\\) {$"
-	patternEndConformance   = "}\\)$"
-	patternSkip             = "framework.Skip.*\\("
+	patternStartConformance = `framework.ConformanceIt\(.*, func\(\) {$`
+	patternEndConformance   = `}\)$`
+	patternSkip             = `framework.Skip.*\(`
 )
 
 // This function checks the requirement: it works for all providers (e.g., no SkipIfProviderIs/SkipUnlessProviderIs calls)
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ func checkAllProviders(e2eFile string) error {
 }
 
 func processFile(e2ePath string) error {
-	regGoFile := regexp.MustCompile(".*\\.go")
+	regGoFile := regexp.MustCompile(`.*\.go`)
 
 	files, err := ioutil.ReadDir(e2ePath)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/get/customcolumn.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/get/customcolumn.go
index 9b169006bb0..afe19e1430e 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/get/customcolumn.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/get/customcolumn.go
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ import (
 	utilprinters "k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/util/printers"
 )
 
-var jsonRegexp = regexp.MustCompile("^\\{\\.?([^{}]+)\\}$|^\\.?([^{}]+)$")
+var jsonRegexp = regexp.MustCompile(`^\{\.?([^{}]+)\}$|^\.?([^{}]+)$`)
 
 // RelaxedJSONPathExpression attempts to be flexible with JSONPath expressions, it accepts:
 //   * metadata.name (no leading '.' or curly braces '{...}'
diff --git a/pkg/util/ebtables/ebtables.go b/pkg/util/ebtables/ebtables.go
index 4a52df0fc83..ae84b5d0a16 100644
--- a/pkg/util/ebtables/ebtables.go
+++ b/pkg/util/ebtables/ebtables.go
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ func getEbtablesVersionString(exec utilexec.Interface) (string, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
-	versionMatcher := regexp.MustCompile("v([0-9]+\\.[0-9]+\\.[0-9]+)")
+	versionMatcher := regexp.MustCompile(`v([0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+)`)
 	match := versionMatcher.FindStringSubmatch(string(bytes))
 	if match == nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("no ebtables version found in string: %s", bytes)
diff --git a/pkg/util/iptables/iptables.go b/pkg/util/iptables/iptables.go
index a060ed4d469..a1424c590f9 100644
--- a/pkg/util/iptables/iptables.go
+++ b/pkg/util/iptables/iptables.go
@@ -573,6 +573,8 @@ func makeFullArgs(table Table, chain Chain, args ...string) []string {
 	return append([]string{string(chain), "-t", string(table)}, args...)
 }
 
+const iptablesVersionPattern = `v([0-9]+(\.[0-9]+)+)`
+
 // getIPTablesVersion runs "iptables --version" and parses the returned version
 func getIPTablesVersion(exec utilexec.Interface, protocol Protocol) (*utilversion.Version, error) {
 	// this doesn't access mutable state so we don't need to use the interface / runner
@@ -581,7 +583,7 @@ func getIPTablesVersion(exec utilexec.Interface, protocol Protocol) (*utilversio
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	versionMatcher := regexp.MustCompile("v([0-9]+(\\.[0-9]+)+)")
+	versionMatcher := regexp.MustCompile(iptablesVersionPattern)
 	match := versionMatcher.FindStringSubmatch(string(bytes))
 	if match == nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("no iptables version found in string: %s", bytes)
@@ -641,7 +643,7 @@ func getIPTablesRestoreVersionString(exec utilexec.Interface, protocol Protocol)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
-	versionMatcher := regexp.MustCompile("v([0-9]+(\\.[0-9]+)+)")
+	versionMatcher := regexp.MustCompile(iptablesVersionPattern)
 	match := versionMatcher.FindStringSubmatch(string(bytes))
 	if match == nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("no iptables version found in string: %s", bytes)