diff --git a/pkg/apis/apps/v1/conversion.go b/pkg/apis/apps/v1/conversion.go
index 34f6078b467..8aa43f9f490 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/apps/v1/conversion.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/apps/v1/conversion.go
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ func Convert_v1_Deployment_To_apps_Deployment(in *appsv1.Deployment, out *apps.D
 
 	// Copy annotation to deprecated rollbackTo field for roundtrip
 	// TODO: remove this conversion after we delete extensions/v1beta1 and apps/v1beta1 Deployment
-	if revision, _ := in.Annotations[appsv1.DeprecatedRollbackTo]; revision != "" {
+	if revision := in.Annotations[appsv1.DeprecatedRollbackTo]; revision != "" {
 		if revision64, err := strconv.ParseInt(revision, 10, 64); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse annotation[%s]=%s as int64: %v", appsv1.DeprecatedRollbackTo, revision, err)
 		} else {
diff --git a/pkg/apis/apps/v1beta2/conversion.go b/pkg/apis/apps/v1beta2/conversion.go
index 8d0e753a35c..327b61292e0 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/apps/v1beta2/conversion.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/apps/v1beta2/conversion.go
@@ -407,7 +407,7 @@ func Convert_v1beta2_Deployment_To_apps_Deployment(in *appsv1beta2.Deployment, o
 
 	// Copy annotation to deprecated rollbackTo field for roundtrip
 	// TODO: remove this conversion after we delete extensions/v1beta1 and apps/v1beta1 Deployment
-	if revision, _ := in.Annotations[appsv1beta2.DeprecatedRollbackTo]; revision != "" {
+	if revision := in.Annotations[appsv1beta2.DeprecatedRollbackTo]; revision != "" {
 		if revision64, err := strconv.ParseInt(revision, 10, 64); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse annotation[%s]=%s as int64: %v", appsv1beta2.DeprecatedRollbackTo, revision, err)
 		} else {
diff --git a/pkg/apis/autoscaling/v1/conversion.go b/pkg/apis/autoscaling/v1/conversion.go
index f68ac8c286b..a62a3339475 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/autoscaling/v1/conversion.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/autoscaling/v1/conversion.go
@@ -150,8 +150,7 @@ func Convert_autoscaling_PodsMetricSource_To_v1_PodsMetricSource(in *autoscaling
 }
 
 func Convert_v1_PodsMetricSource_To_autoscaling_PodsMetricSource(in *autoscalingv1.PodsMetricSource, out *autoscaling.PodsMetricSource, s conversion.Scope) error {
-	var metricType autoscaling.MetricTargetType
-	metricType = autoscaling.AverageValueMetricType
+	metricType := autoscaling.AverageValueMetricType
 
 	out.Target = autoscaling.MetricTarget{
 		Type:         metricType,
@@ -327,10 +326,8 @@ func Convert_autoscaling_HorizontalPodAutoscaler_To_v1_HorizontalPodAutoscaler(i
 	if len(otherMetrics) > 0 || len(in.Status.CurrentMetrics) > 0 || len(currentConditions) > 0 {
 		old := out.Annotations
 		out.Annotations = make(map[string]string, len(old)+3)
-		if old != nil {
-			for k, v := range old {
-				out.Annotations[k] = v
-			}
+		for k, v := range old {
+			out.Annotations[k] = v
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/apis/autoscaling/v2beta1/conversion.go b/pkg/apis/autoscaling/v2beta1/conversion.go
index 142cf726493..1f6378670dc 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/autoscaling/v2beta1/conversion.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/autoscaling/v2beta1/conversion.go
@@ -198,8 +198,7 @@ func Convert_autoscaling_PodsMetricSource_To_v2beta1_PodsMetricSource(in *autosc
 
 func Convert_v2beta1_PodsMetricSource_To_autoscaling_PodsMetricSource(in *autoscalingv2beta1.PodsMetricSource, out *autoscaling.PodsMetricSource, s conversion.Scope) error {
 	targetAverageValue := &in.TargetAverageValue
-	var metricType autoscaling.MetricTargetType
-	metricType = autoscaling.AverageValueMetricType
+	metricType := autoscaling.AverageValueMetricType
 
 	out.Target = autoscaling.MetricTarget{
 		Type:         metricType,
diff --git a/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation.go b/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation.go
index 89940c52a3a..d2e08d0cd01 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/core/validation/validation.go
@@ -1770,8 +1770,7 @@ func ValidatePersistentVolume(pv *core.PersistentVolume) field.ErrorList {
 // ValidatePersistentVolumeUpdate tests to see if the update is legal for an end user to make.
 // newPv is updated with fields that cannot be changed.
 func ValidatePersistentVolumeUpdate(newPv, oldPv *core.PersistentVolume) field.ErrorList {
-	allErrs := field.ErrorList{}
-	allErrs = ValidatePersistentVolume(newPv)
+	allErrs := ValidatePersistentVolume(newPv)
 
 	// PersistentVolumeSource should be immutable after creation.
 	if !apiequality.Semantic.DeepEqual(newPv.Spec.PersistentVolumeSource, oldPv.Spec.PersistentVolumeSource) {
@@ -2293,46 +2292,44 @@ func ValidateVolumeDevices(devices []core.VolumeDevice, volmounts map[string]str
 	devicepath := sets.NewString()
 	devicename := sets.NewString()
 
-	if devices != nil {
-		for i, dev := range devices {
-			idxPath := fldPath.Index(i)
-			devName := dev.Name
-			devPath := dev.DevicePath
-			didMatch, isPVC := isMatchedDevice(devName, volumes)
-			if len(devName) == 0 {
-				allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Required(idxPath.Child("name"), ""))
-			}
-			if devicename.Has(devName) {
-				allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Invalid(idxPath.Child("name"), devName, "must be unique"))
-			}
-			// Must be PersistentVolumeClaim volume source
-			if didMatch && !isPVC {
-				allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Invalid(idxPath.Child("name"), devName, "can only use volume source type of PersistentVolumeClaim for block mode"))
-			}
-			if !didMatch {
-				allErrs = append(allErrs, field.NotFound(idxPath.Child("name"), devName))
-			}
-			if len(devPath) == 0 {
-				allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Required(idxPath.Child("devicePath"), ""))
-			}
-			if devicepath.Has(devPath) {
-				allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Invalid(idxPath.Child("devicePath"), devPath, "must be unique"))
-			}
-			if len(devPath) > 0 && len(validatePathNoBacksteps(devPath, fldPath.Child("devicePath"))) > 0 {
-				allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Invalid(idxPath.Child("devicePath"), devPath, "can not contain backsteps ('..')"))
-			} else {
-				devicepath.Insert(devPath)
-			}
-			// check for overlap with VolumeMount
-			if deviceNameAlreadyExists(devName, volmounts) {
-				allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Invalid(idxPath.Child("name"), devName, "must not already exist in volumeMounts"))
-			}
-			if devicePathAlreadyExists(devPath, volmounts) {
-				allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Invalid(idxPath.Child("devicePath"), devPath, "must not already exist as a path in volumeMounts"))
-			}
-			if len(devName) > 0 {
-				devicename.Insert(devName)
-			}
+	for i, dev := range devices {
+		idxPath := fldPath.Index(i)
+		devName := dev.Name
+		devPath := dev.DevicePath
+		didMatch, isPVC := isMatchedDevice(devName, volumes)
+		if len(devName) == 0 {
+			allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Required(idxPath.Child("name"), ""))
+		}
+		if devicename.Has(devName) {
+			allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Invalid(idxPath.Child("name"), devName, "must be unique"))
+		}
+		// Must be PersistentVolumeClaim volume source
+		if didMatch && !isPVC {
+			allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Invalid(idxPath.Child("name"), devName, "can only use volume source type of PersistentVolumeClaim for block mode"))
+		}
+		if !didMatch {
+			allErrs = append(allErrs, field.NotFound(idxPath.Child("name"), devName))
+		}
+		if len(devPath) == 0 {
+			allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Required(idxPath.Child("devicePath"), ""))
+		}
+		if devicepath.Has(devPath) {
+			allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Invalid(idxPath.Child("devicePath"), devPath, "must be unique"))
+		}
+		if len(devPath) > 0 && len(validatePathNoBacksteps(devPath, fldPath.Child("devicePath"))) > 0 {
+			allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Invalid(idxPath.Child("devicePath"), devPath, "can not contain backsteps ('..')"))
+		} else {
+			devicepath.Insert(devPath)
+		}
+		// check for overlap with VolumeMount
+		if deviceNameAlreadyExists(devName, volmounts) {
+			allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Invalid(idxPath.Child("name"), devName, "must not already exist in volumeMounts"))
+		}
+		if devicePathAlreadyExists(devPath, volmounts) {
+			allErrs = append(allErrs, field.Invalid(idxPath.Child("devicePath"), devPath, "must not already exist as a path in volumeMounts"))
+		}
+		if len(devName) > 0 {
+			devicename.Insert(devName)
 		}
 	}
 	return allErrs
@@ -3186,7 +3183,7 @@ func validatePreferAvoidPodsEntry(avoidPodEntry core.PreferAvoidPodsEntry, fldPa
 	if avoidPodEntry.PodSignature.PodController == nil {
 		allErrors = append(allErrors, field.Required(fldPath.Child("PodSignature"), ""))
 	} else {
-		if *(avoidPodEntry.PodSignature.PodController.Controller) != true {
+		if !*(avoidPodEntry.PodSignature.PodController.Controller) {
 			allErrors = append(allErrors,
 				field.Invalid(fldPath.Child("PodSignature").Child("PodController").Child("Controller"),
 					*(avoidPodEntry.PodSignature.PodController.Controller), "must point to a controller"))
diff --git a/pkg/apis/storage/validation/validation.go b/pkg/apis/storage/validation/validation.go
index 518e04a9de3..4100627d4a5 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/storage/validation/validation.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/storage/validation/validation.go
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ func validateVolumeBindingMode(mode *storage.VolumeBindingMode, fldPath *field.P
 func validateAllowedTopologies(topologies []api.TopologySelectorTerm, fldPath *field.Path) field.ErrorList {
 	allErrs := field.ErrorList{}
 
-	if topologies == nil || len(topologies) == 0 {
+	if len(topologies) == 0 {
 		return allErrs
 	}