diff --git a/cluster/images/etcd/migrate/migrate_client.go b/cluster/images/etcd/migrate/migrate_client.go
index da106eb97cf..cc903a7bb1e 100644
--- a/cluster/images/etcd/migrate/migrate_client.go
+++ b/cluster/images/etcd/migrate/migrate_client.go
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ func (e *CombinedEtcdClient) AttachLease(leaseDuration time.Duration) error {
 		if err != nil {
 			klog.Errorf("Error while attaching lease to: %s", string(kv.Key))
 		}
-		if bytes.Compare(putResp.PrevKv.Value, kv.Value) != 0 {
+		if !bytes.Equal(putResp.PrevKv.Value, kv.Value) {
 			return fmt.Errorf("concurrent access to key detected when setting lease on %s, expected previous value of %s but got %s",
 				kv.Key, kv.Value, putResp.PrevKv.Value)
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/controller/serviceaccount/tokens_controller.go b/pkg/controller/serviceaccount/tokens_controller.go
index c5531ec9ffb..e6e198b54f6 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/serviceaccount/tokens_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/serviceaccount/tokens_controller.go
@@ -495,7 +495,7 @@ func (e *TokensController) hasReferencedToken(serviceAccount *v1.ServiceAccount)
 
 func (e *TokensController) secretUpdateNeeded(secret *v1.Secret) (bool, bool, bool) {
 	caData := secret.Data[v1.ServiceAccountRootCAKey]
-	needsCA := len(e.rootCA) > 0 && bytes.Compare(caData, e.rootCA) != 0
+	needsCA := len(e.rootCA) > 0 && !bytes.Equal(caData, e.rootCA)
 
 	needsNamespace := len(secret.Data[v1.ServiceAccountNamespaceKey]) == 0
 
diff --git a/pkg/serviceaccount/legacy.go b/pkg/serviceaccount/legacy.go
index 57c482f0ba6..4739493ee4b 100644
--- a/pkg/serviceaccount/legacy.go
+++ b/pkg/serviceaccount/legacy.go
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ func (v *legacyValidator) Validate(tokenData string, public *jwt.Claims, private
 			klog.V(4).Infof("Token is deleted and awaiting removal: %s/%s for service account %s/%s", namespace, secretName, namespace, serviceAccountName)
 			return nil, errors.New("Token has been invalidated")
 		}
-		if bytes.Compare(secret.Data[v1.ServiceAccountTokenKey], []byte(tokenData)) != 0 {
+		if !bytes.Equal(secret.Data[v1.ServiceAccountTokenKey], []byte(tokenData)) {
 			klog.V(4).Infof("Token contents no longer matches %s/%s for service account %s/%s", namespace, secretName, namespace, serviceAccountName)
 			return nil, errors.New("Token does not match server's copy")
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/volume/util/atomic_writer.go b/pkg/volume/util/atomic_writer.go
index 125aea2f48d..ef1939e7c9e 100644
--- a/pkg/volume/util/atomic_writer.go
+++ b/pkg/volume/util/atomic_writer.go
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ func shouldWriteFile(path string, content []byte) (bool, error) {
 		return false, err
 	}
 
-	return (bytes.Compare(content, contentOnFs) != 0), nil
+	return !bytes.Equal(content, contentOnFs), nil
 }
 
 // pathsToRemove walks the current version of the data directory and
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/options/encryptionconfig/config_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/options/encryptionconfig/config_test.go
index 58628dac560..ee7d618a60a 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/options/encryptionconfig/config_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server/options/encryptionconfig/config_test.go
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ func TestEncryptionProviderConfigCorrect(t *testing.T) {
 			if stale != (transformer.Name != testCase.Name) {
 				t.Fatalf("%s: wrong stale information on reading using %s transformer, should be %v", testCase.Name, transformer.Name, testCase.Name == transformer.Name)
 			}
-			if bytes.Compare(untransformedData, originalText) != 0 {
+			if !bytes.Equal(untransformedData, originalText) {
 				t.Fatalf("%s: %s transformer transformed data incorrectly. Expected: %v, got %v", testCase.Name, transformer.Name, originalText, untransformedData)
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/value/encrypt/envelope/envelope_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/value/encrypt/envelope/envelope_test.go
index 65c0063a293..046de9e4937 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/value/encrypt/envelope/envelope_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/storage/value/encrypt/envelope/envelope_test.go
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ func TestEnvelopeCaching(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("could not decrypt Envelope transformer's encrypted data even once: %v", err)
 	}
-	if bytes.Compare(untransformedData, originalText) != 0 {
+	if !bytes.Equal(untransformedData, originalText) {
 		t.Fatalf("envelopeTransformer transformed data incorrectly. Expected: %v, got %v", originalText, untransformedData)
 	}
 
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ func TestEnvelopeCaching(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("could not decrypt Envelope transformer's encrypted data using just cache: %v", err)
 	}
-	if bytes.Compare(untransformedData, originalText) != 0 {
+	if !bytes.Equal(untransformedData, originalText) {
 		t.Fatalf("envelopeTransformer transformed data incorrectly using cache. Expected: %v, got %v", originalText, untransformedData)
 	}
 }
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ func TestEnvelopeCacheLimit(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Fatalf("envelopeTransformer: error while transforming data (%v) from storage: %s", transformedOutputs[i], err)
 		}
 
-		if bytes.Compare(numberText, output) != 0 {
+		if !bytes.Equal(numberText, output) {
 			t.Fatalf("envelopeTransformer transformed data incorrectly using cache. Expected: %v, got %v", numberText, output)
 		}
 	}
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ func TestBackwardsCompatibility(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("could not decrypt Envelope transformer's encrypted data even once: %v", err)
 	}
-	if bytes.Compare(untransformedData, originalText) != 0 {
+	if !bytes.Equal(untransformedData, originalText) {
 		t.Fatalf("envelopeTransformer transformed data incorrectly. Expected: %v, got %v", originalText, untransformedData)
 	}
 
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ func TestBackwardsCompatibility(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("could not decrypt Envelope transformer's encrypted data using just cache: %v", err)
 	}
-	if bytes.Compare(untransformedData, originalText) != 0 {
+	if !bytes.Equal(untransformedData, originalText) {
 		t.Fatalf("envelopeTransformer transformed data incorrectly using cache. Expected: %v, got %v", originalText, untransformedData)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/leaderelection/leaderelection.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/leaderelection/leaderelection.go
index 4e6d3ecdc9f..42fffd45ae7 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/leaderelection/leaderelection.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/tools/leaderelection/leaderelection.go
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ func (le *LeaderElector) tryAcquireOrRenew() bool {
 	}
 
 	// 2. Record obtained, check the Identity & Time
-	if bytes.Compare(le.observedRawRecord, oldLeaderElectionRawRecord) != 0 {
+	if !bytes.Equal(le.observedRawRecord, oldLeaderElectionRawRecord) {
 		le.observedRecord = *oldLeaderElectionRecord
 		le.observedRawRecord = oldLeaderElectionRawRecord
 		le.observedTime = le.clock.Now()