diff --git a/cmd/moby/build.go b/cmd/moby/build.go
index 00eac6f57..405330260 100644
--- a/cmd/moby/build.go
+++ b/cmd/moby/build.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ func (f *formatList) String() string {
 }
 
 func (f *formatList) Set(value string) error {
-	// allow comma seperated options or multiple options
+	// allow comma separated options or multiple options
 	for _, cs := range strings.Split(value, ",") {
 		*f = append(*f, cs)
 	}
diff --git a/gometalinter.json b/gometalinter.json
index dc6112639..39347e5e3 100644
--- a/gometalinter.json
+++ b/gometalinter.json
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
   "Sort": ["linter", "severity", "path", "line"],
   "EnableGC": true,
   "WarnUnmatchedDirective": true,
+  "Exclude": ["parameter .* always receives"],
 
   "DisableAll": true,
   "Enable": [
diff --git a/src/initrd/initrd.go b/src/initrd/initrd.go
index 31f987de6..d479fdf42 100644
--- a/src/initrd/initrd.go
+++ b/src/initrd/initrd.go
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ func typeconv(thdr *tar.Header) int64 {
 	}
 }
 
-func copyTarEntry(w *Writer, thdr *tar.Header, r *tar.Reader) (written int64, err error) {
+func copyTarEntry(w *Writer, thdr *tar.Header, r io.Reader) (written int64, err error) {
 	tp := typeconv(thdr)
 	if tp == -1 {
 		return written, errors.New("cannot convert tar file")
diff --git a/src/moby/build.go b/src/moby/build.go
index ef8e60ea7..7d3358323 100644
--- a/src/moby/build.go
+++ b/src/moby/build.go
@@ -18,8 +18,6 @@ import (
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v2"
 )
 
-const defaultNameForStdin = "moby"
-
 var streamable = map[string]bool{
 	"docker": true,
 	"tar":    true,
diff --git a/src/moby/config.go b/src/moby/config.go
index 49172574e..df3032675 100644
--- a/src/moby/config.go
+++ b/src/moby/config.go
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ func extractReferences(m *Moby) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func updateImages(m *Moby) error {
+func updateImages(m *Moby) {
 	if m.Kernel.ref != nil {
 		m.Kernel.Image = m.Kernel.ref.String()
 	}
@@ -219,7 +219,6 @@ func updateImages(m *Moby) error {
 			image.Image = image.ref.String()
 		}
 	}
-	return nil
 }
 
 // NewConfig parses a config file
@@ -295,11 +294,7 @@ func AppendConfig(m0, m1 Moby) (Moby, error) {
 	moby.Trust.Org = append(moby.Trust.Org, m1.Trust.Org...)
 	moby.initRefs = append(moby.initRefs, m1.initRefs...)
 
-	if err := uniqueServices(moby); err != nil {
-		return moby, err
-	}
-
-	return moby, nil
+	return moby, uniqueServices(moby)
 }
 
 // NewImage validates an parses yaml or json for a Image
@@ -433,17 +428,6 @@ func assignBool(v1, v2 *bool) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
-// assignBoolPtr does ordered overrides from JSON bool pointers
-func assignBoolPtr(v1, v2 *bool) *bool {
-	if v2 != nil {
-		return v2
-	}
-	if v1 != nil {
-		return v1
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
 // assignIntPtr does ordered overrides from JSON int pointers
 func assignIntPtr(v1, v2 *int) *int {
 	if v2 != nil {
@@ -455,28 +439,6 @@ func assignIntPtr(v1, v2 *int) *int {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// assignUint32 does ordered overrides from JSON uint32 pointers
-func assignUint32(v1, v2 *uint32) uint32 {
-	if v2 != nil {
-		return *v2
-	}
-	if v1 != nil {
-		return *v1
-	}
-	return 0
-}
-
-// assignUint32Array does ordered overrides from JSON uint32 array pointers
-func assignUint32Array(v1, v2 *[]uint32) []uint32 {
-	if v2 != nil {
-		return *v2
-	}
-	if v1 != nil {
-		return *v1
-	}
-	return []uint32{}
-}
-
 // assignInterface does ordered overrides from Go interfaces
 // we return 0 as we are using this for uid and this is the default
 func assignInterface(v1, v2 *interface{}) interface{} {
diff --git a/src/moby/image.go b/src/moby/image.go
index 350c3730f..e60b25556 100644
--- a/src/moby/image.go
+++ b/src/moby/image.go
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ func ImageTar(ref *reference.Spec, prefix string, tw tarWriter, trust bool, pull
 }
 
 // ImageBundle produces an OCI bundle at the given path in a tarball, given an image and a config.json
-func ImageBundle(prefix string, ref *reference.Spec, config []byte, runtime Runtime, tw tarWriter, trust bool, pull bool, readonly bool, dupMap map[string]string) error {
+func ImageBundle(prefix string, ref *reference.Spec, config []byte, runtime Runtime, tw tarWriter, trust bool, pull bool, readonly bool, dupMap map[string]string) error { // nolint: lll
 	// if read only, just unpack in rootfs/ but otherwise set up for overlay
 	rootExtract := "rootfs"
 	if !readonly {
diff --git a/src/moby/linuxkit.go b/src/moby/linuxkit.go
index 8f5995e1b..fcc6efa42 100644
--- a/src/moby/linuxkit.go
+++ b/src/moby/linuxkit.go
@@ -65,12 +65,7 @@ func ensureLinuxkitImage(name string) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Error converting to initrd: %v", err)
 	}
-	err = writeKernelInitrd(filename, kernel, initrd, cmdline)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	return nil
+	return writeKernelInitrd(filename, kernel, initrd, cmdline)
 }
 
 func writeKernelInitrd(filename string, kernel []byte, initrd []byte, cmdline string) error {
@@ -82,11 +77,7 @@ func writeKernelInitrd(filename string, kernel []byte, initrd []byte, cmdline st
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	err = ioutil.WriteFile(filename+"-cmdline", []byte(cmdline), 0600)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	return nil
+	return ioutil.WriteFile(filename+"-cmdline", []byte(cmdline), 0600)
 }
 
 func outputLinuxKit(format string, filename string, kernel []byte, initrd []byte, cmdline string, size int) error {
@@ -127,13 +118,14 @@ func outputLinuxKit(format string, filename string, kernel []byte, initrd []byte
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Cannot find linuxkit executable, needed to build %s output type: %v", format, err)
 	}
-	commandLine := []string{"-q", "run", "qemu", "-disk", fmt.Sprintf("%s,size=%s,format=%s", filename, sizeString, format), "-disk", fmt.Sprintf("%s,format=raw", tardisk), "-kernel", imageFilename("mkimage")}
+	commandLine := []string{
+		"-q", "run", "qemu",
+		"-disk", fmt.Sprintf("%s,size=%s,format=%s", filename, sizeString, format),
+		"-disk", fmt.Sprintf("%s,format=raw", tardisk),
+		"-kernel", imageFilename("mkimage"),
+	}
 	log.Debugf("run %s: %v", linuxkit, commandLine)
 	cmd := exec.Command(linuxkit, commandLine...)
 	cmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
-	err = cmd.Run()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	return nil
+	return cmd.Run()
 }
diff --git a/src/moby/output.go b/src/moby/output.go
index e0f800ab5..8c170ee6f 100644
--- a/src/moby/output.go
+++ b/src/moby/output.go
@@ -246,11 +246,7 @@ func tarInitrdKernel(kernel, initrd []byte, cmdline string) (*bytes.Buffer, erro
 	if err != nil {
 		return buf, err
 	}
-	err = tw.Close()
-	if err != nil {
-		return buf, err
-	}
-	return buf, nil
+	return buf, tw.Close()
 }
 
 func outputImg(image, filename string, kernel []byte, initrd []byte, cmdline string) error {
@@ -268,25 +264,6 @@ func outputImg(image, filename string, kernel []byte, initrd []byte, cmdline str
 	return dockerRun(buf, output, true, image, cmdline)
 }
 
-// this should replace the other version for types that can specify a size
-func outputImgSize(image, filename string, kernel []byte, initrd []byte, cmdline string, size int) error {
-	log.Debugf("output img: %s %s size %d", image, filename, size)
-	log.Infof("  %s", filename)
-	buf, err := tarInitrdKernel(kernel, initrd, cmdline)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	output, err := os.Create(filename)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	defer output.Close()
-	if size == 0 {
-		return dockerRun(buf, output, true, image)
-	}
-	return dockerRun(buf, output, true, image, fmt.Sprintf("%dM", size))
-}
-
 func outputIso(image, filename string, filesystem []byte) error {
 	log.Debugf("output ISO: %s %s", image, filename)
 	log.Infof("  %s", filename)
@@ -320,11 +297,7 @@ func outputKernelInitrd(base string, kernel []byte, initrd []byte, cmdline strin
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	err = ioutil.WriteFile(base+"-cmdline", []byte(cmdline), os.FileMode(0644))
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	return nil
+	return ioutil.WriteFile(base+"-cmdline", []byte(cmdline), os.FileMode(0644))
 }
 
 func outputKernelInitrdTarball(base string, kernel []byte, initrd []byte, cmdline string) error {