diff --git a/common/cauthdsl/cauthdsl_test.go b/common/cauthdsl/cauthdsl_test.go
index 88dcfa50a2e..7b3e56c7fc6 100644
--- a/common/cauthdsl/cauthdsl_test.go
+++ b/common/cauthdsl/cauthdsl_test.go
@@ -93,10 +93,7 @@ func (md *mockDeserializer) DeserializeIdentity(serializedIdentity []byte) (msp.
 	return &mockIdentity{idBytes: serializedIdentity}, nil
 }
 
-var validSignature = []byte("signed")
 var signers = [][]byte{[]byte("signer0"), []byte("signer1")}
-var msgs = [][]byte{nil, nil}
-var moreMsgs = [][]byte{nil, nil, nil}
 
 func TestSimpleSignature(t *testing.T) {
 	policy := policydsl.Envelope(policydsl.SignedBy(0), signers)
diff --git a/common/flogging/core_test.go b/common/flogging/core_test.go
index 379a46c1f00..3ec4e61f759 100644
--- a/common/flogging/core_test.go
+++ b/common/flogging/core_test.go
@@ -199,7 +199,8 @@ func TestObserverCheck(t *testing.T) {
 	checkedEntry := &zapcore.CheckedEntry{}
 
 	levels := &flogging.LoggerLevels{}
-	levels.ActivateSpec("debug")
+	err := levels.ActivateSpec("debug")
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	core := &flogging.Core{
 		LevelEnabler: zap.LevelEnablerFunc(func(l zapcore.Level) bool { return true }),
 		Levels:       levels,
@@ -227,7 +228,8 @@ func TestObserverWriteEntry(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	levels := &flogging.LoggerLevels{}
-	levels.ActivateSpec("debug")
+	err := levels.ActivateSpec("debug")
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	selector := &sw{}
 	output := &sw{}
 	core := &flogging.Core{
@@ -241,7 +243,7 @@ func TestObserverWriteEntry(t *testing.T) {
 		Observer: observer,
 	}
 
-	err := core.Write(entry, fields)
+	err = core.Write(entry, fields)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 	assert.Equal(t, 1, observer.WriteEntryCallCount())
diff --git a/common/flogging/global_test.go b/common/flogging/global_test.go
index 05ed372c5fc..8d4e9fa04e0 100644
--- a/common/flogging/global_test.go
+++ b/common/flogging/global_test.go
@@ -17,8 +17,9 @@ import (
 
 func TestGlobalReset(t *testing.T) {
 	flogging.Reset()
-	flogging.Global.SetFormat("json")
-	err := flogging.Global.ActivateSpec("logger=debug")
+	err := flogging.Global.SetFormat("json")
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	err = flogging.Global.ActivateSpec("logger=debug")
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 	system, err := flogging.New(flogging.Config{})
diff --git a/common/flogging/logging_test.go b/common/flogging/logging_test.go
index cfdfdc7f528..be44a26d759 100644
--- a/common/flogging/logging_test.go
+++ b/common/flogging/logging_test.go
@@ -66,7 +66,8 @@ func TestLoggingSetWriter(t *testing.T) {
 	original := logging.SetWriter(ws)
 
 	assert.Exactly(t, old, original)
-	logging.Write([]byte("hello"))
+	_, err = logging.Write([]byte("hello"))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, 1, ws.WriteCallCount())
 	assert.Equal(t, []byte("hello"), ws.WriteArgsForCall(0))