diff --git a/gossip/comm/comm_impl.go b/gossip/comm/comm_impl.go
index 38fab34b8af..436dcb2dd22 100644
--- a/gossip/comm/comm_impl.go
+++ b/gossip/comm/comm_impl.go
@@ -101,8 +101,8 @@ func NewCommInstanceWithServer(port int, idMapper identity.Mapper, peerIdentity
 	commInst.idMapper.Put(idMapper.GetPKIidOfCert(peerIdentity), peerIdentity)
 
 	if port > 0 {
+		commInst.stopWG.Add(1)
 		go func() {
-			commInst.stopWG.Add(1)
 			defer commInst.stopWG.Done()
 			s.Serve(ll)
 		}()
@@ -328,7 +328,6 @@ func (c *commImpl) Accept(acceptor common.MessageAcceptor) <-chan proto.Received
 			select {
 			case msg := <-genericChan:
 				specificChan <- msg.(*ReceivedMessageImpl)
-				break
 			case s := <-c.exitChan:
 				c.exitChan <- s
 				return
diff --git a/gossip/comm/comm_test.go b/gossip/comm/comm_test.go
index 0f8f7642c79..25cfaf131a7 100644
--- a/gossip/comm/comm_test.go
+++ b/gossip/comm/comm_test.go
@@ -112,9 +112,11 @@ func newCommInstance(port int, sec api.MessageCryptoService) (Comm, error) {
 func handshaker(endpoint string, comm Comm, t *testing.T, sigMutator func([]byte) []byte, pkiIDmutator func([]byte) []byte, mutualTLS bool) <-chan proto.ReceivedMessage {
 	c := &commImpl{}
 	err := generateCertificates("key.pem", "cert.pem")
+	assert.NoError(t, err, "%v", err)
 	defer os.Remove("cert.pem")
 	defer os.Remove("key.pem")
 	cert, err := tls.LoadX509KeyPair("cert.pem", "key.pem")
+	assert.NoError(t, err, "%v", err)
 	tlsCfg := &tls.Config{
 		InsecureSkipVerify: true,
 	}
@@ -304,9 +306,11 @@ func TestCloseConn(t *testing.T) {
 	acceptChan := comm1.Accept(acceptAll)
 
 	err := generateCertificates("key.pem", "cert.pem")
+	assert.NoError(t, err, "%v", err)
 	defer os.Remove("cert.pem")
 	defer os.Remove("key.pem")
 	cert, err := tls.LoadX509KeyPair("cert.pem", "key.pem")
+	assert.NoError(t, err, "%v", err)
 	tlsCfg := &tls.Config{
 		InsecureSkipVerify: true,
 		Certificates:       []tls.Certificate{cert},
@@ -383,10 +387,8 @@ func TestParallelSend(t *testing.T) {
 			if c == messages2Send {
 				waiting = false
 			}
-			break
 		case <-ticker.C:
 			waiting = false
-			break
 		}
 	}
 	assert.Equal(t, messages2Send, c)
@@ -615,10 +617,8 @@ func waitForMessages(t *testing.T, msgChan chan uint64, count int, errMsg string
 			if c == count {
 				waiting = false
 			}
-			break
 		case <-ticker.C:
 			waiting = false
-			break
 		}
 	}
 	assert.Equal(t, count, c, errMsg)
diff --git a/gossip/comm/conn.go b/gossip/comm/conn.go
index b064f59ea35..917e3427d92 100644
--- a/gossip/comm/conn.go
+++ b/gossip/comm/conn.go
@@ -309,7 +309,6 @@ func (conn *connection) writeToStream() {
 				go m.onErr(err)
 				return
 			}
-			break
 		case stop := <-conn.stopChan:
 			conn.logger.Debug("Closing writing to stream")
 			conn.stopChan <- stop
diff --git a/gossip/comm/crypto.go b/gossip/comm/crypto.go
index c85c23e92cb..3b642b2721a 100644
--- a/gossip/comm/crypto.go
+++ b/gossip/comm/crypto.go
@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@ func generateCertificates(privKeyFile string, certKeyFile string) error {
 	}
 
 	sn, err := rand.Int(rand.Reader, new(big.Int).Lsh(big.NewInt(1), 128))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	template := x509.Certificate{
 		KeyUsage:     x509.KeyUsageKeyEncipherment | x509.KeyUsageDigitalSignature,
 		SerialNumber: sn,
diff --git a/gossip/discovery/discovery_impl.go b/gossip/discovery/discovery_impl.go
index 1622adee87f..4a2f2083137 100644
--- a/gossip/discovery/discovery_impl.go
+++ b/gossip/discovery/discovery_impl.go
@@ -278,7 +278,6 @@ func (d *gossipDiscoveryImpl) handlePresumedDeadPeers() {
 			if d.isAlive(deadPeer) {
 				d.expireDeadMembers([]common.PKIidType{deadPeer})
 			}
-			break
 		case s := <-d.toDieChan:
 			d.toDieChan <- s
 			return
@@ -304,7 +303,6 @@ func (d *gossipDiscoveryImpl) handleMessages() {
 			return
 		case m := <-in:
 			d.handleMsgFromComm(m)
-			break
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -501,7 +499,7 @@ func (d *gossipDiscoveryImpl) handleAliveMessage(m *proto.SignedGossipMessage) {
 	}
 
 	d.lock.RLock()
-	lastAliveTS, isAlive := d.aliveLastTS[string(pkiID)]
+	_, isAlive := d.aliveLastTS[string(pkiID)]
 	lastDeadTS, isDead := d.deadLastTS[string(pkiID)]
 	d.lock.RUnlock()
 
@@ -526,7 +524,7 @@ func (d *gossipDiscoveryImpl) handleAliveMessage(m *proto.SignedGossipMessage) {
 	}
 
 	d.lock.RLock()
-	lastAliveTS, isAlive = d.aliveLastTS[string(pkiID)]
+	lastAliveTS, isAlive := d.aliveLastTS[string(pkiID)]
 	d.lock.RUnlock()
 
 	if isAlive {
diff --git a/gossip/election/adapter_test.go b/gossip/election/adapter_test.go
index abbcb958995..2838f9501b9 100644
--- a/gossip/election/adapter_test.go
+++ b/gossip/election/adapter_test.go
@@ -107,10 +107,9 @@ func TestAdapterImpl_Peers(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestAdapterImpl_Stop(t *testing.T) {
 	_, adapters := createCluster(0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
-	var ch []<-chan Msg
 
 	for _, adapter := range adapters {
-		ch = append(ch, adapter.Accept())
+		adapter.Accept()
 	}
 
 	for _, adapter := range adapters {
diff --git a/gossip/gossip/algo/pull_test.go b/gossip/gossip/algo/pull_test.go
index fc17c473e5c..b1224b85f61 100644
--- a/gossip/gossip/algo/pull_test.go
+++ b/gossip/gossip/algo/pull_test.go
@@ -93,7 +93,6 @@ func newPushPullTestInstance(name string, peers map[string]*pullTestInstance) *p
 				return
 			case m := <-inst.msgQueue:
 				inst.handleMessage(m)
-				break
 			}
 		}
 	}()
diff --git a/gossip/gossip/gossip_impl.go b/gossip/gossip/gossip_impl.go
index 5aec8a8e9c3..287afe300b8 100644
--- a/gossip/gossip/gossip_impl.go
+++ b/gossip/gossip/gossip_impl.go
@@ -238,7 +238,6 @@ func (g *gossipServiceImpl) handlePresumedDead() {
 			return
 		case deadEndpoint := <-g.comm.PresumedDead():
 			g.presumedDead <- deadEndpoint
-			break
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -286,7 +285,6 @@ func (g *gossipServiceImpl) acceptMessages(incMsgs <-chan proto.ReceivedMessage)
 			return
 		case msg := <-incMsgs:
 			g.handleMessage(msg)
-			break
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -696,7 +694,6 @@ func (g *gossipServiceImpl) Accept(acceptor common.MessageAcceptor, passThrough
 					return
 				}
 				outCh <- m.(*proto.SignedGossipMessage).GossipMessage
-				break
 			}
 		}
 	}()
diff --git a/gossip/state/state.go b/gossip/state/state.go
index 70e8802dcae..982257843ee 100644
--- a/gossip/state/state.go
+++ b/gossip/state/state.go
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ func (s *GossipStateProviderImpl) handleStateRequest(msg proto.ReceivedMessage)
 		return
 	}
 
-	if batchSize < 0 {
+	if request.StartSeqNum > request.EndSeqNum {
 		logger.Errorf("Invalid sequence interval [%d...%d], ignoring request...", request.StartSeqNum, request.EndSeqNum)
 		return
 	}