diff --git a/commands/getZones.go b/commands/getZones.go
index c95a8222d..9a8897457 100644
--- a/commands/getZones.go
+++ b/commands/getZones.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ var _ = cmd(catUtils, func() *cli.Command {
 		Usage:   "gets a zone from a provider (stand-alone)",
 		Action: func(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 			if ctx.NArg() < 3 {
-				return cli.NewExitError("Arguments should be: credskey providername zone(s) (Ex: r53 ROUTE53 example.com)", 1)
+				return cli.Exit("Arguments should be: credskey providername zone(s) (Ex: r53 ROUTE53 example.com)", 1)
 
 			}
 			args.CredName = ctx.Args().Get(0)
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ var _ = cmd(catUtils, func() *cli.Command {
 		Usage: "Do a small operation to verify credentials (stand-alone)",
 		Action: func(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 			if ctx.NArg() != 2 {
-				return cli.NewExitError("Arguments should be: credskey providername (Ex: r53 ROUTE53)", 1)
+				return cli.Exit("Arguments should be: credskey providername (Ex: r53 ROUTE53)", 1)
 
 			}
 			args.CredName = ctx.Args().Get(0)
diff --git a/commands/printIR.go b/commands/printIR.go
index e89806655..76aa4ca1b 100644
--- a/commands/printIR.go
+++ b/commands/printIR.go
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ func exit(err error) error {
 	if err == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
-	return cli.NewExitError(err, 1)
+	return cli.Exit(err, 1)
 }
 
 // stringSliceToMap converts cli.StringSlice to map[string]string for further processing
diff --git a/models/dnsrr.go b/models/dnsrr.go
index 0189e57f5..7f7d2ffd4 100644
--- a/models/dnsrr.go
+++ b/models/dnsrr.go
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ func RRtoRC(rr dns.RR, origin string) (RecordConfig, error) {
 	case *dns.TXT:
 		err = rc.SetTargetTXTs(v.Txt)
 	default:
-		return *rc, fmt.Errorf("rrToRecord: Unimplemented zone record type=%s (%v)\n", rc.Type, rr)
+		return *rc, fmt.Errorf("rrToRecord: Unimplemented zone record type=%s (%v)", rc.Type, rr)
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		return *rc, fmt.Errorf("unparsable record received: %w", err)
diff --git a/models/record.go b/models/record.go
index 3dc3a3526..9bb5d6e24 100644
--- a/models/record.go
+++ b/models/record.go
@@ -264,10 +264,8 @@ func (rc *RecordConfig) SetLabelFromFQDN(fqdn, origin string) {
 		panic(fmt.Errorf("fqdn (%s) is not supposed to end with double dots", origin))
 	}
 
-	if strings.HasSuffix(fqdn, ".") {
-		// Trim off a trailing dot.
-		fqdn = fqdn[:len(fqdn)-1]
-	}
+	// Trim off a trailing dot.
+	fqdn = strings.TrimSuffix(fqdn, ".")
 
 	fqdn = strings.ToLower(fqdn)
 	origin = strings.ToLower(origin)
diff --git a/pkg/diff/diff.go b/pkg/diff/diff.go
index 2dac5a4d0..86235c977 100644
--- a/pkg/diff/diff.go
+++ b/pkg/diff/diff.go
@@ -141,8 +141,8 @@ func (d *differ) IncrementalDiff(existing []*models.RecordConfig) (unchanged, cr
 			//if !apexException(dr) || !ignoreNameException(dr) {
 			if (!ignoreNameException(dr)) && (!apexException(dr)) {
 				return nil, nil, nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("trying to update/add IGNORE_NAMEd record: %s %s", dr.GetLabel(), dr.Type)
-			} else {
-				//fmt.Printf("********** DEBUG: desired EXCEPTION\n")
+				//} else {
+				//	fmt.Printf("********** DEBUG: desired EXCEPTION\n")
 			}
 		} else if d.matchIgnoredTarget(dr.GetTargetField(), dr.Type) {
 			return nil, nil, nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("trying to update/add IGNORE_TARGETd record: %s %s", dr.GetLabel(), dr.Type)
diff --git a/pkg/normalize/validate.go b/pkg/normalize/validate.go
index be7822913..16cd0d6fc 100644
--- a/pkg/normalize/validate.go
+++ b/pkg/normalize/validate.go
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ func checkTargets(rec *models.RecordConfig, domain string) (errs []error) {
 		check(checkSoa(rec.SoaExpire, rec.SoaMinttl, rec.SoaRefresh, rec.SoaRetry, rec.SoaSerial, rec.SoaMbox))
 		check(checkTarget(target))
 		if label != "@" {
-			check(fmt.Errorf("SOA record is only valid for bare domain."))
+			check(fmt.Errorf("SOA record is only valid for bare domain"))
 		}
 	case "SRV":
 		check(checkTarget(target))
@@ -505,7 +505,7 @@ func parseDomainSpec(s string) (domain, tag string) {
 
 func checkAutoDNSSEC(dc *models.DomainConfig) (errs []error) {
 	if dc.AutoDNSSEC != "" && dc.AutoDNSSEC != "on" && dc.AutoDNSSEC != "off" {
-		errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf("Domain %q AutoDNSSEC=%q is invalid (expecting \"\", \"off\", or \"on\")", dc.Name, dc.AutoDNSSEC))
+		errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf("domain %q AutoDNSSEC=%q is invalid (expecting \"\", \"off\", or \"on\")", dc.Name, dc.AutoDNSSEC))
 	}
 	return
 }
diff --git a/pkg/recordaudit/txt.go b/pkg/recordaudit/txt.go
index da361a87c..4ab42d5ec 100644
--- a/pkg/recordaudit/txt.go
+++ b/pkg/recordaudit/txt.go
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ func TxtNoBackticks(records []*models.RecordConfig) error {
 
 		if rc.HasFormatIdenticalToTXT() {
 			for _, txt := range rc.TxtStrings {
-				if strings.Index(txt, "`") != -1 {
+				if strings.Contains(txt, "`") {
 					return fmt.Errorf("txtstring contains backtick")
 				}
 			}
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ func TxtNoSingleQuotes(records []*models.RecordConfig) error {
 
 		if rc.HasFormatIdenticalToTXT() {
 			for _, txt := range rc.TxtStrings {
-				if strings.Index(txt, "'") != -1 {
+				if strings.Contains(txt, "'") {
 					return fmt.Errorf("txtstring contains single-quotes")
 				}
 			}
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func TxtNoDoubleQuotes(records []*models.RecordConfig) error {
 
 		if rc.HasFormatIdenticalToTXT() {
 			for _, txt := range rc.TxtStrings {
-				if strings.Index(txt, `"`) != -1 {
+				if strings.Contains(txt, `"`) {
 					return fmt.Errorf("txtstring contains doublequotes")
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/providers/config/providerConfig.go b/providers/config/providerConfig.go
index 3c2951385..addea9e72 100644
--- a/providers/config/providerConfig.go
+++ b/providers/config/providerConfig.go
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ func LoadProviderConfigs(fname string) (map[string]map[string]string, error) {
 	} else {
 		// no executable bit found nor marked as executable so read it in
 		dat, err = readCredsFile(fname)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 	}
 
 	s := string(dat)