diff --git a/.golangci.yml b/.golangci.yml
index 6c5366aecb..0c6243602d 100644
--- a/.golangci.yml
+++ b/.golangci.yml
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ linters:
     - gosimple
     - govet
     - grouper
+    - ifshort
     - importas
     - ineffassign
     - makezero
diff --git a/pkg/background/request_process.go b/pkg/background/request_process.go
index a5610bd2b3..c1dab7f115 100644
--- a/pkg/background/request_process.go
+++ b/pkg/background/request_process.go
@@ -53,11 +53,9 @@ func (c *Controller) MarkUR(ur *kyvernov1beta1.UpdateRequest) (*kyvernov1beta1.U
 }
 
 func (c *Controller) UnmarkUR(ur *kyvernov1beta1.UpdateRequest) error {
-	_, err := c.PatchHandler(ur, "")
-	if err != nil {
+	if _, err := c.PatchHandler(ur, ""); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-
 	if ur.Spec.Type == kyvernov1beta1.Mutate && ur.Status.State == kyvernov1beta1.Completed {
 		return c.kyvernoClient.KyvernoV1beta1().UpdateRequests(config.KyvernoNamespace()).Delete(context.TODO(), ur.GetName(), metav1.DeleteOptions{})
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/cosign/init.go b/pkg/cosign/init.go
index be557b35f2..5163c0b4ba 100644
--- a/pkg/cosign/init.go
+++ b/pkg/cosign/init.go
@@ -7,10 +7,8 @@ import (
 )
 
 func Init() error {
-	certs := fulcio.GetRoots()
-	if certs == nil {
+	if fulcio.GetRoots() == nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to initialize Fulcio roots")
 	}
-
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/engine/context/mock_context.go b/pkg/engine/context/mock_context.go
index 99d3df7442..f12b33a7e7 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/context/mock_context.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/context/mock_context.go
@@ -41,8 +41,7 @@ func (ctx *MockContext) Query(query string) (interface{}, error) {
 	var emptyResult interface{}
 
 	// compile the query
-	_, err := jmespath.New(query)
-	if err != nil {
+	if _, err := jmespath.New(query); err != nil {
 		return emptyResult, fmt.Errorf("invalid JMESPath query %s: %v", query, err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/engine/mutate/patch/buffer.go b/pkg/engine/mutate/patch/buffer.go
index 4723e3e2d7..d9cd2a4e04 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/mutate/patch/buffer.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/mutate/patch/buffer.go
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ type buffer struct {
 // UnmarshalJSON writes the slice of bytes to an internal buffer
 func (buff buffer) UnmarshalJSON(b []byte) error {
 	buff.Reset()
-	_, err := buff.Write(b)
-	if err != nil {
+
+	if _, err := buff.Write(b); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	return nil
diff --git a/pkg/engine/mutate/patch/strategicPreprocessing.go b/pkg/engine/mutate/patch/strategicPreprocessing.go
index 01ab40b2a2..e68028aad0 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/mutate/patch/strategicPreprocessing.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/mutate/patch/strategicPreprocessing.go
@@ -296,10 +296,8 @@ func hasAnchor(key string) bool {
 }
 
 func hasAnchors(pattern *yaml.RNode, isAnchor func(key string) bool) bool {
-	ynode := pattern.YNode()
-	kind := ynode.Kind
-
-	if kind == yaml.MappingNode {
+	ynode := pattern.YNode() // nolint:ifshort
+	if ynode.Kind == yaml.MappingNode {
 		fields, err := pattern.Fields()
 		if err != nil {
 			return false
@@ -317,10 +315,10 @@ func hasAnchors(pattern *yaml.RNode, isAnchor func(key string) bool) bool {
 				}
 			}
 		}
-	} else if kind == yaml.ScalarNode {
+	} else if ynode.Kind == yaml.ScalarNode {
 		v := ynode.Value
 		return anchor.ContainsCondition(v)
-	} else if kind == yaml.SequenceNode {
+	} else if ynode.Kind == yaml.SequenceNode {
 		elements, _ := pattern.Elements()
 		for _, e := range elements {
 			if hasAnchors(e, isAnchor) {
diff --git a/pkg/engine/mutation.go b/pkg/engine/mutation.go
index 197b4c70d4..1de90910ff 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/mutation.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/mutation.go
@@ -277,8 +277,7 @@ func buildSuccessMessage(r unstructured.Unstructured) string {
 		return "mutated resource"
 	}
 
-	ns := r.GetNamespace()
-	if ns == "" {
+	if r.GetNamespace() == "" {
 		return fmt.Sprintf("mutated %s/%s", r.GetKind(), r.GetName())
 	}