diff --git a/pkg/skaffold/deploy/helm.go b/pkg/skaffold/deploy/helm.go
index b771df0e605..d4af34236a5 100644
--- a/pkg/skaffold/deploy/helm.go
+++ b/pkg/skaffold/deploy/helm.go
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@ func (h *HelmDeployer) joinTagsToBuildResult(builds []build.Artifact, params map
 }
 
 func (h *HelmDeployer) Render(context.Context, io.Writer, []build.Artifact, string) error {
-	return fmt.Errorf("not yet implemented")
+	return errors.New("not yet implemented")
 }
 
 func evaluateReleaseName(nameTemplate string) (string, error) {
diff --git a/pkg/skaffold/deploy/kubectl.go b/pkg/skaffold/deploy/kubectl.go
index fdf5fa90661..577af7362d7 100644
--- a/pkg/skaffold/deploy/kubectl.go
+++ b/pkg/skaffold/deploy/kubectl.go
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ package deploy
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
-	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -254,5 +253,5 @@ func (k *KubectlDeployer) readRemoteManifest(ctx context.Context, name string) (
 }
 
 func (k *KubectlDeployer) Render(context.Context, io.Writer, []build.Artifact, string) error {
-	return fmt.Errorf("not yet implemented")
+	return errors.New("not yet implemented")
 }
diff --git a/pkg/skaffold/deploy/kustomize.go b/pkg/skaffold/deploy/kustomize.go
index 1751a018dd8..4f0abb267b3 100644
--- a/pkg/skaffold/deploy/kustomize.go
+++ b/pkg/skaffold/deploy/kustomize.go
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ func (k *KustomizeDeployer) Dependencies() ([]string, error) {
 }
 
 func (k *KustomizeDeployer) Render(context.Context, io.Writer, []build.Artifact, string) error {
-	return fmt.Errorf("not yet implemented")
+	return errors.New("not yet implemented")
 }
 
 func dependenciesForKustomization(dir string) ([]string, error) {
diff --git a/pkg/skaffold/runner/runner_test.go b/pkg/skaffold/runner/runner_test.go
index 8831bf21da8..27a443041e8 100644
--- a/pkg/skaffold/runner/runner_test.go
+++ b/pkg/skaffold/runner/runner_test.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package runner
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
@@ -171,7 +172,7 @@ func (t *TestBench) Deploy(_ context.Context, _ io.Writer, artifacts []build.Art
 }
 
 func (t *TestBench) Render(_ context.Context, _ io.Writer, artifacts []build.Artifact, _ string) error {
-	return fmt.Errorf("not yet implemented")
+	return errors.New("not yet implemented")
 }
 
 func (t *TestBench) Actions() []Actions {