diff --git a/controllers/machinehealthcheck_controller.go b/controllers/machinehealthcheck_controller.go
index 9b9f36f34079..7f418092125c 100644
--- a/controllers/machinehealthcheck_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/machinehealthcheck_controller.go
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ func (r *MachineHealthCheckReconciler) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, req ctrl.R
 	defer func() {
 		// Always attempt to patch the object and status after each reconciliation.
 		// Patch ObservedGeneration only if the reconciliation completed successfully
-		patchOpts := []patch.Option{}
+		var patchOpts []patch.Option
 		if reterr == nil {
 			patchOpts = append(patchOpts, patch.WithStatusObservedGeneration{})
 		}
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ func (r *MachineHealthCheckReconciler) reconcile(ctx context.Context, logger log
 			EventRemediationRestricted,
 			message,
 		)
-		errList := []error{}
+		var errList []error
 		for _, t := range append(healthy, unhealthy...) {
 			if err := t.patchHelper.Patch(ctx, t.Machine); err != nil {
 				errList = append(errList, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to patch machine status for machine: %s/%s", t.Machine.Namespace, t.Machine.Name))
@@ -287,8 +287,8 @@ func (r *MachineHealthCheckReconciler) reconcile(ctx context.Context, logger log
 	m.Status.RemediationsAllowed = remediationCount
 	conditions.MarkTrue(m, clusterv1.RemediationAllowedCondition)
 
-	errList := r.PatchUnhealthyTargets(ctx, logger, unhealthy, cluster, m)
-	errList = append(errList, r.PatchHealthyTargets(ctx, logger, healthy, cluster, m)...)
+	errList := r.patchUnhealthyTargets(ctx, logger, unhealthy, cluster, m)
+	errList = append(errList, r.patchHealthyTargets(ctx, logger, healthy, m)...)
 
 	// handle update errors
 	if len(errList) > 0 {
@@ -306,9 +306,9 @@ func (r *MachineHealthCheckReconciler) reconcile(ctx context.Context, logger log
 	return ctrl.Result{}, nil
 }
 
-// PatchHealthyTargets patches healthy machines with MachineHealthCheckSuccededCondition.
-func (r *MachineHealthCheckReconciler) PatchHealthyTargets(ctx context.Context, logger logr.Logger, healthy []healthCheckTarget, cluster *clusterv1.Cluster, m *clusterv1.MachineHealthCheck) []error {
-	errList := []error{}
+// patchHealthyTargets patches healthy machines with MachineHealthCheckSucceededCondition.
+func (r *MachineHealthCheckReconciler) patchHealthyTargets(ctx context.Context, logger logr.Logger, healthy []healthCheckTarget, m *clusterv1.MachineHealthCheck) []error {
+	var errList []error
 	for _, t := range healthy {
 		if m.Spec.RemediationTemplate != nil {
 			// Get remediation request object
@@ -337,10 +337,10 @@ func (r *MachineHealthCheckReconciler) PatchHealthyTargets(ctx context.Context,
 	return errList
 }
 
-// PatchUnhealthyTargets patches machines with MachineOwnerRemediatedCondition for remediation.
-func (r *MachineHealthCheckReconciler) PatchUnhealthyTargets(ctx context.Context, logger logr.Logger, unhealthy []healthCheckTarget, cluster *clusterv1.Cluster, m *clusterv1.MachineHealthCheck) []error {
+// patchUnhealthyTargets patches machines with MachineOwnerRemediatedCondition for remediation.
+func (r *MachineHealthCheckReconciler) patchUnhealthyTargets(ctx context.Context, logger logr.Logger, unhealthy []healthCheckTarget, cluster *clusterv1.Cluster, m *clusterv1.MachineHealthCheck) []error {
 	// mark for remediation
-	errList := []error{}
+	var errList []error
 	for _, t := range unhealthy {
 		condition := conditions.Get(t.Machine, clusterv1.MachineHealthCheckSuccededCondition)
 
@@ -440,7 +440,7 @@ func (r *MachineHealthCheckReconciler) clusterToMachineHealthCheck(o client.Obje
 	}
 
 	// This list should only contain MachineHealthChecks which belong to the given Cluster
-	requests := []reconcile.Request{}
+	var requests []reconcile.Request
 	for _, mhc := range mhcList.Items {
 		key := types.NamespacedName{Namespace: mhc.Namespace, Name: mhc.Name}
 		requests = append(requests, reconcile.Request{NamespacedName: key})
@@ -502,7 +502,7 @@ func (r *MachineHealthCheckReconciler) getMachineFromNode(ctx context.Context, n
 	}
 	// TODO(vincepri): Remove this loop once controller runtime fake client supports
 	// adding indexes on objects.
-	items := []*clusterv1.Machine{}
+	var items []*clusterv1.Machine
 	for i := range machineList.Items {
 		machine := &machineList.Items[i]
 		if machine.Status.NodeRef != nil && machine.Status.NodeRef.Name == nodeName {
diff --git a/controllers/machinehealthcheck_controller_test.go b/controllers/machinehealthcheck_controller_test.go
index 06f35e23afe4..920aef54ac55 100644
--- a/controllers/machinehealthcheck_controller_test.go
+++ b/controllers/machinehealthcheck_controller_test.go
@@ -2617,10 +2617,10 @@ func TestPatchTargets(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// Target with wrong patch helper will fail but the other one will be patched.
-	g.Expect(len(r.PatchUnhealthyTargets(context.TODO(), log.NullLogger{}, []healthCheckTarget{target1, target3}, defaultCluster, mhc))).To(BeNumerically(">", 0))
+	g.Expect(len(r.patchUnhealthyTargets(context.TODO(), log.NullLogger{}, []healthCheckTarget{target1, target3}, defaultCluster, mhc))).To(BeNumerically(">", 0))
 	g.Expect(cl.Get(ctx, client.ObjectKey{Name: machine2.Name, Namespace: machine2.Namespace}, machine2)).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 	g.Expect(conditions.Get(machine2, clusterv1.MachineOwnerRemediatedCondition).Status).To(Equal(corev1.ConditionFalse))
 
 	// Target with wrong patch helper will fail but the other one will be patched.
-	g.Expect(len(r.PatchHealthyTargets(context.TODO(), log.NullLogger{}, []healthCheckTarget{target1, target3}, defaultCluster, mhc))).To(BeNumerically(">", 0))
+	g.Expect(len(r.patchHealthyTargets(context.TODO(), log.NullLogger{}, []healthCheckTarget{target1, target3}, mhc))).To(BeNumerically(">", 0))
 }