diff --git a/cmd/ip-masq-agent/ip-masq-agent.go b/cmd/ip-masq-agent/ip-masq-agent.go
index 8e42af6c..4d1c9cfa 100644
--- a/cmd/ip-masq-agent/ip-masq-agent.go
+++ b/cmd/ip-masq-agent/ip-masq-agent.go
@@ -271,7 +271,9 @@ func validateCIDR(cidr string) error {
 
 func (m *MasqDaemon) syncMasqRules() error {
 	// make sure our custom chain for non-masquerade exists
-	m.iptables.EnsureChain(utiliptables.TableNAT, masqChain)
+	if _, err := m.iptables.EnsureChain(utiliptables.TableNAT, masqChain); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	// ensure that any non-local in POSTROUTING jumps to masqChain
 	if err := m.ensurePostroutingJump(); err != nil {
@@ -311,8 +313,7 @@ func (m *MasqDaemon) syncMasqRulesIPv6() error {
 
 	if isIPv6Enabled {
 		// make sure our custom chain for ipv6 non-masquerade exists
-		_, err := m.ip6tables.EnsureChain(utiliptables.TableNAT, masqChain)
-		if err != nil {
+		if _, err := m.ip6tables.EnsureChain(utiliptables.TableNAT, masqChain); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 		// ensure that any non-local in POSTROUTING jumps to masqChain
diff --git a/cmd/ip-masq-agent/ip-masq-agent_test.go b/cmd/ip-masq-agent/ip-masq-agent_test.go
index a81cbf29..8edfd16b 100644
--- a/cmd/ip-masq-agent/ip-masq-agent_test.go
+++ b/cmd/ip-masq-agent/ip-masq-agent_test.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License.
 */
 
+//nolint:errcheck
 package main
 
 import (
@@ -358,8 +359,8 @@ COMMIT
 			}
 			buf := bytes.NewBuffer(nil)
 			fipt.SaveInto("nat", buf)
-			if string(buf.Bytes()) != string(tt.want) {
-				t.Errorf("syncMasqRules wrote %q, want %q", string(buf.Bytes()), tt.want)
+			if buf.String() != tt.want {
+				t.Errorf("syncMasqRules wrote %q, want %q", buf.String(), tt.want)
 			}
 		})
 	}
@@ -432,8 +433,8 @@ COMMIT
 			}
 			buf := bytes.NewBuffer(nil)
 			fipt6.SaveInto("nat", buf)
-			if string(buf.Bytes()) != tt.want {
-				t.Errorf("syncMasqRulesIPv6 wrote %q, want %q", string(buf.Bytes()), tt.want)
+			if buf.String() != tt.want {
+				t.Errorf("syncMasqRulesIPv6 wrote %q, want %q", buf.String(), tt.want)
 			}
 		})
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/ip-masq-agent/testing/fakefs/fakefs.go b/cmd/ip-masq-agent/testing/fakefs/fakefs.go
index c479b4c2..e8f0b286 100644
--- a/cmd/ip-masq-agent/testing/fakefs/fakefs.go
+++ b/cmd/ip-masq-agent/testing/fakefs/fakefs.go
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ package fakefs
 
 import (
 	"errors"
-	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"time"
 )
@@ -35,7 +34,7 @@ func (DefaultFS) Stat(name string) (os.FileInfo, error) {
 	return os.Stat(name)
 }
 func (DefaultFS) ReadFile(name string) ([]byte, error) {
-	return ioutil.ReadFile(name)
+	return os.ReadFile(name)
 }
 
 // StringFS returns the string as the contents of the file