diff --git a/pkg/api/message/v3/service.go b/pkg/api/message/v3/service.go
index 1afbbdb8..a729d24d 100644
--- a/pkg/api/message/v3/service.go
+++ b/pkg/api/message/v3/service.go
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ func validatePublishWelcomesRequest(req *proto.PublishWelcomesRequest) error {
 			return status.Errorf(codes.InvalidArgument, "invalid welcome message")
 		}
 		ciphertext := welcome.WelcomeMessage.GetV1().Ciphertext
-		if ciphertext == nil || len(ciphertext) == 0 {
+		if len(ciphertext) == 0 {
 			return status.Errorf(codes.InvalidArgument, "invalid welcome message")
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/api/message/v3/service_test.go b/pkg/api/message/v3/service_test.go
index 80755c01..10da71da 100644
--- a/pkg/api/message/v3/service_test.go
+++ b/pkg/api/message/v3/service_test.go
@@ -70,10 +70,12 @@ func newTestService(t *testing.T, ctx context.Context) (*Service, *bun.DB, *mock
 		ReaderDB:  messageDb,
 		CleanerDB: messageDb,
 	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
 	node, nodeCleanup := test.NewNode(t)
 	mlsValidationService := newMockedValidationService()
 
 	svc, err := NewService(node, log, messageStore, mlsStore, mlsValidationService)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	return svc, mlsDb, mlsValidationService, func() {
 		messageStore.Close()
diff --git a/pkg/store/query_test.go b/pkg/store/query_test.go
index afd087cf..0a57e96e 100644
--- a/pkg/store/query_test.go
+++ b/pkg/store/query_test.go
@@ -303,6 +303,7 @@ func TestMlsMessagePublish(t *testing.T) {
 	response, err := store.Query(&messagev1.QueryRequest{
 		ContentTopics: []string{contentTopic},
 	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.Len(t, response.Envelopes, 1)
 	require.Equal(t, response.Envelopes[0].Message, message)
 	require.Equal(t, response.Envelopes[0].ContentTopic, contentTopic)
diff --git a/pkg/testing/random.go b/pkg/testing/random.go
index 3d0d4e9c..508331db 100644
--- a/pkg/testing/random.go
+++ b/pkg/testing/random.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package testing
 
 import (
+	cryptoRand "crypto/rand"
 	"math/rand"
 	"strings"
 )
@@ -21,6 +22,6 @@ func RandomStringLower(n int) string {
 
 func RandomBytes(n int) []byte {
 	b := make([]byte, n)
-	_, _ = rand.Read(b)
+	_, _ = cryptoRand.Read(b)
 	return b
 }