diff --git a/.github/workflows/go.yml b/.github/workflows/go.yml
index bc0b74f8..3dc9064f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/go.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/go.yml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Check out source
         uses: actions/checkout@v1
       - name: Install Linters
-        run: "curl -sfL https://install.goreleaser.com/github.com/golangci/golangci-lint.sh | sh -s -- -b $(go env GOPATH)/bin v1.23.6"
+        run: "curl -sfL https://install.goreleaser.com/github.com/golangci/golangci-lint.sh | sh -s -- -b $(go env GOPATH)/bin v1.24.0"
       - name: Build
         env:
           GO111MODULE: "on"
diff --git a/blockchain/stake/staketx.go b/blockchain/stake/staketx.go
index 6285480e..9542e75c 100644
--- a/blockchain/stake/staketx.go
+++ b/blockchain/stake/staketx.go
@@ -497,7 +497,7 @@ func SStxNullOutputAmounts(amounts []int64,
 	}
 
 	if amountTicket <= 0 {
-		errStr := fmt.Sprintf("committed amount was too small!")
+		errStr := "committed amount was too small!"
 		return 0, nil, stakeRuleError(ErrSStxBadCommitAmount, errStr)
 	}
 
diff --git a/blockchain/subsidy.go b/blockchain/subsidy.go
index d679c203..a79a4e2c 100644
--- a/blockchain/subsidy.go
+++ b/blockchain/subsidy.go
@@ -25,22 +25,22 @@ func blockOneCoinbasePaysTokens(tx *dcrutil.Tx, params *chaincfg.Params) error {
 	}
 
 	if tx.MsgTx().LockTime != 0 {
-		str := fmt.Sprintf("block 1 coinbase has invalid locktime")
+		str := "block 1 coinbase has invalid locktime"
 		return ruleError(ErrBlockOneTx, str)
 	}
 
 	if tx.MsgTx().Expiry != wire.NoExpiryValue {
-		str := fmt.Sprintf("block 1 coinbase has invalid expiry")
+		str := "block 1 coinbase has invalid expiry"
 		return ruleError(ErrBlockOneTx, str)
 	}
 
 	if tx.MsgTx().TxIn[0].Sequence != wire.MaxTxInSequenceNum {
-		str := fmt.Sprintf("block 1 coinbase not finalized")
+		str := "block 1 coinbase not finalized"
 		return ruleError(ErrBlockOneInputs, str)
 	}
 
 	if len(tx.MsgTx().TxOut) == 0 {
-		str := fmt.Sprintf("coinbase outputs empty in block 1")
+		str := "coinbase outputs empty in block 1"
 		return ruleError(ErrBlockOneOutputs, str)
 	}
 
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ func coinbasePaysTreasury(subsidyCache *standalone.SubsidyCache, tx *dcrutil.Tx,
 	}
 
 	if len(tx.MsgTx().TxOut) == 0 {
-		str := fmt.Sprintf("invalid coinbase (no outputs)")
+		str := "invalid coinbase (no outputs)"
 		return ruleError(ErrNoTxOutputs, str)
 	}
 
diff --git a/dcrec/edwards/threshold.go b/dcrec/edwards/threshold.go
index 5dc19aa1..e798ed31 100644
--- a/dcrec/edwards/threshold.go
+++ b/dcrec/edwards/threshold.go
@@ -90,43 +90,43 @@ func schnorrPartialSign(msg []byte, priv []byte,
 	curve := Edwards()
 	privBig := new(big.Int).SetBytes(priv)
 	if privBig.Cmp(zero) == 0 {
-		str := fmt.Sprintf("priv scalar is zero")
+		str := "priv scalar is zero"
 		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("%v", str)
 	}
 	if privBig.Cmp(curve.N) >= 0 {
-		str := fmt.Sprintf("priv scalar is out of bounds")
+		str := "priv scalar is out of bounds"
 		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("%v", str)
 	}
 	zeroBigInt(privBig)
 
 	privNonceBig := new(big.Int).SetBytes(privNonce)
 	if privNonceBig.Cmp(zero) == 0 {
-		str := fmt.Sprintf("privNonce scalar is zero")
+		str := "privNonce scalar is zero"
 		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("%v", str)
 	}
 	if privNonceBig.Cmp(curve.N) >= 0 {
-		str := fmt.Sprintf("privNonce scalar is out of bounds")
+		str := "privNonce scalar is out of bounds"
 		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("%v", str)
 	}
 	zeroBigInt(privNonceBig)
 
 	gpkX, gpkY, err := curve.encodedBytesToBigIntPoint(copyBytes(groupPublicKey))
 	if err != nil {
-		str := fmt.Sprintf("public key point could not be decoded")
+		str := fmt.Sprintf("public key point could not be decoded: %v", err)
 		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("%v", str)
 	}
 	if !curve.IsOnCurve(gpkX, gpkY) {
-		str := fmt.Sprintf("public key sum is off curve")
+		str := "public key sum is off curve"
 		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("%v", str)
 	}
 
 	gpnX, gpnY, err := curve.encodedBytesToBigIntPoint(copyBytes(pubNonceSum))
 	if err != nil {
-		str := fmt.Sprintf("public key point could not be decoded")
+		str := fmt.Sprintf("public key point could not be decoded: %v", err)
 		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("%v", str)
 	}
 	if !curve.IsOnCurve(gpnX, gpnY) {
-		str := fmt.Sprintf("public key sum is off curve")
+		str := "public key sum is off curve"
 		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("%v", str)
 	}
 
diff --git a/dcrec/secp256k1/schnorr/signature.go b/dcrec/secp256k1/schnorr/signature.go
index 4d73ed3f..590fdb13 100644
--- a/dcrec/secp256k1/schnorr/signature.go
+++ b/dcrec/secp256k1/schnorr/signature.go
@@ -92,12 +92,12 @@ func schnorrVerify(sig *Signature, pubkey *secp256k1.PublicKey, msg []byte) (boo
 	}
 
 	if pubkey == nil {
-		str := fmt.Sprintf("nil pubkey")
+		str := "nil pubkey"
 		return false, schnorrError(ErrInputValue, str)
 	}
 
 	if !curve.IsOnCurve(pubkey.X(), pubkey.Y()) {
-		str := fmt.Sprintf("pubkey point is not on curve")
+		str := "pubkey point is not on curve"
 		return false, schnorrError(ErrPointNotOnCurve, str)
 	}
 
@@ -111,23 +111,23 @@ func schnorrVerify(sig *Signature, pubkey *secp256k1.PublicKey, msg []byte) (boo
 	// If the hash ends up larger than the order of the curve, abort.
 	// Same thing for hash == 0 (as unlikely as that is...).
 	if hBig.Cmp(curve.N) >= 0 {
-		str := fmt.Sprintf("hash of (R || m) too big")
+		str := "hash of (R || m) too big"
 		return false, schnorrError(ErrSchnorrHashValue, str)
 	}
 	if hBig.Cmp(bigZero) == 0 {
-		str := fmt.Sprintf("hash of (R || m) is zero value")
+		str := "hash of (R || m) is zero value"
 		return false, schnorrError(ErrSchnorrHashValue, str)
 	}
 
 	// We also can't have s greater than the order of the curve.
 	if sig.s.Cmp(curve.N) >= 0 {
-		str := fmt.Sprintf("s value is too big")
+		str := "s value is too big"
 		return false, schnorrError(ErrInputValue, str)
 	}
 
 	// r can't be larger than the curve prime.
 	if sig.r.Cmp(curve.P) == 1 {
-		str := fmt.Sprintf("given R was greater than curve prime")
+		str := "given R was greater than curve prime"
 		return false, schnorrError(ErrBadSigRNotOnCurve, str)
 	}
 
@@ -138,18 +138,18 @@ func schnorrVerify(sig *Signature, pubkey *secp256k1.PublicKey, msg []byte) (boo
 	rlx, rly := curve.Add(lx, ly, rx, ry)
 
 	if rly.Bit(0) == 1 {
-		str := fmt.Sprintf("calculated R y-value was odd")
+		str := "calculated R y-value is odd"
 		return false, schnorrError(ErrBadSigRYValue, str)
 	}
 	if !curve.IsOnCurve(rlx, rly) {
-		str := fmt.Sprintf("calculated R point was not on curve")
+		str := "calculated R point is not on curve"
 		return false, schnorrError(ErrBadSigRNotOnCurve, str)
 	}
 	rlxB := bigIntToEncodedBytes(rlx)
 
 	// r == r' --> valid signature
 	if !bytes.Equal(rBytes[:], rlxB[:]) {
-		str := fmt.Sprintf("calculated R point was not given R")
+		str := "calculated R point was not given R"
 		return false, schnorrError(ErrUnequalRValues, str)
 	}
 
@@ -221,19 +221,19 @@ func schnorrSign(msg []byte, ps []byte, k []byte) (*Signature, error) {
 	bigK := new(big.Int).SetBytes(k)
 
 	if psBig.Cmp(bigZero) == 0 {
-		str := fmt.Sprintf("secret scalar is zero")
+		str := "secret scalar is zero"
 		return nil, schnorrError(ErrInputValue, str)
 	}
 	if psBig.Cmp(curve.N) >= 0 {
-		str := fmt.Sprintf("secret scalar is out of bounds")
+		str := "secret scalar is out of bounds"
 		return nil, schnorrError(ErrInputValue, str)
 	}
 	if bigK.Cmp(bigZero) == 0 {
-		str := fmt.Sprintf("k scalar is zero")
+		str := "k scalar is zero"
 		return nil, schnorrError(ErrInputValue, str)
 	}
 	if bigK.Cmp(curve.N) >= 0 {
-		str := fmt.Sprintf("k scalar is out of bounds")
+		str := "k scalar is out of bounds"
 		return nil, schnorrError(ErrInputValue, str)
 	}
 
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ func schnorrSign(msg []byte, ps []byte, k []byte) (*Signature, error) {
 
 	// If the hash ends up larger than the order of the curve, abort.
 	if hBig.Cmp(curve.N) >= 0 {
-		str := fmt.Sprintf("hash of (R || m) too big")
+		str := "hash of (R || m) too big"
 		return nil, schnorrError(ErrSchnorrHashValue, str)
 	}
 
diff --git a/rpcserver.go b/rpcserver.go
index bd17c77b..649af9ef 100644
--- a/rpcserver.go
+++ b/rpcserver.go
@@ -5130,7 +5130,7 @@ func (s *rpcServer) processRequest(ctx context.Context, request *dcrjson.Request
 		if request.Method == "" || request.Params == nil {
 			jsonErr = &dcrjson.RPCError{
 				Code:    dcrjson.ErrRPCInvalidRequest.Code,
-				Message: fmt.Sprintf("Invalid request: malformed"),
+				Message: "Invalid request: malformed",
 			}
 			msg, err := createMarshalledReply(request.Jsonrpc, request.ID, result, jsonErr)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -5285,7 +5285,7 @@ func (s *rpcServer) jsonRPCRead(sCtx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *
 			if len(batchedRequests) == 0 {
 				jsonErr := &dcrjson.RPCError{
 					Code:    dcrjson.ErrRPCInvalidRequest.Code,
-					Message: fmt.Sprint("Invalid request: empty batch"),
+					Message: "Invalid request: empty batch",
 				}
 				resp, err = dcrjson.MarshalResponse("2.0", nil, nil, jsonErr)
 				if err != nil {
diff --git a/rpcwebsocket.go b/rpcwebsocket.go
index 8c27d0aa..7749b176 100644
--- a/rpcwebsocket.go
+++ b/rpcwebsocket.go
@@ -1517,7 +1517,7 @@ out:
 			if req.Method == "" || req.Params == nil {
 				jsonErr := &dcrjson.RPCError{
 					Code:    dcrjson.ErrRPCInvalidRequest.Code,
-					Message: fmt.Sprintf("Invalid request: malformed"),
+					Message: "Invalid request: malformed",
 				}
 				reply, err := createMarshalledReply(req.Jsonrpc, req.ID, nil, jsonErr)
 				if err != nil {
@@ -1679,7 +1679,7 @@ out:
 
 					jsonErr := &dcrjson.RPCError{
 						Code:    dcrjson.ErrRPCInvalidRequest.Code,
-						Message: fmt.Sprint("Invalid request: empty batch"),
+						Message: "Invalid request: empty batch",
 					}
 					reply, err = dcrjson.MarshalResponse("2.0", nil, nil, jsonErr)
 					if err != nil {
@@ -1748,7 +1748,7 @@ out:
 						if req.Method == "" || req.Params == nil {
 							jsonErr := &dcrjson.RPCError{
 								Code:    dcrjson.ErrRPCInvalidRequest.Code,
-								Message: fmt.Sprintf("Invalid request: malformed"),
+								Message: "Invalid request: malformed",
 							}
 							reply, err := createMarshalledReply(req.Jsonrpc, req.ID, nil, jsonErr)
 							if err != nil {