diff --git a/pkg/api/agentPoolOnlyApi/v20170831/validate.go b/pkg/api/agentPoolOnlyApi/v20170831/validate.go
index 552a26b3a9..61e412aa55 100644
--- a/pkg/api/agentPoolOnlyApi/v20170831/validate.go
+++ b/pkg/api/agentPoolOnlyApi/v20170831/validate.go
@@ -88,10 +88,7 @@ func (a *Properties) Validate() error {
 			return e
 		}
 	}
-	if e := validateVNET(a); e != nil {
-		return e
-	}
-	return nil
+	return validateVNET(a)
 }
 
 func validatePoolName(poolName string) error {
diff --git a/pkg/api/agentPoolOnlyApi/v20180331/validate.go b/pkg/api/agentPoolOnlyApi/v20180331/validate.go
index 5a7e3bb3a5..f37520da65 100644
--- a/pkg/api/agentPoolOnlyApi/v20180331/validate.go
+++ b/pkg/api/agentPoolOnlyApi/v20180331/validate.go
@@ -25,10 +25,7 @@ func init() {
 func (a *AgentPoolProfile) Validate() error {
 	// Don't need to call validate.Struct(a)
 	// It is handled by Properties.Validate()
-	if e := validatePoolName(a.Name); e != nil {
-		return e
-	}
-	return nil
+	return validatePoolName(a.Name)
 }
 
 // Validate implements APIObject
diff --git a/pkg/api/agentPoolOnlyApi/vlabs/validate.go b/pkg/api/agentPoolOnlyApi/vlabs/validate.go
index 34cf032a83..bde243aefe 100644
--- a/pkg/api/agentPoolOnlyApi/vlabs/validate.go
+++ b/pkg/api/agentPoolOnlyApi/vlabs/validate.go
@@ -78,10 +78,7 @@ func (a *Properties) Validate() error {
 	if e := a.LinuxProfile.Validate(); e != nil {
 		return e
 	}
-	if e := validateVNET(a); e != nil {
-		return e
-	}
-	return nil
+	return validateVNET(a)
 }
 
 func validatePoolName(poolName string) error {
diff --git a/pkg/api/v20160330/validate.go b/pkg/api/v20160330/validate.go
index bf96fd7d88..a0d250b16f 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v20160330/validate.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v20160330/validate.go
@@ -27,10 +27,7 @@ func (m *MasterProfile) Validate() error {
 	if e := validateName(m.DNSPrefix, "MasterProfile.DNSPrefix"); e != nil {
 		return e
 	}
-	if e := validateDNSName(m.DNSPrefix); e != nil {
-		return e
-	}
-	return nil
+	return validateDNSName(m.DNSPrefix)
 }
 
 // Validate implements APIObject
@@ -63,10 +60,7 @@ func (l *LinuxProfile) Validate() error {
 	if len(l.SSH.PublicKeys) != 1 {
 		return errors.New("LinuxProfile.PublicKeys requires only 1 SSH Key")
 	}
-	if e := validateName(l.SSH.PublicKeys[0].KeyData, "LinuxProfile.PublicKeys.KeyData"); e != nil {
-		return e
-	}
-	return nil
+	return validateName(l.SSH.PublicKeys[0].KeyData, "LinuxProfile.PublicKeys.KeyData")
 }
 
 // Validate implements APIObject
diff --git a/pkg/api/v20160930/validate.go b/pkg/api/v20160930/validate.go
index 0183248c38..89dbf8c6a7 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v20160930/validate.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v20160930/validate.go
@@ -28,10 +28,7 @@ func (m *MasterProfile) Validate() error {
 	if e := validateName(m.DNSPrefix, "MasterProfile.DNSPrefix"); e != nil {
 		return e
 	}
-	if e := validateDNSName(m.DNSPrefix); e != nil {
-		return e
-	}
-	return nil
+	return validateDNSName(m.DNSPrefix)
 }
 
 // Validate implements APIObject
@@ -71,10 +68,7 @@ func (l *LinuxProfile) Validate() error {
 	if len(l.SSH.PublicKeys) != 1 {
 		return errors.New("LinuxProfile.PublicKeys requires only 1 SSH Key")
 	}
-	if e := validateName(l.SSH.PublicKeys[0].KeyData, "LinuxProfile.PublicKeys.KeyData"); e != nil {
-		return e
-	}
-	return nil
+	return validateName(l.SSH.PublicKeys[0].KeyData, "LinuxProfile.PublicKeys.KeyData")
 }
 
 // Validate implements APIObject
diff --git a/pkg/api/v20170131/validate.go b/pkg/api/v20170131/validate.go
index b76a845acd..26f5957401 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v20170131/validate.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v20170131/validate.go
@@ -29,10 +29,7 @@ func (m *MasterProfile) Validate() error {
 	if e := validateName(m.DNSPrefix, "MasterProfile.DNSPrefix"); e != nil {
 		return e
 	}
-	if e := validateDNSName(m.DNSPrefix); e != nil {
-		return e
-	}
-	return nil
+	return validateDNSName(m.DNSPrefix)
 }
 
 // Validate implements APIObject
@@ -72,10 +69,7 @@ func (l *LinuxProfile) Validate() error {
 	if len(l.SSH.PublicKeys) != 1 {
 		return errors.New("LinuxProfile.PublicKeys requires only 1 SSH Key")
 	}
-	if e := validateName(l.SSH.PublicKeys[0].KeyData, "LinuxProfile.PublicKeys.KeyData"); e != nil {
-		return e
-	}
-	return nil
+	return validateName(l.SSH.PublicKeys[0].KeyData, "LinuxProfile.PublicKeys.KeyData")
 }
 
 // Validate implements APIObject
@@ -132,10 +126,7 @@ func (a *Properties) Validate() error {
 	if e := a.LinuxProfile.Validate(); e != nil {
 		return e
 	}
-	if e := a.OrchestratorProfile.Validate(); e != nil {
-		return e
-	}
-	return nil
+	return a.OrchestratorProfile.Validate()
 }
 
 func validateNameEmpty(name string, label string) error {
diff --git a/pkg/api/v20170701/validate.go b/pkg/api/v20170701/validate.go
index bf5e67345a..2d28ecaefb 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v20170701/validate.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v20170701/validate.go
@@ -192,10 +192,7 @@ func (a *Properties) Validate(isUpdate bool) error {
 	if e := a.LinuxProfile.Validate(); e != nil {
 		return e
 	}
-	if e := validateVNET(a); e != nil {
-		return e
-	}
-	return nil
+	return validateVNET(a)
 }
 
 func validatePoolName(poolName string) error {
diff --git a/pkg/api/vlabs/validate.go b/pkg/api/vlabs/validate.go
index d9bb4621b9..0150382ffd 100644
--- a/pkg/api/vlabs/validate.go
+++ b/pkg/api/vlabs/validate.go
@@ -395,10 +395,7 @@ func (l *LinuxProfile) Validate() error {
 	if e := validate.Var(l.SSH.PublicKeys[0].KeyData, "required"); e != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("KeyData in LinuxProfile.SSH.PublicKeys cannot be empty string")
 	}
-	if e := validateKeyVaultSecrets(l.Secrets, false); e != nil {
-		return e
-	}
-	return nil
+	return validateKeyVaultSecrets(l.Secrets, false)
 }
 
 func handleValidationErrors(e validator.ValidationErrors) error {
@@ -416,10 +413,7 @@ func (w *WindowsProfile) Validate() error {
 	if e := validate.Var(w.AdminPassword, "required"); e != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("WindowsProfile.AdminPassword is required, when agent pool specifies windows")
 	}
-	if e := validateKeyVaultSecrets(w.Secrets, true); e != nil {
-		return e
-	}
-	return nil
+	return validateKeyVaultSecrets(w.Secrets, true)
 }
 
 // Validate implements APIObject
diff --git a/pkg/operations/kubernetesupgrade/upgrader.go b/pkg/operations/kubernetesupgrade/upgrader.go
index 547834513f..a48ea44b72 100644
--- a/pkg/operations/kubernetesupgrade/upgrader.go
+++ b/pkg/operations/kubernetesupgrade/upgrader.go
@@ -55,11 +55,7 @@ func (ku *Upgrader) RunUpgrade() error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if err := ku.upgradeAgentPools(); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	return nil
+	return ku.upgradeAgentPools()
 }
 
 // Validate will run validation post upgrade