diff --git a/cli/kata-check.go b/cli/kata-check.go
index d47328867c..a97469f21a 100644
--- a/cli/kata-check.go
+++ b/cli/kata-check.go
@@ -52,9 +52,9 @@ const (
 	kernelPropertyCorrect = "Kernel property value correct"
 
 	// these refer to fields in the procCPUINFO file
-	genericCPUFlagsTag    = "flags"
-	genericCPUVendorField = "vendor_id"
-	genericCPUModelField  = "model name"
+	genericCPUFlagsTag    = "flags"      // nolint: varcheck,unused
+	genericCPUVendorField = "vendor_id"  // nolint: varcheck,unused
+	genericCPUModelField  = "model name" // nolint: varcheck,unused
 )
 
 // variables rather than consts to allow tests to modify them
diff --git a/cli/kata-check_test.go b/cli/kata-check_test.go
index 5442bfbe48..b8536bcb2e 100644
--- a/cli/kata-check_test.go
+++ b/cli/kata-check_test.go
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ func makeCPUInfoFile(path, vendorID, flags string) error {
 	return ioutil.WriteFile(path, contents.Bytes(), testFileMode)
 }
 
+// nolint: unused
 func genericTestGetCPUDetails(t *testing.T, validVendor string, validModel string, validContents string, data []TestData) {
 	tmpdir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "")
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/cli/kata-env_test.go b/cli/kata-env_test.go
index a3b6a5970a..4efdf51c65 100644
--- a/cli/kata-env_test.go
+++ b/cli/kata-env_test.go
@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@ func getExpectedAgentDetails(config oci.RuntimeConfig) (AgentInfo, error) {
 	}, nil
 }
 
+// nolint: unused
 func genericGetExpectedHostDetails(tmpdir string, expectedVendor string, expectedModel string) (HostInfo, error) {
 	type filesToCreate struct {
 		file     string
diff --git a/virtcontainers/qemu.go b/virtcontainers/qemu.go
index 487f91ba67..581ce2eb67 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/qemu.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/qemu.go
@@ -1406,6 +1406,7 @@ func (q *qemu) resizeMemory(reqMemMB uint32, memoryBlockSizeMB uint32) (uint32,
 }
 
 // genericAppendBridges appends to devices the given bridges
+// nolint: unused
 func genericAppendBridges(devices []govmmQemu.Device, bridges []types.PCIBridge, machineType string) []govmmQemu.Device {
 	bus := defaultPCBridgeBus
 	switch machineType {
@@ -1437,6 +1438,7 @@ func genericAppendBridges(devices []govmmQemu.Device, bridges []types.PCIBridge,
 	return devices
 }
 
+// nolint: unused
 func genericBridges(number uint32, machineType string) []types.PCIBridge {
 	var bridges []types.PCIBridge
 	var bt types.PCIType
@@ -1469,6 +1471,7 @@ func genericBridges(number uint32, machineType string) []types.PCIBridge {
 	return bridges
 }
 
+// nolint: unused
 func genericMemoryTopology(memoryMb, hostMemoryMb uint64, slots uint8, memoryOffset uint32) govmmQemu.Memory {
 	// image NVDIMM device needs memory space 1024MB
 	// See https://github.com/clearcontainers/runtime/issues/380
diff --git a/virtcontainers/qemu_arm64.go b/virtcontainers/qemu_arm64.go
index bc72b0fa79..cd383de33f 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/qemu_arm64.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/qemu_arm64.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ const defaultQemuMachineType = QemuVirt
 var defaultQemuMachineOptions = "usb=off,accel=kvm,gic-version=" + getGuestGICVersion()
 
 // Not used
-const defaultPCBridgeBus = ""
+const defaultPCBridgeBus = "" // nolint: unused
 
 var qemuPaths = map[string]string{
 	QemuVirt: defaultQemuPath,