diff --git a/multiaccounts/database.go b/multiaccounts/database.go
index 984311bdf..a0dccd7c4 100644
--- a/multiaccounts/database.go
+++ b/multiaccounts/database.go
@@ -44,14 +44,15 @@ func (db *Database) Close() error {
 	return db.db.Close()
 }
 
-func (db *Database) GetAccounts() ([]Account, error) {
+func (db *Database) GetAccounts() (rst []Account, err error) {
 	rows, err := db.db.Query("SELECT  a.name, a.loginTimestamp, a.identicon, a.keycardPairing, a.keyUid, ii.name, ii.image_payload, ii.width, ii.height, ii.file_size, ii.resize_target FROM accounts AS a LEFT JOIN identity_images AS ii ON ii.key_uid = a.keyUid ORDER BY loginTimestamp DESC")
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	defer rows.Close()
+	defer func() {
+		err = rows.Close()
+	}()
 
-	var rst []Account
 	for rows.Next() {
 		acc := Account{}
 		accLoginTimestamp := sql.NullInt64{}
@@ -139,14 +140,15 @@ func (db *Database) DeleteAccount(keyUID string) error {
 
 // Account images
 
-func (db *Database) GetIdentityImages(keyUID string) ([]*images.IdentityImage, error) {
+func (db *Database) GetIdentityImages(keyUID string) (iis []*images.IdentityImage, err error) {
 	rows, err := db.db.Query(`SELECT key_uid, name, image_payload, width, height, file_size, resize_target FROM identity_images WHERE key_uid = ?`, keyUID)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	defer rows.Close()
+	defer func() {
+		err = rows.Close()
+	}()
 
-	var iis []*images.IdentityImage
 	for rows.Next() {
 		ii := &images.IdentityImage{}
 		err = rows.Scan(&ii.KeyUID, &ii.Name, &ii.Payload, &ii.Width, &ii.Height, &ii.FileSize, &ii.ResizeTarget)
@@ -171,7 +173,7 @@ func (db *Database) GetIdentityImage(keyUID, it string) (*images.IdentityImage,
 	return &ii, nil
 }
 
-func (db *Database) StoreIdentityImages(keyUID string, iis []*images.IdentityImage) error {
+func (db *Database) StoreIdentityImages(keyUID string, iis []*images.IdentityImage) (err error) {
 	// Because SQL INSERTs are triggered in a loop use a tx to ensure a single call to the DB.
 	tx, err := db.db.BeginTx(context.Background(), &sql.TxOptions{})
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/protocol/persistence.go b/protocol/persistence.go
index 6c346f209..42c2ac733 100644
--- a/protocol/persistence.go
+++ b/protocol/persistence.go
@@ -856,26 +856,26 @@ func (db sqlitePersistence) TransactionsToValidate() ([]*TransactionToValidate,
 	return transactions, nil
 }
 
-func (db sqlitePersistence) GetWhenChatIdentityLastPublished(chatID string) (*int64, []byte, error) {
+func (db sqlitePersistence) GetWhenChatIdentityLastPublished(chatID string) (t *int64, hash []byte, err error) {
 	rows, err := db.db.Query("SELECT clock_value, hash FROM chat_identity_last_published WHERE chat_id = ?", chatID)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
-	defer rows.Close()
+	defer func() {
+		err = rows.Close()
+	}()
 
-	var t int64
-	var hash []byte
 	for rows.Next() {
-		err = rows.Scan(&t, &hash)
+		err = rows.Scan(t, &hash)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, nil, err
 		}
 	}
 
-	return &t, hash, nil
+	return t, hash, nil
 }
 
-func (db sqlitePersistence) SaveWhenChatIdentityLastPublished(chatID string, hash []byte) error {
+func (db sqlitePersistence) SaveWhenChatIdentityLastPublished(chatID string, hash []byte) (err error) {
 	tx, err := db.db.BeginTx(context.Background(), &sql.TxOptions{})
 	if err != nil {
 		return err