diff --git a/src/xmpp/client.go b/src/xmpp/client.go
index a53d920..293d67e 100644
--- a/src/xmpp/client.go
+++ b/src/xmpp/client.go
@@ -93,14 +93,13 @@ func startClient(stream *Stream, jid JID) error {
 		},
 	}
 
-	if rstart, err := stream.SendStart(&start); err != nil {
+	rstart, err := stream.SendStart(&start)
+	if err != nil {
 		return err
-	} else {
-		if rstart.Name != (xml.Name{nsStreams, "stream"}) {
-			return fmt.Errorf("unexpected start element: %s", rstart.Name)
-		}
 	}
-
+	if rstart.Name != (xml.Name{nsStreams, "stream"}) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unexpected start element: %s", rstart.Name)
+	}
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -158,26 +157,26 @@ func authenticatePlain(stream *Stream, user, password string) error {
 }
 
 func authenticateResponse(stream *Stream) error {
-	if se, err := stream.Next(); err != nil {
+	se, err := stream.Next()
+	if err != nil {
 		return err
-	} else {
-		switch se.Name.Local {
-		case "success":
-			if err := stream.Skip(); err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-			return nil
-		case "failure":
-			f := new(saslFailure)
-			if err := stream.Decode(f, se); err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-			return fmt.Errorf("Authentication failed: %s", f.Reason.Local)
-		default:
-			return fmt.Errorf("Unexpected: %s", se.Name)
-		}
 	}
-	panic("unreachable")
+
+	switch se.Name.Local {
+	case "success":
+		if err := stream.Skip(); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		return nil
+	case "failure":
+		f := new(saslFailure)
+		if err := stream.Decode(f, se); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		return fmt.Errorf("Authentication failed: %s", f.Reason.Local)
+	default:
+		return fmt.Errorf("Unexpected: %s", se.Name)
+	}
 }
 
 type saslAuth struct {
diff --git a/src/xmpp/component.go b/src/xmpp/component.go
index 84cd628..0ae3706 100644
--- a/src/xmpp/component.go
+++ b/src/xmpp/component.go
@@ -35,21 +35,20 @@ func startComponent(stream *Stream, jid JID) (string, error) {
 
 	var streamId string
 
-	if rstart, err := stream.SendStart(&start); err != nil {
+	rstart, err := stream.SendStart(&start)
+	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
-	} else {
-		if rstart.Name != (xml.Name{nsStreams, "stream"}) {
-			return "", fmt.Errorf("unexpected start element: %s", rstart.Name)
-		}
-		// Find the stream id.
-		for _, attr := range rstart.Attr {
-			if attr.Name.Local == "id" {
-				streamId = attr.Value
-				break
-			}
+	}
+	if rstart.Name != (xml.Name{nsStreams, "stream"}) {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("unexpected start element: %s", rstart.Name)
+	}
+	// Find the stream id.
+	for _, attr := range rstart.Attr {
+		if attr.Name.Local == "id" {
+			streamId = attr.Value
+			break
 		}
 	}
-
 	if streamId == "" {
 		return "", errors.New("Missing stream id")
 	}
@@ -70,18 +69,14 @@ func handshake(stream *Stream, streamId, secret string) error {
 	}
 
 	// Get handshake response.
-	if start, err := stream.Next(); err != nil {
-		return err
-	} else {
-		if start.Name != (xml.Name{nsComponentAccept, "handshake"}) {
-			return fmt.Errorf("Expected <handshake/>, for %s", start.Name)
-		}
-	}
-	if err := stream.Skip(); err != nil {
+	start, err := stream.Next()
+	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-
-	return nil
+	if start.Name != (xml.Name{nsComponentAccept, "handshake"}) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Expected <handshake/>, for %s", start.Name)
+	}
+	return stream.Skip()
 }
 
 type saslHandshake struct {
diff --git a/src/xmpp/stanza.go b/src/xmpp/stanza.go
index 4d48bf1..37ec80d 100644
--- a/src/xmpp/stanza.go
+++ b/src/xmpp/stanza.go
@@ -115,12 +115,11 @@ type Error struct {
 }
 
 func (e Error) Error() string {
-	if text := e.Text(); text == "" {
+	text := e.Text()
+	if text == "" {
 		return fmt.Sprintf("[%s] %s", e.Type, e.Condition().Local)
-	} else {
-		return fmt.Sprintf("[%s] %s, %s", e.Type, e.Condition().Local, text)
 	}
-	panic("unreachable")
+	return fmt.Sprintf("[%s] %s, %s", e.Type, e.Condition().Local, text)
 }
 
 type errorText struct {
diff --git a/src/xmpp/stream.go b/src/xmpp/stream.go
index d2dc777..0b3d9c1 100644
--- a/src/xmpp/stream.go
+++ b/src/xmpp/stream.go
@@ -148,11 +148,11 @@ func (stream *Stream) Next() (*xml.StartElement, error) {
 	}
 
 	if stream.config.LogStanzas {
-		if xml, err := collectElement(stream.dec, start, stream.incomingNamespace); err != nil {
+		xml, err := collectElement(stream.dec, start, stream.incomingNamespace)
+		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
-		} else {
-			stream.stanzaBuf = xml
 		}
+		stream.stanzaBuf = xml
 		log.Println("recv:", stream.stanzaBuf)
 	}
 
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ func nextStartElement(dec *xml.Decoder) (*xml.StartElement, error) {
 		}
 		switch e := t.(type) {
 		case xml.StartElement:
-			for i, _ := range e.Attr {
+			for i := range e.Attr {
 				// Replace URL namespace to xml in order to avoid error on Unmarshal
 				// It's quite ugly, but working for now
 				if e.Attr[i].Name.Space == "http://www.w3.org/XML/1998/namespace" {
@@ -183,7 +183,6 @@ func nextStartElement(dec *xml.Decoder) (*xml.StartElement, error) {
 			return nil, io.EOF
 		}
 	}
-	panic("Unreachable")
 }
 
 // Skip reads tokens until it reaches the end element of the most recent start
@@ -205,11 +204,11 @@ func (stream *Stream) Decode(v interface{}, start *xml.StartElement) error {
 	// Explicity lookup next start element to ensure stream is validated,
 	// stanza is logged, etc.
 	if start == nil {
-		if se, err := stream.Next(); err != nil {
+		se, err := stream.Next()
+		if err != nil {
 			return err
-		} else {
-			start = se
 		}
+		start = se
 	}
 
 	if stream.config.LogStanzas {
diff --git a/src/xmpp/xml.go b/src/xmpp/xml.go
index 76993ef..6f65dd3 100644
--- a/src/xmpp/xml.go
+++ b/src/xmpp/xml.go
@@ -76,14 +76,13 @@ func writeXMLAttr(w io.Writer, attr xml.Attr) error {
 func startElementIter(dec *xml.Decoder) func() *xml.StartElement {
 	return func() *xml.StartElement {
 		for {
-			if tok, err := dec.Token(); err != nil {
+			tok, err := dec.Token()
+			if err != nil {
 				return nil
-			} else {
-				if start, ok := tok.(xml.StartElement); ok {
-					return &start
-				}
+			}
+			if start, ok := tok.(xml.StartElement); ok {
+				return &start
 			}
 		}
-		return nil
 	}
 }