diff --git a/.golangci-kustomize.yml b/.golangci-kustomize.yml
index ae56ad045..c82a87361 100644
--- a/.golangci-kustomize.yml
+++ b/.golangci-kustomize.yml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ linters:
     - lll
     - misspell
     - nakedret
-    # - staticcheck (panics)
+    - staticcheck
     - structcheck
     # - stylecheck (panics)
     # - typecheck (fails in lots of places)
diff --git a/api/internal/accumulator/refvartransformer.go b/api/internal/accumulator/refvartransformer.go
index 2c712b48d..48f2b7396 100644
--- a/api/internal/accumulator/refvartransformer.go
+++ b/api/internal/accumulator/refvartransformer.go
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ func (rv *refVarTransformer) replaceVars(in interface{}) (interface{}, error) {
 		// This field can potentially contain a $(VAR) since it is
 		// of string type.
 		return expansion2.Expand(s, rv.mappingFunc), nil
+	//nolint:staticcheck (erroneously claims that `case nil` is unreachable)
 	case nil:
 		return nil, nil
 	default:
diff --git a/api/loader/fileloader_test.go b/api/loader/fileloader_test.go
index 6109265f2..b77e7b0d6 100644
--- a/api/loader/fileloader_test.go
+++ b/api/loader/fileloader_test.go
@@ -480,7 +480,7 @@ func TestLoaderDisallowsLocalBaseFromRemoteOverlay(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("unexpected root %s", l2.Root())
 	}
 	// This is not okay.
-	l3, err = l2.New("../../../highBase")
+	_, err = l2.New("../../../highBase")
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Fatalf("expected err")
 	}