diff --git a/pkg/commands/kustomizationfile.go b/pkg/commands/kustomizationfile.go
index 2cc29074d..a386ebccf 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/kustomizationfile.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/kustomizationfile.go
@@ -109,16 +109,16 @@ func (mf *kustomizationFile) validate() error {
 }
 
 func (mf *kustomizationFile) read() (*types.Kustomization, error) {
-	bytes, err := mf.fsys.ReadFile(mf.path)
+	data, err := mf.fsys.ReadFile(mf.path)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	var kustomization types.Kustomization
-	err = yaml.Unmarshal(bytes, &kustomization)
+	err = yaml.Unmarshal(data, &kustomization)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	err = mf.parseCommentedFields(bytes)
+	err = mf.parseCommentedFields(data)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -129,11 +129,11 @@ func (mf *kustomizationFile) write(kustomization *types.Kustomization) error {
 	if kustomization == nil {
 		return errors.New("util: kustomization file arg is nil")
 	}
-	bytes, err := mf.marshal(kustomization)
+	data, err := mf.marshal(kustomization)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	return mf.fsys.WriteFile(mf.path, bytes)
+	return mf.fsys.WriteFile(mf.path, data)
 }
 
 func stringInSlice(str string, list []string) bool {
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ func (mf *kustomizationFile) parseCommentedFields(content []byte) error {
 }
 
 func (mf *kustomizationFile) marshal(kustomization *types.Kustomization) ([]byte, error) {
-	output := []byte{}
+	var output []byte
 	for _, comment := range mf.originalFields {
 		output = append(output, comment.comment...)
 		content, err := marshalField(comment.field, kustomization)
diff --git a/pkg/commands/setimagetag.go b/pkg/commands/setimagetag.go
index 12c23b55f..5cc6e4f35 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/setimagetag.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/setimagetag.go
@@ -69,13 +69,13 @@ and overwrite the previous newTag if the image name exists.
 // Validate validates setImageTag command.
 func (o *setImageTagOptions) Validate(args []string) error {
 	if len(args) == 0 {
-		return errors.New("No image and newTag specified.")
+		return errors.New("no image and newTag specified")
 	}
 	o.imageTagMap = make(map[string]string)
 	for _, arg := range args {
 		imagetag := pattern.FindStringSubmatch(arg)
 		if len(imagetag) != 3 {
-			return errors.New("Invalid format of imagetag, must specify it as <image>:<newtag>")
+			return errors.New("invalid format of imagetag, must specify it as <image>:<newtag>")
 		}
 		o.imageTagMap[imagetag[1]] = imagetag[2]
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/commands/setimagetag_test.go b/pkg/commands/setimagetag_test.go
index 597decfd4..af337316a 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/setimagetag_test.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/setimagetag_test.go
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ func TestSetImageTagsNoArgs(t *testing.T) {
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Errorf("expected error: %v", err)
 	}
-	if err.Error() != "No image and newTag specified." {
+	if err.Error() != "no image and newTag specified" {
 		t.Errorf("incorrect error: %v", err.Error())
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/resmap/resmap.go b/pkg/resmap/resmap.go
index 995c81e27..e414c8210 100644
--- a/pkg/resmap/resmap.go
+++ b/pkg/resmap/resmap.go
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ func MergeWithOverride(maps ...ResMap) (ResMap, error) {
 					result[id] = r
 				}
 			} else {
-				return nil, fmt.Errorf("Merge conflict, found multiple objects %v the Resmap %v can merge into", matchedId, id)
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("merge conflict, found multiple objects %v the Resmap %v can merge into", matchedId, id)
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/transformers/patch.go b/pkg/transformers/patch.go
index 638322c6e..9007e1c2a 100644
--- a/pkg/transformers/patch.go
+++ b/pkg/transformers/patch.go
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ func (pt *patchTransformer) Transform(baseResourceMap resmap.ResMap) error {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to find an object with %#v to apply the patch", id.Gvk())
 		}
 		if len(matchedIds) > 1 {
-			return fmt.Errorf("Found multiple objects %#v that the patch %#v can apply", matchedIds, id)
+			return fmt.Errorf("found multiple objects %#v targeted by patch %#v (ambiguous)", matchedIds, id)
 		}
 		id = matchedIds[0]
 		base := baseResourceMap[id]