diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/data_navigator.go b/pkg/yqlib/data_navigator.go
index cfbfece..440331c 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/data_navigator.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/data_navigator.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ func (n *navigator) doTraverse(value *yaml.Node, head string, tail []string, pat
 		// ignore errors here, we are deep splatting so we may accidently give a string key
 		// to an array sequence
 		if len(tail) > 0 {
-			n.recurse(value, tail[0], tail[1:], pathStack)
+			_ = n.recurse(value, tail[0], tail[1:], pathStack)
 		}
 		return errorDeepSplatting
 	}
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func (n *navigator) recurse(value *yaml.Node, head string, tail []string, pathSt
 	case yaml.AliasNode:
 		log.Debug("its an alias!")
 		DebugNode(value.Alias)
-		if n.navigationStrategy.FollowAlias(NewNodeContext(value, head, tail, pathStack)) == true {
+		if n.navigationStrategy.FollowAlias(NewNodeContext(value, head, tail, pathStack)) {
 			log.Debug("following the alias")
 			return n.recurse(value.Alias, head, tail, pathStack)
 		}
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ func (n *navigator) recurseMap(value *yaml.Node, head string, tail []string, pat
 		n.navigationStrategy.DebugVisitedNodes()
 		log.Debug("should I traverse? %v, %v", head, pathStackToString(newPathStack))
 		DebugNode(value)
-		if n.navigationStrategy.ShouldTraverse(NewNodeContext(contents[indexInMap+1], head, tail, newPathStack), contents[indexInMap].Value) == true {
+		if n.navigationStrategy.ShouldTraverse(NewNodeContext(contents[indexInMap+1], head, tail, newPathStack), contents[indexInMap].Value) {
 			log.Debug("recurseMap: Going to traverse")
 			traversedEntry = true
 			// contents[indexInMap+1] = n.getOrReplace(contents[indexInMap+1], guessKind(head, tail, contents[indexInMap+1].Kind))
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ func (n *navigator) recurseMap(value *yaml.Node, head string, tail []string, pat
 		return errorVisiting
 	}
 
-	if traversedEntry == true || head == "*" || head == "**" || n.navigationStrategy.AutoCreateMap(NewNodeContext(value, head, tail, pathStack)) == false {
+	if traversedEntry || head == "*" || head == "**" || !n.navigationStrategy.AutoCreateMap(NewNodeContext(value, head, tail, pathStack)) {
 		return nil
 	}
 
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ func (n *navigator) visitMatchingEntries(node *yaml.Node, head string, tail []st
 	// if we don't find a match directly on this node first.
 	errorVisitedDirectEntries := n.visitDirectMatchingEntries(node, head, tail, pathStack, visit)
 
-	if errorVisitedDirectEntries != nil || n.navigationStrategy.FollowAlias(NewNodeContext(node, head, tail, pathStack)) == false {
+	if errorVisitedDirectEntries != nil || !n.navigationStrategy.FollowAlias(NewNodeContext(node, head, tail, pathStack)) {
 		return errorVisitedDirectEntries
 	}
 	return n.visitAliases(contents, head, tail, pathStack, visit)
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/delete_navigation_strategy.go b/pkg/yqlib/delete_navigation_strategy.go
index b4f95c3..fc83c9e 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/delete_navigation_strategy.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/delete_navigation_strategy.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ func deleteFromMap(pathParser PathParser, contents []*yaml.Node, pathStack []int
 	for index := 0; index < len(contents); index = index + 2 {
 		keyNode := contents[index]
 		valueNode := contents[index+1]
-		if pathParser.MatchesNextPathElement(NewNodeContext(keyNode, pathElementToDelete, []string{}, pathStack), keyNode.Value) == false {
+		if !pathParser.MatchesNextPathElement(NewNodeContext(keyNode, pathElementToDelete, []string{}, pathStack), keyNode.Value) {
 			log.Debug("adding node %v", keyNode.Value)
 			newContents = append(newContents, keyNode, valueNode)
 		} else {
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/lib.go b/pkg/yqlib/lib.go
index 8429a12..e455d7f 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/lib.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/lib.go
@@ -25,7 +25,10 @@ func DebugNode(value *yaml.Node) {
 	} else if log.IsEnabledFor(logging.DEBUG) {
 		buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
 		encoder := yaml.NewEncoder(buf)
-		encoder.Encode(value)
+		errorEncoding := encoder.Encode(value)
+		if errorEncoding != nil {
+			log.Error("Error debugging node, %v", errorEncoding.Error())
+		}
 		encoder.Close()
 		log.Debug("Tag: %v", value.Tag)
 		log.Debug("%v", buf.String())
@@ -94,8 +97,7 @@ type YqLib interface {
 }
 
 type lib struct {
-	navigator DataNavigator
-	parser    PathParser
+	parser PathParser
 }
 
 func NewYqLib() YqLib {
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/update_navigation_strategy.go b/pkg/yqlib/update_navigation_strategy.go
index 8eea906..e6be8b7 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/update_navigation_strategy.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/update_navigation_strategy.go
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ func UpdateNavigationStrategy(updateCommand UpdateCommand, autoCreate bool) Navi
 		visit: func(nodeContext NodeContext) error {
 			node := nodeContext.Node
 			changesToApply := updateCommand.Value
-			if updateCommand.Overwrite == true || node.Value == "" {
+			if updateCommand.Overwrite || node.Value == "" {
 				log.Debug("going to update")
 				DebugNode(node)
 				log.Debug("with")
diff --git a/yq.go b/yq.go
index 021784c..c36ba59 100644
--- a/yq.go
+++ b/yq.go
@@ -434,7 +434,7 @@ func mergeProperties(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 
 	for _, fileToMerge := range filesToMerge {
 		matchingNodes, errorProcessingFile := readYamlFile(fileToMerge, "**", false, 0)
-		if errorProcessingFile != nil && (allowEmptyFlag == false || !strings.HasPrefix(errorProcessingFile.Error(), "Could not process document index")) {
+		if errorProcessingFile != nil && (!allowEmptyFlag || !strings.HasPrefix(errorProcessingFile.Error(), "Could not process document index")) {
 			return errorProcessingFile
 		}
 		for _, matchingNode := range matchingNodes {
@@ -464,9 +464,9 @@ func newProperty(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 
 	var encoder = yaml.NewEncoder(cmd.OutOrStdout())
 	encoder.SetIndent(2)
-	encoder.Encode(&newNode)
+	errorEncoding := encoder.Encode(&newNode)
 	encoder.Close()
-	return nil
+	return errorEncoding
 }
 
 func prefixProperty(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {