diff --git a/clientapi/routing/membership.go b/clientapi/routing/membership.go
index c0aad9840..c6744ed85 100644
--- a/clientapi/routing/membership.go
+++ b/clientapi/routing/membership.go
@@ -456,13 +456,15 @@ func buildMembershipEvent(
 
 	// If we're inviting a local user, we can generate the needed key here.
 	if targetSenderID == "" && cfg.Matrix.IsLocalServerName(targetID.Domain()) { // todo: remove
-		roomVersion, err := rsAPI.QueryRoomVersionForRoom(ctx, roomID)
+		var roomVersion gomatrixserverlib.RoomVersion
+		roomVersion, err = rsAPI.QueryRoomVersionForRoom(ctx, roomID)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		switch roomVersion {
 		case gomatrixserverlib.RoomVersionPseudoIDs:
-			key, err := rsAPI.GetOrCreateUserRoomPrivateKey(ctx, *targetID, *validRoomID)
+			var key ed25519.PrivateKey
+			key, err = rsAPI.GetOrCreateUserRoomPrivateKey(ctx, *targetID, *validRoomID)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
diff --git a/syncapi/streams/stream_pdu.go b/syncapi/streams/stream_pdu.go
index 545cbd963..699f78e96 100644
--- a/syncapi/streams/stream_pdu.go
+++ b/syncapi/streams/stream_pdu.go
@@ -356,28 +356,32 @@ func (p *PDUStreamProvider) addRoomDeltaToResponse(
 		if ev.Type() != spec.MRoomPowerLevels || !ev.StateKeyEquals("") {
 			continue
 		}
-		pls, err := gomatrixserverlib.NewPowerLevelContentFromEvent(ev)
+		var pls gomatrixserverlib.PowerLevelContent
+		pls, err = gomatrixserverlib.NewPowerLevelContentFromEvent(ev)
 		if err != nil {
 			return r.From, err
 		}
 		newPls := make(map[string]int64)
+		var userID *spec.UserID
 		for user, level := range pls.Users {
 			validRoomID, _ := spec.NewRoomID(ev.RoomID())
-			userID, err := p.rsAPI.QueryUserIDForSender(ctx, *validRoomID, spec.SenderID(user))
+			userID, err = p.rsAPI.QueryUserIDForSender(ctx, *validRoomID, spec.SenderID(user))
 			if err != nil {
 				return r.From, err
 			}
 			newPls[userID.String()] = level
 		}
-		newPlBytes, err := json.Marshal(newPls)
+		var newPlBytes, newEv []byte
+		newPlBytes, err = json.Marshal(newPls)
 		if err != nil {
 			return r.From, err
 		}
-		newEv, err := sjson.SetRawBytes(ev.JSON(), "content.users", newPlBytes)
+		newEv, err = sjson.SetRawBytes(ev.JSON(), "content.users", newPlBytes)
 		if err != nil {
 			return r.From, err
 		}
-		evNew, err := gomatrixserverlib.MustGetRoomVersion(gomatrixserverlib.RoomVersionPseudoIDs).NewEventFromTrustedJSON(newEv, false)
+		var evNew gomatrixserverlib.PDU
+		evNew, err = gomatrixserverlib.MustGetRoomVersion(gomatrixserverlib.RoomVersionPseudoIDs).NewEventFromTrustedJSON(newEv, false)
 		if err != nil {
 			return r.From, err
 		}
@@ -508,6 +512,7 @@ func applyHistoryVisibilityFilter(
 	return events, nil
 }
 
+// nolint: gocyclo
 func (p *PDUStreamProvider) getJoinResponseForCompleteSync(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	snapshot storage.DatabaseTransaction,
@@ -613,9 +618,10 @@ func (p *PDUStreamProvider) getJoinResponseForCompleteSync(
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		newPls := make(map[string]int64)
+		var userID *spec.UserID
 		for user, level := range pls.Users {
 			validRoomID, _ := spec.NewRoomID(ev.RoomID())
-			userID, err := p.rsAPI.QueryUserIDForSender(ctx, *validRoomID, spec.SenderID(user))
+			userID, err = p.rsAPI.QueryUserIDForSender(ctx, *validRoomID, spec.SenderID(user))
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}