diff --git a/clientapi/routing/send_pdus.go b/clientapi/routing/send_pdus.go
index 422882638..f50601ca3 100644
--- a/clientapi/routing/send_pdus.go
+++ b/clientapi/routing/send_pdus.go
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ type sendPDUsRequest struct {
 }
 
 // SendPDUs implements /sendPDUs
+// nolint:gocyclo
 func SendPDUs(
 	req *http.Request, device *api.Device,
 	cfg *config.ClientAPI,
@@ -195,17 +196,17 @@ func SendPDUs(
 						JSON: spec.Forbidden("invalid state_key for membership event"),
 					}
 				}
-				userID, err := rsAPI.QueryUserIDForSender(req.Context(), pdu.RoomID(), spec.SenderID(*stateKey))
-				if err != nil || userID == nil {
+				invitedUserID, err := rsAPI.QueryUserIDForSender(req.Context(), pdu.RoomID(), spec.SenderID(*stateKey))
+				if err != nil || invitedUserID == nil {
 					return util.JSONResponse{
 						Code: http.StatusNotFound,
 						JSON: spec.NotFound("cannot find userID for invite event"),
 					}
 				}
-				if !cfg.Matrix.IsLocalServerName(spec.ServerName(userID.Domain())) {
+				if !cfg.Matrix.IsLocalServerName(spec.ServerName(invitedUserID.Domain())) {
 					inviteReq := roomserverAPI.PerformInviteRequestCryptoIDs{
 						RoomID:      pdu.RoomID().String(),
-						UserID:      *userID,
+						UserID:      *invitedUserID,
 						InviteEvent: pdu,
 					}
 					err := rsAPI.PerformSendInviteCryptoIDs(req.Context(), &inviteReq)
diff --git a/clientapi/routing/sendevent.go b/clientapi/routing/sendevent.go
index 9f71bb593..094f3d286 100644
--- a/clientapi/routing/sendevent.go
+++ b/clientapi/routing/sendevent.go
@@ -535,8 +535,8 @@ func generateSendEvent(
 
 	var identity fclient.SigningIdentity
 	if !cryptoIDs {
-		id, err := rsAPI.SigningIdentityFor(ctx, *validRoomID, *fullUserID)
-		if err != nil {
+		id, idErr := rsAPI.SigningIdentityFor(ctx, *validRoomID, *fullUserID)
+		if idErr != nil {
 			return nil, &util.JSONResponse{
 				Code: http.StatusInternalServerError,
 				JSON: spec.InternalServerError{},
diff --git a/clientapi/routing/state.go b/clientapi/routing/state.go
index 471294921..6041f14c9 100644
--- a/clientapi/routing/state.go
+++ b/clientapi/routing/state.go
@@ -198,6 +198,7 @@ func OnIncomingStateRequest(ctx context.Context, device *userapi.Device, rsAPI a
 // state to see if there is an event with that type and state key, if there
 // is then (by default) we return the content, otherwise a 404.
 // If eventFormat=true, sends the whole event else just the content.
+// nolint:gocyclo
 func OnIncomingStateTypeRequest(
 	ctx context.Context, device *userapi.Device, rsAPI api.ClientRoomserverAPI,
 	roomID, evType, stateKey string, eventFormat bool,
diff --git a/federationapi/internal/perform.go b/federationapi/internal/perform.go
index 4a2609eb2..b5b734da9 100644
--- a/federationapi/internal/perform.go
+++ b/federationapi/internal/perform.go
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ func (r *FederationInternalAPI) PerformMakeJoin(
 			WrappedError: nil,
 			Message:      "Unknown HTTP error",
 		}
-		if lastError != nil {
+		if lastErr != nil {
 			lastError.Message = lastErr.Error()
 		}
 	}
@@ -451,7 +451,7 @@ func (r *FederationInternalAPI) PerformSendJoin(
 			WrappedError: nil,
 			Message:      "Unknown HTTP error",
 		}
-		if lastError != nil {
+		if lastErr != nil {
 			lastError.Message = lastErr.Error()
 		}
 	}
@@ -460,7 +460,6 @@ func (r *FederationInternalAPI) PerformSendJoin(
 		"failed to join user %q to room %q through %d server(s): last error %s",
 		request.UserID, request.RoomID, len(request.ServerNames), lastError,
 	)
-	return
 }
 
 func (r *FederationInternalAPI) performSendJoinUsingServer(
diff --git a/roomserver/internal/perform/perform_join.go b/roomserver/internal/perform/perform_join.go
index 3b847d510..a1aa1565c 100644
--- a/roomserver/internal/perform/perform_join.go
+++ b/roomserver/internal/perform/perform_join.go
@@ -663,8 +663,8 @@ func (r *Joiner) performJoinRoomByIDCryptoIDs(
 
 	// If we should do a forced federated join then do that.
 	if forceFederatedJoin {
-		joinEvent, version, serverName, err := r.performFederatedMakeJoinByIDCryptoIDs(ctx, req)
-		return joinEvent, req.RoomIDOrAlias, version, serverName, err
+		joinEvent, version, serverName, federatedJoinErr := r.performFederatedMakeJoinByIDCryptoIDs(ctx, req)
+		return joinEvent, req.RoomIDOrAlias, version, serverName, federatedJoinErr
 	}
 
 	// Try to construct an actual join event from the template.
@@ -746,8 +746,8 @@ func (r *Joiner) performJoinRoomByIDCryptoIDs(
 		}
 
 		// Perform a federated room join.
-		joinEvent, version, serverName, err := r.performFederatedMakeJoinByIDCryptoIDs(ctx, req)
-		return joinEvent, req.RoomIDOrAlias, version, serverName, err
+		joinEvent, version, serverName, federatedJoinErr := r.performFederatedMakeJoinByIDCryptoIDs(ctx, req)
+		return joinEvent, req.RoomIDOrAlias, version, serverName, federatedJoinErr
 
 	default:
 		// Something else went wrong.