diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index c8b2dae..51ab474 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -1,16 +1,16 @@
 stages:
-  - lint
   - build
 
 lint:
-  image: golang:latest
-  stage: lint
+  image: nixery.dev/shell/go/golangci-lint
+  stage: build
   before_script:
+    - cp /share/go/bin/go /bin && mkdir /tmp # fix weirdness from nixery image
     - mkdir -p /go/src/git.callpipe.com/finn/signald-go
     - cp -r * /go/src/git.callpipe.com/finn/signald-go
     - cd /go/src/git.callpipe.com/finn/signald-go
   script:
-    - gofmt -d .
+    - golangci-lint run
 
 build:
   stage: build
diff --git a/cmd/signald-cli/cmd/link.go b/cmd/signald-cli/cmd/link.go
index 81544a3..1bc2ee3 100644
--- a/cmd/signald-cli/cmd/link.go
+++ b/cmd/signald-cli/cmd/link.go
@@ -36,10 +36,13 @@ var linkCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Long:  `Get a URI or QR code to link to an existing Signal account`,
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		requestID := fmt.Sprint("signald-cli-", rand.Intn(1000))
-		s.SendRequest(signald.Request{
+		err := s.SendRequest(signald.Request{
 			Type: "link",
 			ID:   requestID,
 		})
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Fatal("error sending request: ", err)
+		}
 
 		c := make(chan signald.Response)
 		go s.Listen(c)
@@ -50,7 +53,6 @@ var linkCmd = &cobra.Command{
 				case "linking_error":
 					log.Fatal(message.Data.Message)
 					os.Exit(1)
-					break
 
 				case "linking_uri":
 					if uriOrQR {
@@ -58,14 +60,12 @@ var linkCmd = &cobra.Command{
 					} else {
 						qrterminal.Generate(message.Data.URI, qrterminal.M, os.Stdout)
 					}
-					break
 
 				case "linking_successful":
 					if !uriOrQR {
 						fmt.Println("Successfully linked")
 						os.Exit(0)
 					}
-					break
 				}
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/signald-cli/cmd/listAccounts.go b/cmd/signald-cli/cmd/listAccounts.go
index e856e15..1b5b5f8 100644
--- a/cmd/signald-cli/cmd/listAccounts.go
+++ b/cmd/signald-cli/cmd/listAccounts.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package cmd
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"log"
 	"math/rand"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
@@ -31,10 +32,13 @@ var listAccountsCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Long:  `Prints a list of all users to stdout.`,
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		requestID := fmt.Sprint("signald-cli-", rand.Intn(1000))
-		s.SendRequest(signald.Request{
-			Type:     "list_accounts",
-			ID:       requestID,
+		err := s.SendRequest(signald.Request{
+			Type: "list_accounts",
+			ID:   requestID,
 		})
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Fatal("error sending request: ", err)
+		}
 
 		c := make(chan signald.Response)
 		go s.Listen(c)
diff --git a/cmd/signald-cli/cmd/listGroups.go b/cmd/signald-cli/cmd/listGroups.go
index e455b84..7e6f934 100644
--- a/cmd/signald-cli/cmd/listGroups.go
+++ b/cmd/signald-cli/cmd/listGroups.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package cmd
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"log"
 	"math/rand"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
@@ -31,11 +32,14 @@ var listGroupsCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Long:  `Prints a list of all groups the user is in to stdout.`,
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		requestID := fmt.Sprint("signald-cli-", rand.Intn(1000))
-		s.SendRequest(signald.Request{
+		err := s.SendRequest(signald.Request{
 			Type:     "list_groups",
 			Username: username,
 			ID:       requestID,
 		})
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Fatal("error sending request: ", err)
+		}
 
 		c := make(chan signald.Response)
 		go s.Listen(c)
@@ -55,5 +59,5 @@ func init() {
 	RootCmd.AddCommand(listGroupsCmd)
 
 	listGroupsCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&username, "username", "u", "", "The username of the account to use)")
-	listGroupsCmd.MarkFlagRequired("username")
+	must(listGroupsCmd.MarkFlagRequired("username"))
 }
diff --git a/cmd/signald-cli/cmd/root.go b/cmd/signald-cli/cmd/root.go
index a943e55..0d2c569 100644
--- a/cmd/signald-cli/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/signald-cli/cmd/root.go
@@ -73,3 +73,9 @@ func initConfig() {
 		fmt.Println("Using config file:", viper.ConfigFileUsed())
 	}
 }
+
+func must(err error) {
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/signald-cli/cmd/send.go b/cmd/signald-cli/cmd/send.go
index a6132bd..9f93bc2 100644
--- a/cmd/signald-cli/cmd/send.go
+++ b/cmd/signald-cli/cmd/send.go
@@ -59,7 +59,10 @@ var sendCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		if attachment != "" {
 			request.AttachmentFilenames = []string{attachment}
 		}
-		s.SendRequest(request)
+		err := s.SendRequest(request)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Fatal("error sending request: ", err)
+		}
 
 		timeout := 10
 
@@ -81,7 +84,7 @@ func init() {
 	RootCmd.AddCommand(sendCmd)
 
 	sendCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&username, "username", "u", "", "The username to send from (required)")
-	sendCmd.MarkFlagRequired("username")
+	must(sendCmd.MarkFlagRequired("username"))
 
 	sendCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&toUser, "to", "t", "", "The user to send the message to (cannot be combined with --group)")
 
diff --git a/signald/signald.go b/signald/signald.go
index 6e97b11..b7f0848 100644
--- a/signald/signald.go
+++ b/signald/signald.go
@@ -27,12 +27,6 @@ type Signald struct {
 	SocketPath string
 }
 
-func crash(err error) {
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
-}
-
 // Connect connects to the signad socket
 func (s *Signald) Connect() error {
 	if s.SocketPath == "" {
@@ -48,7 +42,7 @@ func (s *Signald) Connect() error {
 }
 
 // Listen listens for events from signald
-func (s *Signald) Listen(c chan Response) error {
+func (s *Signald) Listen(c chan Response) {
 	// we create a decoder that reads directly from the socket
 	d := json.NewDecoder(s.socket)
 
@@ -56,7 +50,7 @@ func (s *Signald) Listen(c chan Response) error {
 
 	for {
 		if err := d.Decode(&msg); err != nil {
-			return err
+			log.Println("error decoding message from signald:", err)
 		}
 		c <- msg
 	}