diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-backend.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-backend.yml
index 3c7f77c4d9..cbf45344ff 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-backend.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-backend.yml
@@ -32,34 +32,42 @@ jobs:
       - name: install go
         uses: actions/setup-go@v3
         with:
-          go-version: 1.17
+          go-version: "1.17"
 
-      - name: install golangci-lint and goveralls
-        run: |
-          curl -sfL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/golangci/golangci-lint/master/install.sh | sh -s -- -b $GITHUB_WORKSPACE v1.49.0
-          go install github.com/mattn/goveralls@latest
-
-      - name: test and lint backend
+      - name: test and build backend
         run: |
           go test -race -timeout=60s -covermode=atomic -coverprofile=$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/profile.cov_tmp ./...
           cat $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/profile.cov_tmp | grep -v "_mock.go" > $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/profile.cov
-          $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/golangci-lint --config ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/backend/.golangci.yml run --out-format=github-actions ./...
+          go build -race ./...
         working-directory: backend/app
         env:
           TZ: "America/Chicago"
 
-      - name: test and lint examples
+      - name: test examples
         run: |
-          go version
-          $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/golangci-lint version
           go test -race ./...
-          $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/golangci-lint --config ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/backend/.golangci.yml run --out-format=github-actions ./...
+          go build -race ./...
         working-directory: backend/_example/memory_store
         env:
           TZ: "America/Chicago"
 
+      - name: golangci-lint
+        uses: golangci/golangci-lint-action@v3
+        with:
+          version: latest
+          working-directory: backend/app
+
+      - name: golangci-lint on example directory
+        uses: golangci/golangci-lint-action@v3
+        with:
+          version: latest
+          args: --config ../../.golangci.yml
+          working-directory: backend/_example/memory_store
+
       - name: submit coverage
-        run: goveralls -service="github" -coverprofile=$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/profile.cov
+        run: |
+          go install github.com/mattn/goveralls@latest
+          goveralls -service="github" -coverprofile=$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/profile.cov
         working-directory: backend
         env:
           COVERALLS_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/backend/app/main.go b/backend/app/main.go
index b5a673d5a9..4118e23810 100644
--- a/backend/app/main.go
+++ b/backend/app/main.go
@@ -56,9 +56,8 @@ func main() {
 	if _, err := p.Parse(); err != nil {
 		if flagsErr, ok := err.(*flags.Error); ok && flagsErr.Type == flags.ErrHelp {
 			os.Exit(0)
-		} else {
-			os.Exit(1)
 		}
+		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/backend/app/migrator/native_test.go b/backend/app/migrator/native_test.go
index 9c1e44cd26..88db1c2a73 100644
--- a/backend/app/migrator/native_test.go
+++ b/backend/app/migrator/native_test.go
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ func TestNative_ImportManyWithError(t *testing.T) {
 	buf := &bytes.Buffer{}
 	buf.WriteString(`{"version":1, "users":[], "posts":[]}` + "\n")
 	for i := 0; i < 100; i++ {
-		buf.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf(goodRec, i))
+		fmt.Fprintf(buf, goodRec, i)
 	}
 	buf.WriteString("{}\n")
 	buf.WriteString("{}\n")
diff --git a/backend/app/rest/api/migrator.go b/backend/app/rest/api/migrator.go
index 3bc540194d..731a4ed56b 100644
--- a/backend/app/rest/api/migrator.go
+++ b/backend/app/rest/api/migrator.go
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ func (m *Migrator) remapCtrl(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		rest.SendErrorJSON(w, r, http.StatusBadRequest, err, "remap failed, bad given rules", rest.ErrDecode)
 		return
 	}
-	defer r.Body.Close()
+	defer r.Body.Close() //nolint gosec // we don't care about response body
 
 	// start remap procedure with mapper
 	go func() {
diff --git a/backend/app/rest/proxy/image.go b/backend/app/rest/proxy/image.go
index e9c3b1d6f2..aa0319f7f7 100644
--- a/backend/app/rest/proxy/image.go
+++ b/backend/app/rest/proxy/image.go
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ func (p Image) downloadImage(ctx context.Context, imgURL string) ([]byte, error)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("can't download image %s: %w", imgURL, err)
 	}
-	defer resp.Body.Close()
+	defer resp.Body.Close() //nolint gosec // we don't care about response body
 
 	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("got unsuccessful response status %d while fetching %s", resp.StatusCode, imgURL)
diff --git a/backend/app/store/image/image_test.go b/backend/app/store/image/image_test.go
index 5e234009b9..7c9483b5ec 100644
--- a/backend/app/store/image/image_test.go
+++ b/backend/app/store/image/image_test.go
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ func TestCachedImgID(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, "cached_images/"+Sha1Str("example.org")+"-"+Sha1Str(imgURL), img)
 }
 
-func TestService_DoubleClose(t *testing.T) {
+func TestService_DoubleClose(*testing.T) {
 	store := StoreMock{}
 	svc := NewService(&store, ServiceParams{EditDuration: 20 * time.Millisecond})
 	svc.Close(context.TODO())
diff --git a/backend/app/store/service/title_test.go b/backend/app/store/service/title_test.go
index 2dd5af762d..3e3bd79b39 100644
--- a/backend/app/store/service/title_test.go
+++ b/backend/app/store/service/title_test.go
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ func TestTitle_GetFailed(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, int32(1), atomic.LoadInt32(&hits), "hit once, errors cached")
 }
 
-func TestTitle_DoubleClosed(t *testing.T) {
+func TestTitle_DoubleClosed(*testing.T) {
 	ex := NewTitleExtractor(http.Client{Timeout: 5 * time.Second})
 	ex.Close()
 	// second call should not result in panic