diff --git a/dnscrypt-proxy/coldstart.go b/dnscrypt-proxy/coldstart.go
index 209c3417..dbf075f3 100644
--- a/dnscrypt-proxy/coldstart.go
+++ b/dnscrypt-proxy/coldstart.go
@@ -146,13 +146,13 @@ func ColdStart(proxy *Proxy) (*CaptivePortalHandler, error) {
 	if len(proxy.captivePortalMapFile) == 0 {
 		return nil, nil
 	}
-	bin, err := ReadTextFile(proxy.captivePortalMapFile)
+	lines, err := ReadTextFile(proxy.captivePortalMapFile)
 	if err != nil {
 		dlog.Warn(err)
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	ipsMap := make(CaptivePortalMap)
-	for lineNo, line := range strings.Split(string(bin), "\n") {
+	for lineNo, line := range strings.Split(lines, "\n") {
 		line = TrimAndStripInlineComments(line)
 		if len(line) == 0 {
 			continue
diff --git a/dnscrypt-proxy/config.go b/dnscrypt-proxy/config.go
index 13b211bd..e9d99d5a 100644
--- a/dnscrypt-proxy/config.go
+++ b/dnscrypt-proxy/config.go
@@ -906,7 +906,7 @@ func (config *Config) loadSource(proxy *Proxy, cfgSourceName string, cfgSource *
 		cfgSource.Prefix,
 	)
 	if err != nil {
-		if len(source.bin) == 0 {
+		if len(source.bin) <= 0 {
 			dlog.Criticalf("Unable to retrieve source [%s]: [%s]", cfgSourceName, err)
 			return err
 		}
diff --git a/dnscrypt-proxy/netprobe_others.go b/dnscrypt-proxy/netprobe_others.go
index 4d399298..1745b46f 100644
--- a/dnscrypt-proxy/netprobe_others.go
+++ b/dnscrypt-proxy/netprobe_others.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func NetProbe(proxy *Proxy, address string, timeout int) error {
-	if len(address) == 0 || timeout == 0 {
+	if len(address) <= 0 || timeout == 0 {
 		return nil
 	}
 	if captivePortalHandler, err := ColdStart(proxy); err == nil {
diff --git a/dnscrypt-proxy/plugin_allow_ip.go b/dnscrypt-proxy/plugin_allow_ip.go
index bba56db1..a25b915f 100644
--- a/dnscrypt-proxy/plugin_allow_ip.go
+++ b/dnscrypt-proxy/plugin_allow_ip.go
@@ -30,13 +30,13 @@ func (plugin *PluginAllowedIP) Description() string {
 
 func (plugin *PluginAllowedIP) Init(proxy *Proxy) error {
 	dlog.Noticef("Loading the set of allowed IP rules from [%s]", proxy.allowedIPFile)
-	bin, err := ReadTextFile(proxy.allowedIPFile)
+	lines, err := ReadTextFile(proxy.allowedIPFile)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	plugin.allowedPrefixes = iradix.New()
 	plugin.allowedIPs = make(map[string]interface{})
-	for lineNo, line := range strings.Split(bin, "\n") {
+	for lineNo, line := range strings.Split(lines, "\n") {
 		line = TrimAndStripInlineComments(line)
 		if len(line) == 0 {
 			continue
diff --git a/dnscrypt-proxy/plugin_allow_name.go b/dnscrypt-proxy/plugin_allow_name.go
index 80ca75c7..f956c40e 100644
--- a/dnscrypt-proxy/plugin_allow_name.go
+++ b/dnscrypt-proxy/plugin_allow_name.go
@@ -29,13 +29,13 @@ func (plugin *PluginAllowName) Description() string {
 
 func (plugin *PluginAllowName) Init(proxy *Proxy) error {
 	dlog.Noticef("Loading the set of allowed names from [%s]", proxy.allowNameFile)
-	bin, err := ReadTextFile(proxy.allowNameFile)
+	lines, err := ReadTextFile(proxy.allowNameFile)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	plugin.allWeeklyRanges = proxy.allWeeklyRanges
 	plugin.patternMatcher = NewPatternMatcher()
-	for lineNo, line := range strings.Split(string(bin), "\n") {
+	for lineNo, line := range strings.Split(lines, "\n") {
 		line = TrimAndStripInlineComments(line)
 		if len(line) == 0 {
 			continue
diff --git a/dnscrypt-proxy/plugin_block_ip.go b/dnscrypt-proxy/plugin_block_ip.go
index 3d50b9a8..85c9b717 100644
--- a/dnscrypt-proxy/plugin_block_ip.go
+++ b/dnscrypt-proxy/plugin_block_ip.go
@@ -30,13 +30,13 @@ func (plugin *PluginBlockIP) Description() string {
 
 func (plugin *PluginBlockIP) Init(proxy *Proxy) error {
 	dlog.Noticef("Loading the set of IP blocking rules from [%s]", proxy.blockIPFile)
-	bin, err := ReadTextFile(proxy.blockIPFile)
+	lines, err := ReadTextFile(proxy.blockIPFile)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	plugin.blockedPrefixes = iradix.New()
 	plugin.blockedIPs = make(map[string]interface{})
-	for lineNo, line := range strings.Split(string(bin), "\n") {
+	for lineNo, line := range strings.Split(lines, "\n") {
 		line = TrimAndStripInlineComments(line)
 		if len(line) == 0 {
 			continue
diff --git a/dnscrypt-proxy/plugin_block_name.go b/dnscrypt-proxy/plugin_block_name.go
index d28bfb52..bce718ab 100644
--- a/dnscrypt-proxy/plugin_block_name.go
+++ b/dnscrypt-proxy/plugin_block_name.go
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ func (plugin *PluginBlockName) Description() string {
 
 func (plugin *PluginBlockName) Init(proxy *Proxy) error {
 	dlog.Noticef("Loading the set of blocking rules from [%s]", proxy.blockNameFile)
-	bin, err := ReadTextFile(proxy.blockNameFile)
+	lines, err := ReadTextFile(proxy.blockNameFile)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ func (plugin *PluginBlockName) Init(proxy *Proxy) error {
 		allWeeklyRanges: proxy.allWeeklyRanges,
 		patternMatcher:  NewPatternMatcher(),
 	}
-	for lineNo, line := range strings.Split(string(bin), "\n") {
+	for lineNo, line := range strings.Split(lines, "\n") {
 		line = TrimAndStripInlineComments(line)
 		if len(line) == 0 {
 			continue
diff --git a/dnscrypt-proxy/plugin_cloak.go b/dnscrypt-proxy/plugin_cloak.go
index 48810774..a4b2085e 100644
--- a/dnscrypt-proxy/plugin_cloak.go
+++ b/dnscrypt-proxy/plugin_cloak.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func (plugin *PluginCloak) Description() string {
 
 func (plugin *PluginCloak) Init(proxy *Proxy) error {
 	dlog.Noticef("Loading the set of cloaking rules from [%s]", proxy.cloakFile)
-	bin, err := ReadTextFile(proxy.cloakFile)
+	lines, err := ReadTextFile(proxy.cloakFile)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func (plugin *PluginCloak) Init(proxy *Proxy) error {
 	plugin.createPTR = proxy.cloakedPTR
 	plugin.patternMatcher = NewPatternMatcher()
 	cloakedNames := make(map[string]*CloakedName)
-	for lineNo, line := range strings.Split(bin, "\n") {
+	for lineNo, line := range strings.Split(lines, "\n") {
 		line = TrimAndStripInlineComments(line)
 		if len(line) == 0 {
 			continue
diff --git a/dnscrypt-proxy/plugin_forward.go b/dnscrypt-proxy/plugin_forward.go
index a16ac2d5..faec6e12 100644
--- a/dnscrypt-proxy/plugin_forward.go
+++ b/dnscrypt-proxy/plugin_forward.go
@@ -29,11 +29,11 @@ func (plugin *PluginForward) Description() string {
 
 func (plugin *PluginForward) Init(proxy *Proxy) error {
 	dlog.Noticef("Loading the set of forwarding rules from [%s]", proxy.forwardFile)
-	bin, err := ReadTextFile(proxy.forwardFile)
+	lines, err := ReadTextFile(proxy.forwardFile)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	for lineNo, line := range strings.Split(string(bin), "\n") {
+	for lineNo, line := range strings.Split(lines, "\n") {
 		line = TrimAndStripInlineComments(line)
 		if len(line) == 0 {
 			continue
diff --git a/dnscrypt-proxy/proxy.go b/dnscrypt-proxy/proxy.go
index 2f1afc66..c1b1e248 100644
--- a/dnscrypt-proxy/proxy.go
+++ b/dnscrypt-proxy/proxy.go
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ func (proxy *Proxy) addDNSListener(listenAddrStr string) {
 	}
 
 	// if 'userName' is not set, continue as before
-	if len(proxy.userName) == 0 {
+	if len(proxy.userName) <= 0 {
 		if err := proxy.udpListenerFromAddr(listenUDPAddr); err != nil {
 			dlog.Fatal(err)
 		}
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ func (proxy *Proxy) addLocalDoHListener(listenAddrStr string) {
 	}
 
 	// if 'userName' is not set, continue as before
-	if len(proxy.userName) == 0 {
+	if len(proxy.userName) <= 0 {
 		if err := proxy.localDoHListenerFromAddr(listenTCPAddr); err != nil {
 			dlog.Fatal(err)
 		}