diff --git a/cmd/iaviewer/main.go b/cmd/iaviewer/main.go
index ecc704e6d..acab613f9 100644
--- a/cmd/iaviewer/main.go
+++ b/cmd/iaviewer/main.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"crypto/sha256"
 	"encoding/hex"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -67,7 +68,7 @@ func OpenDB(dir string) (corestore.KVStoreWithBatch, error) {
 	case strings.HasSuffix(dir, ".db/"):
 		dir = dir[:len(dir)-4]
 	default:
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("database directory must end with .db")
+		return nil, errors.New("database directory must end with .db")
 	}
 
 	dir, err := filepath.Abs(dir)
diff --git a/mutable_tree.go b/mutable_tree.go
index a64be8e06..87d7dfd78 100644
--- a/mutable_tree.go
+++ b/mutable_tree.go
@@ -960,7 +960,7 @@ func (tree *MutableTree) rotateLeft(node *Node) (*Node, error) {
 // TODO: optimize balance & rotate
 func (tree *MutableTree) balance(node *Node) (newSelf *Node, err error) {
 	if node.nodeKey != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unexpected balance() call on persisted node")
+		return nil, errors.New("unexpected balance() call on persisted node")
 	}
 	balance, err := node.calcBalance(tree.ImmutableTree)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -1084,7 +1084,7 @@ func (tree *MutableTree) saveNewNodes(version int64) error {
 func (tree *MutableTree) SaveChangeSet(cs *ChangeSet) (int64, error) {
 	// if the tree has uncommitted changes, return error
 	if tree.root != nil && tree.root.nodeKey == nil {
-		return 0, fmt.Errorf("cannot save changeset with uncommitted changes")
+		return 0, errors.New("cannot save changeset with uncommitted changes")
 	}
 	for _, pair := range cs.Pairs {
 		if pair.Delete {
diff --git a/nodedb.go b/nodedb.go
index 096fafeac..10c5546d1 100644
--- a/nodedb.go
+++ b/nodedb.go
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ func (ndb *nodeDB) shouldForceFastStorageUpgrade() (bool, error) {
 // saveFastNodeUnlocked saves a FastNode to disk.
 func (ndb *nodeDB) saveFastNodeUnlocked(node *fastnode.Node, shouldAddToCache bool) error {
 	if node.GetKey() == nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("cannot have FastNode with a nil value for key")
+		return errors.New("cannot have FastNode with a nil value for key")
 	}
 
 	// Save node bytes to db.
diff --git a/proof.go b/proof.go
index 4fdbc35e0..bced6ff4e 100644
--- a/proof.go
+++ b/proof.go
@@ -19,13 +19,13 @@ var bufPool = &sync.Pool{
 
 var (
 	// ErrInvalidProof is returned by Verify when a proof cannot be validated.
-	ErrInvalidProof = fmt.Errorf("invalid proof")
+	ErrInvalidProof = errors.New("invalid proof")
 
 	// ErrInvalidInputs is returned when the inputs passed to the function are invalid.
-	ErrInvalidInputs = fmt.Errorf("invalid inputs")
+	ErrInvalidInputs = errors.New("invalid inputs")
 
 	// ErrInvalidRoot is returned when the root passed in does not match the proof's.
-	ErrInvalidRoot = fmt.Errorf("invalid root")
+	ErrInvalidRoot = errors.New("invalid root")
 )
 
 //----------------------------------------
diff --git a/proof_ics23.go b/proof_ics23.go
index 913b6f7ec..2ee331ce1 100644
--- a/proof_ics23.go
+++ b/proof_ics23.go
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@ package iavl
 
 import (
 	"encoding/binary"
-	"fmt"
-
+	"errors"
 	ics23 "github.com/cosmos/ics23/go"
 )
 
@@ -48,7 +47,7 @@ func (t *ImmutableTree) GetNonMembershipProof(key []byte) (*ics23.CommitmentProo
 	}
 
 	if val != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot create NonExistanceProof when Key in State")
+		return nil, errors.New("cannot create NonExistanceProof when Key in State")
 	}
 
 	nonexist := &ics23.NonExistenceProof{
@@ -177,7 +176,7 @@ func convertVarIntToBytes(orig int64, buf [binary.MaxVarintLen64]byte) []byte {
 // GetProof gets the proof for the given key.
 func (t *ImmutableTree) GetProof(key []byte) (*ics23.CommitmentProof, error) {
 	if t.root == nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot generate the proof with nil root")
+		return nil, errors.New("cannot generate the proof with nil root")
 	}
 
 	exist, err := t.Has(key)
diff --git a/v2/export.go b/v2/export.go
index a1f7e0570..0993f3dc8 100644
--- a/v2/export.go
+++ b/v2/export.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package iavl
 
-import "fmt"
+import (
+	"errors"
+)
 
 // TraverseOrderType is the type of the order in which the tree is traversed.
 type TraverseOrderType uint8
@@ -98,4 +100,4 @@ func (e *Exporter) Next() (*SnapshotNode, error) {
 	}
 }
 
-var ErrorExportDone = fmt.Errorf("export done")
+var ErrorExportDone = errors.New("export done")
diff --git a/v2/migrate/v0/migrate_v0.go b/v2/migrate/v0/migrate_v0.go
index eef61de61..9b305b738 100644
--- a/v2/migrate/v0/migrate_v0.go
+++ b/v2/migrate/v0/migrate_v0.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package v0
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"sync"
 
@@ -111,7 +112,7 @@ func latestVersionCommand() *cobra.Command {
 				return err
 			}
 			if set && version == -1 {
-				return fmt.Errorf("version must be set")
+				return errors.New("version must be set")
 			}
 			if set {
 
diff --git a/v2/node.go b/v2/node.go
index f27c208ec..31c8a1bdd 100644
--- a/v2/node.go
+++ b/v2/node.go
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ func (node *Node) right(t *Tree) *Node {
 // getLeftNode will never be called on leaf nodes. all tree nodes have 2 children.
 func (node *Node) getLeftNode(t *Tree) (*Node, error) {
 	if node.isLeaf() {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("leaf node has no left node")
+		return nil, errors.New("leaf node has no left node")
 	}
 	if node.leftNode != nil {
 		return node.leftNode, nil
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ func (node *Node) getLeftNode(t *Tree) (*Node, error) {
 
 func (node *Node) getRightNode(t *Tree) (*Node, error) {
 	if node.isLeaf() {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("leaf node has no right node")
+		return nil, errors.New("leaf node has no right node")
 	}
 	if node.rightNode != nil {
 		return node.rightNode, nil
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ func maxInt8(a, b int8) int8 {
 // TODO: optimize balance & rotate
 func (tree *Tree) balance(node *Node) (newSelf *Node, err error) {
 	if node.hash != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unexpected balance() call on persisted node")
+		return nil, errors.New("unexpected balance() call on persisted node")
 	}
 	balance, err := node.calcBalance(tree)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/v2/sqlite.go b/v2/sqlite.go
index 78feff512..7aef44576 100644
--- a/v2/sqlite.go
+++ b/v2/sqlite.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package iavl
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"strconv"
@@ -99,7 +100,7 @@ func (opts SqliteDbOptions) EstimateMmapSize() (uint64, error) {
 		return 0, err
 	}
 	if !hasRow {
-		return 0, fmt.Errorf("no row")
+		return 0, errors.New("no row")
 	}
 	var leafSize int64
 	err = q.Scan(&leafSize)
diff --git a/v2/sqlite_metadata.go b/v2/sqlite_metadata.go
index 2fd849645..f67faedcb 100644
--- a/v2/sqlite_metadata.go
+++ b/v2/sqlite_metadata.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package iavl
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"sync"
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@ type SqliteKVStore struct {
 
 func NewSqliteKVStore(opts SqliteDbOptions) (kv *SqliteKVStore, err error) {
 	if opts.Path == "" {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("path cannot be empty")
+		return nil, errors.New("path cannot be empty")
 	}
 	if opts.WalSize == 0 {
 		opts.WalSize = 50 * 1024 * 1024
diff --git a/v2/tree.go b/v2/tree.go
index e8111990a..89263585c 100644
--- a/v2/tree.go
+++ b/v2/tree.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"crypto/sha256"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"time"
@@ -102,7 +103,7 @@ func NewTree(sql *SqliteDb, pool *NodePool, opts TreeOptions) *Tree {
 
 func (tree *Tree) LoadVersion(version int64) (err error) {
 	if tree.sql == nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("sql is nil")
+		return errors.New("sql is nil")
 	}
 
 	tree.workingBytes = 0