diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index b2d40280d..f8b52f6af 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ coredns: check godeps
 	CGO_ENABLED=0 $(SYSTEM) go build -v -ldflags="-s -w -X github.com/coredns/coredns/coremain.gitCommit=$(GITCOMMIT)" -o $(BINARY)
 
 .PHONY: check
-check: fmt core/zplugin.go core/dnsserver/zdirectives.go godeps
+check: linter core/zplugin.go core/dnsserver/zdirectives.go godeps
 
 .PHONY: test
 test: check
@@ -62,17 +62,11 @@ core/zplugin.go core/dnsserver/zdirectives.go: plugin.cfg
 gen:
 	go generate coredns.go
 
-.PHONY: fmt
-fmt:
-	## run go fmt
-	@test -z "$$(find . -type d | grep -vE '(/vendor|^\.$$|/.git|/.travis)' | xargs gofmt -s -l  | tee /dev/stderr)" || \
-		(echo "please format Go code with 'gofmt -s -w'" && false)
-
-.PHONY: lint
-lint:
-	go get -u github.com/golang/lint/golint
-	@test -z "$$(find . -type d | grep -vE '(/vendor|^\.$$|/.git|/.travis)' | grep -vE '(^\./pb)' | xargs golint \
-		| grep -vE "context\.Context should be the first parameter of a function" | tee /dev/stderr)"
+.PHONY: linter
+linter:
+	go get -u github.com/alecthomas/gometalinter
+	gometalinter --install golint
+	gometalinter --deadline=1m --disable-all --enable=gofmt --enable=golint --enable=vet --exclude=^vendor/ --exclude=^pb/ ./...
 
 .PHONY: clean
 clean:
diff --git a/plugin/plugin.go b/plugin/plugin.go
index 0c4d7f604..d6b7c9976 100644
--- a/plugin/plugin.go
+++ b/plugin/plugin.go
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ func Error(name string, err error) error { return fmt.Errorf("%s/%s: %s", "plugi
 
 // NextOrFailure calls next.ServeDNS when next is not nill, otherwise it will return, a ServerFailure
 // and a nil error.
-func NextOrFailure(name string, next Handler, ctx context.Context, w dns.ResponseWriter, r *dns.Msg) (int, error) {
+func NextOrFailure(name string, next Handler, ctx context.Context, w dns.ResponseWriter, r *dns.Msg) (int, error) { // nolint: golint
 	if next != nil {
 		if span := ot.SpanFromContext(ctx); span != nil {
 			child := span.Tracer().StartSpan(next.Name(), ot.ChildOf(span.Context()))
diff --git a/test/etcd_cache_test.go b/test/etcd_cache_test.go
index b14374455..361f4c78a 100644
--- a/test/etcd_cache_test.go
+++ b/test/etcd_cache_test.go
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ func checkResponse(t *testing.T, resp *dns.Msg) {
 		t.Errorf("Expected RR to A, got: %d", resp.Answer[0].Header().Rrtype)
 	}
 	if resp.Answer[0].(*dns.A).A.String() != "127.0.0.1" {
-		t.Errorf("Expected 127.0.0.1, got: %d", resp.Answer[0].(*dns.A).A.String())
+		t.Errorf("Expected 127.0.0.1, got: %s", resp.Answer[0].(*dns.A).A.String())
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/test/reload_test.go b/test/reload_test.go
index db24952ca..24941c6d4 100644
--- a/test/reload_test.go
+++ b/test/reload_test.go
@@ -49,6 +49,6 @@ func send(t *testing.T, server string) {
 		t.Fatalf("Expected successful reply, got %s", dns.RcodeToString[r.Rcode])
 	}
 	if len(r.Extra) != 2 {
-		t.Fatalf("Expected 2 RRs in additional, got %s", len(r.Extra))
+		t.Fatalf("Expected 2 RRs in additional, got %d", len(r.Extra))
 	}
 }