diff --git a/agreement/credentialArrivalHistory.go b/agreement/credentialArrivalHistory.go
index 321ec5b3a4..b79237b547 100644
--- a/agreement/credentialArrivalHistory.go
+++ b/agreement/credentialArrivalHistory.go
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 package agreement
 
 import (
-	"sort"
+	"slices"
 	"time"
 )
 
@@ -78,6 +78,6 @@ func (history *credentialArrivalHistory) orderStatistics(idx int) time.Duration
 	// the linear time order statistics algorithm.
 	sortedArrivals := make([]time.Duration, len(history.history))
 	copy(sortedArrivals[:], history.history[:])
-	sort.Slice(sortedArrivals, func(i, j int) bool { return sortedArrivals[i] < sortedArrivals[j] })
+	slices.Sort(sortedArrivals)
 	return sortedArrivals[idx]
 }
diff --git a/agreement/state_machine_test.go b/agreement/state_machine_test.go
index 189ae432c7..7a17b2147e 100644
--- a/agreement/state_machine_test.go
+++ b/agreement/state_machine_test.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"slices"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/algorand/go-algorand/logging"
@@ -158,12 +159,7 @@ func (t ioTrace) CountEvent(b event) (count int) {
 
 // for each event, passes it into the given fn; if returns true, returns true.
 func (t ioTrace) ContainsFn(compareFn func(b event) bool) bool {
-	for _, ev := range t.events {
-		if compareFn(ev) {
-			return true
-		}
-	}
-	return false
+	return slices.ContainsFunc(t.events, compareFn)
 }
 
 func (t ioTrace) countAction() (count int) {
diff --git a/data/basics/fields_test.go b/data/basics/fields_test.go
index 234e4246bf..d06cbede66 100644
--- a/data/basics/fields_test.go
+++ b/data/basics/fields_test.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package basics_test
 
 import (
 	"reflect"
+	"slices"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/algorand/go-algorand/data/basics"
@@ -35,11 +36,9 @@ func makeTypeCheckFunction(t *testing.T, exceptions []reflectionhelpers.TypePath
 	return func(path reflectionhelpers.TypePath, stack []reflect.Type) bool {
 		currentType := stack[len(stack)-1]
 
-		for _, exception := range exceptions {
-			if path.Equals(exception) {
-				t.Logf("Skipping exception for path: %s", path)
-				return true
-			}
+		if slices.ContainsFunc(exceptions, path.Equals) {
+			t.Logf("Skipping exception for path: %s", path)
+			return true
 		}
 
 		switch currentType.Kind() {
diff --git a/gen/generate_test.go b/gen/generate_test.go
index fcd4d38970..11d595eddc 100644
--- a/gen/generate_test.go
+++ b/gen/generate_test.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"slices"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
@@ -171,12 +172,7 @@ func TestGenesisJsonCreation(t *testing.T) {
 		deterministicAddresses := []string{"FeeSink", "RewardsPool"}
 
 		isNondeterministicAddress := func(name string) bool {
-			for _, address := range deterministicAddresses {
-				if name == address {
-					return false
-				}
-			}
-			return true
+			return !slices.Contains(deterministicAddresses, name)
 		}
 
 		for i := range as {
diff --git a/ledger/simulation/simulator_test.go b/ledger/simulation/simulator_test.go
index d8a13ed713..a08225153e 100644
--- a/ledger/simulation/simulator_test.go
+++ b/ledger/simulation/simulator_test.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package simulation
 
 import (
 	"reflect"
+	"slices"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/algorand/go-algorand/crypto"
@@ -59,17 +60,10 @@ func TestNonOverridenDataLedgerMethodsUseRoundParameter(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	methodIsSkipped := func(methodName string) bool {
-		for _, overridenMethod := range overridenMethods {
-			if overridenMethod == methodName {
-				return true
-			}
-		}
-		for _, excludedMethod := range excludedMethods {
-			if excludedMethod == methodName {
-				return true
-			}
+		if slices.Contains(overridenMethods, methodName) {
+			return true
 		}
-		return false
+		return slices.Contains(excludedMethods, methodName)
 	}
 
 	methodExistsInEvalLedger := func(methodName string) bool {
diff --git a/network/wsNetwork.go b/network/wsNetwork.go
index 184616e998..11a0262abb 100644
--- a/network/wsNetwork.go
+++ b/network/wsNetwork.go
@@ -2392,11 +2392,9 @@ func (wn *WebsocketNetwork) addPeer(peer *wsPeer) {
 	}
 	// simple duplicate *pointer* check. should never trigger given the callers to addPeer
 	// TODO: remove this after making sure it is safe to do so
-	for _, p := range wn.peers {
-		if p == peer {
-			wn.log.Errorf("dup peer added %#v", peer)
-			return
-		}
+	if slices.Contains(wn.peers, peer) {
+		wn.log.Errorf("dup peer added %#v", peer)
+		return
 	}
 	heap.Push(peersHeap{wn}, peer)
 	wn.prioTracker.setPriority(peer, peer.prioAddress, peer.prioWeight)
diff --git a/test/e2e-go/features/catchup/catchpointCatchup_test.go b/test/e2e-go/features/catchup/catchpointCatchup_test.go
index 5e7ec6d14b..7b198ee50e 100644
--- a/test/e2e-go/features/catchup/catchpointCatchup_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e-go/features/catchup/catchpointCatchup_test.go
@@ -550,8 +550,8 @@ func downloadCatchpointFile(t *testing.T, a *require.Assertions, baseURL string,
 	var chunks []ledger.CatchpointSnapshotChunkV6
 	for _, d := range tarData {
 		t.Logf("tar filename: %s, size %d", d.headerName, len(d.data))
-		if strings.HasPrefix(d.headerName, "balances.") { // chunk file
-			idxStr := strings.TrimSuffix(strings.TrimPrefix(d.headerName, "balances."), ".msgpack")
+		if after, ok := strings.CutPrefix(d.headerName, "balances."); ok { // chunk file
+			idxStr := strings.TrimSuffix(after, ".msgpack")
 			idx, err := strconv.Atoi(idxStr)
 			a.NoError(err)
 			var c ledger.CatchpointSnapshotChunkV6