diff --git a/.golangci.yml b/.golangci.yml
index b4a69e7b38..e8739dadde 100644
--- a/.golangci.yml
+++ b/.golangci.yml
@@ -35,22 +35,21 @@ linters-settings:
 linters:
   disable-all: true
   enable:
-    # Default linters reported by `golangci-lint help linters` in v1.41.1
-    # Disabled for Go 1.18
-    - gosimple
-    - staticcheck
-    - unused
+    # Default linters reported by `golangci-lint help linters` in v1.52.0
     - errcheck
+    - gosimple
     - govet
     - ineffassign
+    - staticcheck
     - typecheck
+    - unused
     # Extra linters:
-    # Disabled for Go 1.18
-    # - wastedassign
+    - wastedassign
     - stylecheck
     - gofmt
     - goimports
-    - gocritic
+    # gocritic is very slow (golangci-lint v1.52.0)
+    # - gocritic
     # - revive
     - unconvert
     - durationcheck
diff --git a/internal/httpclient/client.go b/internal/httpclient/client.go
index 19951540ef..3adcb15665 100644
--- a/internal/httpclient/client.go
+++ b/internal/httpclient/client.go
@@ -225,8 +225,8 @@ func (h *Client) waitForAccess(ctx context.Context) bool {
 }
 
 // ResponseToBatch attempts to parse an HTTP response into a 2D slice of bytes.
-func (h *Client) ResponseToBatch(res *http.Response) (resMsg message.Batch, err error) {
-	resMsg = message.QuickBatch(nil)
+func (h *Client) ResponseToBatch(res *http.Response) (message.Batch, error) {
+	resMsg := message.QuickBatch(nil)
 
 	annotatePart := func(p *message.Part) {
 		p.MetaSetMut("http_status_code", res.StatusCode)
@@ -244,17 +244,17 @@ func (h *Client) ResponseToBatch(res *http.Response) (resMsg message.Batch, err
 		nextPart := message.NewPart(nil)
 		annotatePart(nextPart)
 		resMsg = append(resMsg, nextPart)
-		return
+		return resMsg, nil
 	}
 	defer res.Body.Close()
 
 	var mediaType string
 	var params map[string]string
+	var err error
 	if contentType := res.Header.Get("Content-Type"); len(contentType) > 0 {
 		if mediaType, params, err = mime.ParseMediaType(contentType); err != nil {
 			h.log.Warnf("Failed to parse media type from Content-Type header: %v\n", err)
 		}
-		err = nil
 	}
 
 	var buffer bytes.Buffer
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ func (h *Client) ResponseToBatch(res *http.Response) (resMsg message.Batch, err
 		var bytesRead int64
 		if bytesRead, err = buffer.ReadFrom(res.Body); err != nil {
 			h.log.Errorf("Failed to read response: %v\n", err)
-			return
+			return resMsg, err
 		}
 
 		nextPart := message.NewPart(nil)
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ func (h *Client) ResponseToBatch(res *http.Response) (resMsg message.Batch, err
 
 		annotatePart(nextPart)
 		resMsg = append(resMsg, nextPart)
-		return
+		return resMsg, nil
 	}
 
 	mr := multipart.NewReader(res.Body, params["boundary"])
@@ -281,16 +281,15 @@ func (h *Client) ResponseToBatch(res *http.Response) (resMsg message.Batch, err
 		var p *multipart.Part
 		if p, err = mr.NextPart(); err != nil {
 			if err == io.EOF {
-				err = nil
 				break
 			}
-			return
+			return resMsg, err
 		}
 
 		var bytesRead int64
 		if bytesRead, err = buffer.ReadFrom(p); err != nil {
 			h.log.Errorf("Failed to read response: %v\n", err)
-			return
+			return resMsg, err
 		}
 
 		nextPart := message.NewPart(buffer.Bytes()[bufferIndex : bufferIndex+bytesRead])
@@ -299,7 +298,8 @@ func (h *Client) ResponseToBatch(res *http.Response) (resMsg message.Batch, err
 		annotatePart(nextPart)
 		resMsg = append(resMsg, nextPart)
 	}
-	return
+
+	return resMsg, nil
 }
 
 type retryStrategy int