diff --git a/channeldb/codec.go b/channeldb/codec.go
index e693739b..78d61694 100644
--- a/channeldb/codec.go
+++ b/channeldb/codec.go
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ func WriteElement(w io.Writer, element interface{}) error {
 
 		if e.PubKey != nil {
 			if err := binary.Write(w, byteOrder, true); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("error writing serialized element: %s", err)
 			}
 
 			return WriteElement(w, e.PubKey)
diff --git a/channeldb/migrations.go b/channeldb/migrations.go
index e009d833..a78d1314 100644
--- a/channeldb/migrations.go
+++ b/channeldb/migrations.go
@@ -515,6 +515,9 @@ func migratePruneEdgeUpdateIndex(tx *bbolt.Tx) error {
 	// already exist given the assumption that the buckets above do as
 	// well.
 	edgeIndex, err := edges.CreateBucketIfNotExists(edgeIndexBucket)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error creating edge index bucket: %s", err)
+	}
 	if edgeIndex == nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("unable to create/fetch edge index " +
 			"bucket")
diff --git a/channeldb/migrations_test.go b/channeldb/migrations_test.go
index 3627f142..93bf602f 100644
--- a/channeldb/migrations_test.go
+++ b/channeldb/migrations_test.go
@@ -839,6 +839,9 @@ func TestPaymentRouteSerialization(t *testing.T) {
 					payHashBucket, err = paymentsBucket.CreateBucket(
 						payInfo.PaymentHash[:],
 					)
+					if err != nil {
+						t.Fatalf("unable to create payments bucket: %v", err)
+					}
 				} else {
 					payHashBucket = paymentsBucket.Bucket(
 						payInfo.PaymentHash[:],
diff --git a/channeldb/waitingproof_test.go b/channeldb/waitingproof_test.go
index 2f8a64b0..fff52b92 100644
--- a/channeldb/waitingproof_test.go
+++ b/channeldb/waitingproof_test.go
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ func TestWaitingProofStore(t *testing.T) {
 
 	db, cleanup, err := makeTestDB()
 	if err != nil {
-
+		t.Fatalf("failed to make test database: %s", err)
 	}
 	defer cleanup()