diff --git a/cmd/podman-testing/call.go b/cmd/podman-testing/call.go
index 5ed33b4dd8..a9f63d1557 100644
--- a/cmd/podman-testing/call.go
+++ b/cmd/podman-testing/call.go
@@ -103,9 +103,6 @@ func noop(_ *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			return fmt.Errorf("setting up grpc client for podman service: %w", err)
 		}
 		noopClient := grpcpb.NewNoopClient(grpcClient)
-		if noopClient == nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("setting up client for noop grpc service: %w", err)
-		}
 		var request grpcpb.NoopRequest
 		if encoded := strings.Join(args, ""); len(encoded) > 0 {
 			if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(encoded), &request); err != nil {
diff --git a/cmd/podman/common/sign.go b/cmd/podman/common/sign.go
index 1c73a1e18e..5ab02a7b13 100644
--- a/cmd/podman/common/sign.go
+++ b/cmd/podman/common/sign.go
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ func PrepareSigning(pushOpts *entities.ImagePushOptions, cliOpts *SigningCLIOnly
 		if passphrase != "" {
 			opts = append(opts, simplesequoia.WithPassphrase(passphrase))
 		}
-		signer, err := simplesequoia.NewSigner(opts...)
+		signer, err := simplesequoia.NewSigner(opts...) //nolint:staticcheck,nolintlint // SA4023 false positive: stub always errors, real build does not
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("error using --sign-by-sq-fingerprint: %w", err)
 		}