diff --git a/changelog/unreleased/fix-code-smells.md b/changelog/unreleased/fix-code-smells.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8d15094a8a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/unreleased/fix-code-smells.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+Change: refactor code to remove code smells 
+
+Scanning the code using a static code analyzer showed some code smells.
+This change fixes them.
+
+https://github.com/owncloud/ocis-thumbnails/issues/21
diff --git a/pkg/metrics/metrics.go b/pkg/metrics/metrics.go
index 0ecf2f55c6..8139f7ba1b 100644
--- a/pkg/metrics/metrics.go
+++ b/pkg/metrics/metrics.go
@@ -40,15 +40,15 @@ func New() *Metrics {
 		}, []string{}),
 	}
 
-	prometheus.Register(
+	_ = prometheus.Register(
 		m.Counter,
 	)
 
-	prometheus.Register(
+	_ = prometheus.Register(
 		m.Latency,
 	)
 
-	prometheus.Register(
+	_ = prometheus.Register(
 		m.Duration,
 	)
 
diff --git a/pkg/server/grpc/server.go b/pkg/server/grpc/server.go
index ed67be00b0..588abbbb2c 100644
--- a/pkg/server/grpc/server.go
+++ b/pkg/server/grpc/server.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ func NewService(opts ...Option) grpc.Service {
 		thumbnail = svc.NewLogging(thumbnail, options.Logger)
 	}
 
-	proto.RegisterThumbnailServiceHandler(
+	_ = proto.RegisterThumbnailServiceHandler(
 		service.Server(),
 		thumbnail,
 	)
diff --git a/pkg/thumbnail/imgsource/filesystem.go b/pkg/thumbnail/imgsource/filesystem.go
index d84f59555a..78439db702 100644
--- a/pkg/thumbnail/imgsource/filesystem.go
+++ b/pkg/thumbnail/imgsource/filesystem.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ type FileSystem struct {
 // Get retrieves an image from the filesystem.
 func (s FileSystem) Get(ctx context.Context, file string) (image.Image, error) {
 	imgPath := filepath.Join(s.basePath, file)
-	f, err := os.Open(imgPath)
+	f, err := os.Open(filepath.Clean(imgPath))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to load the file %s from %s error %s", file, imgPath, err.Error())
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/thumbnail/storage/filesystem.go b/pkg/thumbnail/storage/filesystem.go
index dc45d9de03..83fbef88e5 100644
--- a/pkg/thumbnail/storage/filesystem.go
+++ b/pkg/thumbnail/storage/filesystem.go
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ type FileSystem struct {
 
 // Get loads the image from the file system.
 func (s FileSystem) Get(key string) []byte {
-	content, err := ioutil.ReadFile(filepath.Join(s.dir, key))
+	path := filepath.Join(s.dir, key)
+	content, err := ioutil.ReadFile(filepath.Clean(path))
 	if err != nil {
 		s.logger.Warn().Err(err).Msgf("could not read file %s", key)
 		return nil
@@ -48,7 +49,11 @@ func (s FileSystem) Set(key string, img []byte) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("could not create file \"%s\" error: %s", key, err.Error())
 	}
-	defer f.Close()
+	defer func() {
+		if err := f.Close(); err != nil {
+			s.logger.Warn().Err(err).Msg("closing file resulted in an error")
+		}
+	}()
 	_, err = f.Write(img)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("could not write to file \"%s\" error: %s", key, err.Error())