diff --git a/core/state_processor.go b/core/state_processor.go
index ff253e887c..19c4e019cb 100644
--- a/core/state_processor.go
+++ b/core/state_processor.go
@@ -66,7 +66,6 @@ func (p *StateProcessor) Process(block *types.Block, statedb *state.StateDB, cfg
 		blockNumber = block.Number()
 		allLogs     []*types.Log
 		gp          = new(GasPool).AddGas(block.GasLimit())
-		err         error
 	)
 
 	// Mutate the block and state according to any hard-fork specs
@@ -83,15 +82,13 @@ func (p *StateProcessor) Process(block *types.Block, statedb *state.StateDB, cfg
 	}
 	// Iterate over and process the individual transactions
 	for i, tx := range block.Transactions() {
-		var msg *Message
-		msg, err = TransactionToMessage(tx, signer, header.BaseFee)
+		msg, err := TransactionToMessage(tx, signer, header.BaseFee)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, nil, 0, fmt.Errorf("could not apply tx %d [%v]: %w", i, tx.Hash().Hex(), err)
 		}
 		statedb.SetTxContext(tx.Hash(), i)
 
-		var receipt *types.Receipt
-		receipt, err = applyTransaction(msg, p.config, gp, statedb, blockNumber, blockHash, tx, usedGas, vmenv)
+		receipt, err := applyTransaction(msg, p.config, gp, statedb, blockNumber, blockHash, tx, usedGas, vmenv)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, nil, 0, fmt.Errorf("could not apply tx %d [%v]: %w", i, tx.Hash().Hex(), err)
 		}
@@ -101,8 +98,7 @@ func (p *StateProcessor) Process(block *types.Block, statedb *state.StateDB, cfg
 	// Fail if Shanghai not enabled and len(withdrawals) is non-zero.
 	withdrawals := block.Withdrawals()
 	if len(withdrawals) > 0 && !p.config.IsShanghai(block.Number(), block.Time()) {
-		err = errors.New("withdrawals before shanghai")
-		return nil, nil, 0, err
+		return nil, nil, 0, errors.New("withdrawals before shanghai")
 	}
 	// Finalize the block, applying any consensus engine specific extras (e.g. block rewards)
 	p.engine.Finalize(p.bc, header, statedb, block.Transactions(), block.Uncles(), withdrawals)
@@ -110,11 +106,7 @@ func (p *StateProcessor) Process(block *types.Block, statedb *state.StateDB, cfg
 	return receipts, allLogs, *usedGas, nil
 }
 
-func applyTransaction(msg *Message, config *params.ChainConfig, gp *GasPool, statedb *state.StateDB, blockNumber *big.Int, blockHash common.Hash, tx *types.Transaction, usedGas *uint64, evm *vm.EVM) (*types.Receipt, error) {
-	var (
-		receipt *types.Receipt
-		err     error
-	)
+func applyTransaction(msg *Message, config *params.ChainConfig, gp *GasPool, statedb *state.StateDB, blockNumber *big.Int, blockHash common.Hash, tx *types.Transaction, usedGas *uint64, evm *vm.EVM) (receipt *types.Receipt, err error) {
 	if evm.Config.Tracer != nil {
 		evm.Config.Tracer.CaptureTxStart(evm, tx)
 		defer func() {