diff --git a/.golangci.yml b/.golangci.yml
index ce6b3018e..ad200b40b 100644
--- a/.golangci.yml
+++ b/.golangci.yml
@@ -36,10 +36,6 @@ linters:
 
 # Project-specific linter overrides
 linters-settings:
-  gocritic:
-    disabled-checks:
-      - appendAssign
-
   gofmt:
     simplify: false
 
diff --git a/pkg/autotag/scene_test.go b/pkg/autotag/scene_test.go
index 3bf9b33e9..67e727a1b 100644
--- a/pkg/autotag/scene_test.go
+++ b/pkg/autotag/scene_test.go
@@ -67,7 +67,8 @@ func generateFalseNamePatterns(name string, separator, ext string) []string {
 }
 
 func generateTestPaths(testName, ext string) (scenePatterns []string, falseScenePatterns []string) {
-	separators := append(testSeparators, testEndSeparators...)
+	separators := testSeparators
+	separators = append(separators, testEndSeparators...)
 
 	for _, separator := range separators {
 		scenePatterns = append(scenePatterns, generateNamePatterns(testName, separator, ext)...)
@@ -115,7 +116,8 @@ func generateTestTable(testName, ext string) []pathTestTable {
 	var scenePatterns []string
 	var falseScenePatterns []string
 
-	separators := append(testSeparators, testEndSeparators...)
+	separators := testSeparators
+	separators = append(separators, testEndSeparators...)
 
 	for _, separator := range separators {
 		scenePatterns = append(scenePatterns, generateNamePatterns(testName, separator, ext)...)
diff --git a/pkg/ffmpeg/encoder_scene_preview_chunk.go b/pkg/ffmpeg/encoder_scene_preview_chunk.go
index 3d8ea6062..92d660b94 100644
--- a/pkg/ffmpeg/encoder_scene_preview_chunk.go
+++ b/pkg/ffmpeg/encoder_scene_preview_chunk.go
@@ -85,11 +85,11 @@ func (e *Encoder) ScenePreviewVideoChunk(probeResult VideoFile, options ScenePre
 		"-strict", "-2",
 	}
 
-	args3 := append(args, args2...)
-	args3 = append(args3, argsAudio...)
-	finalArgs := append(args3, options.OutputPath)
+	args = append(args, args2...)
+	args = append(args, argsAudio...)
+	args = append(args, options.OutputPath)
 
-	_, err := e.run(probeResult.Path, finalArgs, nil)
+	_, err := e.run(probeResult.Path, args, nil)
 	return err
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/sqlite/tag.go b/pkg/sqlite/tag.go
index 5373088ae..a4906c4dc 100644
--- a/pkg/sqlite/tag.go
+++ b/pkg/sqlite/tag.go
@@ -649,13 +649,13 @@ func (qb *tagQueryBuilder) Merge(source []int, destination int) error {
 		"performers_tags":    "performer_id",
 	}
 
-	tagArgs := append(args, destination)
+	args = append(args, destination)
 	for table, idColumn := range tagTables {
 		_, err := qb.tx.Exec(`UPDATE `+table+`
 SET tag_id = ?
 WHERE tag_id IN `+inBinding+`
 AND NOT EXISTS(SELECT 1 FROM `+table+` o WHERE o.`+idColumn+` = `+table+`.`+idColumn+` AND o.tag_id = ?)`,
-			tagArgs...,
+			args...,
 		)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err