diff --git a/.golangci.yml b/.golangci.yml
index 88cb4fbf..120faf29 100644
--- a/.golangci.yml
+++ b/.golangci.yml
@@ -19,12 +19,16 @@ linters-settings:
             recommendations:
               - errors
   forbidigo:
+    analyze-types: true
     forbid:
       - ^fmt.Print(f|ln)?$
       - ^log.(Panic|Fatal|Print)(f|ln)?$
       - ^os.Exit$
       - ^panic$
       - ^print(ln)?$
+      - p: ^testing.T.(Error|Errorf|Fatal|Fatalf|Fail|FailNow)$
+        pkg: ^testing$
+        msg: "use testify/assert instead"
   varnamelen:
     max-distance: 12
     min-name-length: 2
@@ -127,9 +131,12 @@ issues:
   exclude-dirs-use-default: false
   exclude-rules:
     # Allow complex tests and examples, better to be self contained
-    - path: (examples|main\.go|_test\.go)
+    - path: (examples|main\.go)
       linters:
+        - gocognit
         - forbidigo
+    - path: _test\.go
+      linters:
         - gocognit
 
     # Allow forbidden identifiers in CLI commands
diff --git a/chunk_test.go b/chunk_test.go
index 6ec4b633..cdc5ec9e 100644
--- a/chunk_test.go
+++ b/chunk_test.go
@@ -20,9 +20,7 @@ func TestInitChunk(t *testing.T) {
 		0x00, 0x00, 0x80, 0x03, 0x00, 0x06, 0x80, 0xc1, 0x00, 0x00,
 	}
 	err := pkt.unmarshal(true, rawPkt)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("Unmarshal failed, has chunk")
-	}
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 	initChunk, ok := pkt.chunks[0].(*chunkInit)
 	assert.True(t, ok, "Failed to cast Chunk -> Init")
diff --git a/vnet_test.go b/vnet_test.go
index df6efedb..f0dfeabe 100644
--- a/vnet_test.go
+++ b/vnet_test.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ package sctp
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
-	"fmt"
 	"math/rand"
 	"net"
 	"reflect"
@@ -34,8 +33,6 @@ type vNetEnv struct {
 	numToDropCookieAck  int
 }
 
-var errSCTPPacketParse = fmt.Errorf("unable to parse SCTP packet")
-
 func (venv *vNetEnv) dropNextDataChunk(numToDrop int) {
 	venv.numToDropData = numToDrop
 }
@@ -52,7 +49,8 @@ func (venv *vNetEnv) dropNextCookieAckChunk(numToDrop int) {
 	venv.numToDropCookieAck = numToDrop
 }
 
-func buildVNetEnv(cfg *vNetEnvConfig) (*vNetEnv, error) { //nolint:cyclop
+func buildVNetEnv(t *testing.T, cfg *vNetEnvConfig) (*vNetEnv, error) { //nolint:cyclop
+	t.Helper()
 	log := cfg.log
 
 	var venv *vNetEnv
@@ -76,9 +74,7 @@ func buildVNetEnv(cfg *vNetEnvConfig) (*vNetEnv, error) { //nolint:cyclop
 		return func(c vnet.Chunk) bool {
 			var toDrop bool
 			p := &packet{}
-			if err2 := p.unmarshal(true, c.UserData()); err2 != nil {
-				panic(errSCTPPacketParse)
-			}
+			assert.NoError(t, p.unmarshal(true, c.UserData()))
 
 		loop:
 			for i := 0; i < len(p.chunks); i++ {
@@ -174,7 +170,7 @@ func testRwndFull(t *testing.T, unordered bool) { //nolint:cyclop
 	loggerFactory := logging.NewDefaultLoggerFactory()
 	log := loggerFactory.NewLogger("test")
 
-	venv, err := buildVNetEnv(&vNetEnvConfig{
+	venv, err := buildVNetEnv(t, &vNetEnvConfig{
 		minDelay:      200 * time.Millisecond,
 		loggerFactory: loggerFactory,
 		log:           log,
@@ -414,7 +410,7 @@ func TestStreamClose(t *testing.T) { //nolint:cyclop
 		loggerFactory := logging.NewDefaultLoggerFactory()
 		log := loggerFactory.NewLogger("test")
 
-		venv, err := buildVNetEnv(&vNetEnvConfig{
+		venv, err := buildVNetEnv(t, &vNetEnvConfig{
 			loggerFactory: loggerFactory,
 			log:           log,
 		})
@@ -600,7 +596,7 @@ func TestCookieEchoRetransmission(t *testing.T) {
 	loggerFactory := logging.NewDefaultLoggerFactory()
 	log := loggerFactory.NewLogger("test")
 
-	venv, err := buildVNetEnv(&vNetEnvConfig{
+	venv, err := buildVNetEnv(t, &vNetEnvConfig{
 		minDelay:      200 * time.Millisecond,
 		loggerFactory: loggerFactory,
 		log:           log,