diff --git a/.github/workflows/go.yml b/.github/workflows/go.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..658c3f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/go.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+name: Build and Test
+on: [push, pull_request]
+jobs:
+  build:
+    name: Go CI
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        go: [1.13, 1.14]
+    steps:
+      - name: Set up Go
+        uses: actions/setup-go@v2
+        with:
+          go-version: ${{ matrix.go }}
+      - name: Check out source
+        uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      - name: Install Linters
+        run: "curl -sfL https://install.goreleaser.com/github.com/golangci/golangci-lint.sh | sh -s -- -b $(go env GOPATH)/bin v1.27.0"
+      - name: Build
+        env:
+          GO111MODULE: "on"
+        run: go build ./...
+      - name: Test
+        env:
+          GO111MODULE: "on"
+        run: |
+          export PATH=${PATH}:$(go env GOPATH)/bin
+          sh ./run_tests.sh
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/database/database.go b/database/database.go
index 2b8dd19..33a5674 100644
--- a/database/database.go
+++ b/database/database.go
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ var (
 	vspBkt     = []byte("vspbkt")
 	ticketsBkt = []byte("ticketsbkt")
 	versionK   = []byte("version")
-	backupFile = "backup.kv"
 	version    = 1
 )
 
diff --git a/methods.go b/methods.go
index e01be6f..db48abd 100644
--- a/methods.go
+++ b/methods.go
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ func sendJSONResponse(resp interface{}, code int, c *gin.Context) {
 	sig := ed25519.Sign(cfg.signKey, dec)
 	c.Writer.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json; charset=utf-8")
 	c.Writer.Header().Set("VSP-Signature", hex.EncodeToString(sig))
+	c.Writer.WriteHeader(code)
 	c.Writer.Write(dec)
 }
 
@@ -132,14 +133,14 @@ findAddress:
 	}
 	voteAddr, err := dcrutil.DecodeAddress(feeEntry.Address, cfg.netParams)
 	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Errorf("PayFee: DecodeAddress: %v", err)
+		fmt.Printf("PayFee: DecodeAddress: %v", err)
 		c.AbortWithError(http.StatusInternalServerError, errors.New("database error"))
 		return
 	}
 	_, err = dcrutil.NewAddressPubKeyHash(dcrutil.Hash160(votingWIF.PubKey()), cfg.netParams,
 		dcrec.STEcdsaSecp256k1)
 	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Errorf("PayFee: NewAddressPubKeyHash: %v", err)
+		fmt.Printf("PayFee: NewAddressPubKeyHash: %v", err)
 		c.AbortWithError(http.StatusInternalServerError, errors.New("failed to deserialize voting wif"))
 		return
 	}
@@ -149,7 +150,7 @@ findAddress:
 	// TODO - wallet relayfee
 	relayFee, err := dcrutil.NewAmount(0.0001)
 	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Errorf("PayFee: failed to NewAmount: %v", err)
+		fmt.Printf("PayFee: failed to NewAmount: %v", err)
 		c.AbortWithError(http.StatusInternalServerError, errors.New("internal error"))
 		return
 	}
@@ -164,7 +165,7 @@ findAddress:
 	// Get vote tx to give to wallet
 	ticketHash, err := chainhash.NewHashFromStr(feeEntry.Hash)
 	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Errorf("PayFee: NewHashFromStr: %v", err)
+		fmt.Printf("PayFee: NewHashFromStr: %v", err)
 		c.AbortWithError(http.StatusInternalServerError, errors.New("internal error"))
 		return
 	}
@@ -172,14 +173,14 @@ findAddress:
 	now := time.Now()
 	resp, err := PayFee2(c.Request.Context(), ticketHash, votingWIF, feeTx)
 	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Errorf("PayFee: %v", err)
+		fmt.Printf("PayFee: %v", err)
 		c.AbortWithError(http.StatusInternalServerError, errors.New("RPC server error"))
 		return
 	}
 
 	err = db.InsertFeeAddressVotingKey(voteAddr.Address(), votingWIF.String(), voteBits)
 	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Errorf("PayFee: InsertVotingKey failed: %v", err)
+		fmt.Printf("PayFee: InsertVotingKey failed: %v", err)
 		c.AbortWithError(http.StatusInternalServerError, errors.New("internal error"))
 		return
 	}
@@ -195,19 +196,19 @@ func PayFee2(ctx context.Context, ticketHash *chainhash.Hash, votingWIF *dcrutil
 	var resp dcrdtypes.TxRawResult
 	err := nodeConnection.Call(ctx, "getrawtransaction", &resp, ticketHash.String())
 	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Errorf("PayFee: getrawtransaction: %v", err)
+		fmt.Printf("PayFee: getrawtransaction: %v", err)
 		return "", errors.New("RPC server error")
 	}
 
 	err = nodeConnection.Call(ctx, "addticket", nil, resp.Hex)
 	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Errorf("PayFee: addticket: %v", err)
+		fmt.Printf("PayFee: addticket: %v", err)
 		return "", errors.New("RPC server error")
 	}
 
 	err = nodeConnection.Call(ctx, "importprivkey", nil, votingWIF.String(), "imported", false, 0)
 	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Errorf("PayFee: importprivkey: %v", err)
+		fmt.Printf("PayFee: importprivkey: %v", err)
 		return "", errors.New("RPC server error")
 	}
 
@@ -215,14 +216,14 @@ func PayFee2(ctx context.Context, ticketHash *chainhash.Hash, votingWIF *dcrutil
 	feeTxBuf.Grow(feeTx.SerializeSize())
 	err = feeTx.Serialize(feeTxBuf)
 	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Errorf("PayFee: failed to serialize fee transaction: %v", err)
+		fmt.Printf("PayFee: failed to serialize fee transaction: %v", err)
 		return "", errors.New("serialization error")
 	}
 
 	var res string
 	err = nodeConnection.Call(ctx, "sendrawtransaction", &res, hex.NewEncoder(feeTxBuf), false)
 	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Errorf("PayFee: sendrawtransaction: %v", err)
+		fmt.Printf("PayFee: sendrawtransaction: %v", err)
 		return "", errors.New("transaction failed to send")
 	}
 	return res, nil
diff --git a/run_tests.sh b/run_tests.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..b612250
--- /dev/null
+++ b/run_tests.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# usage:
+# ./run_tests.sh
+
+set -ex
+
+go version
+
+env GORACE="halt_on_error=1" go test -race ./...
+
+if [[ -v CI ]]; then
+    OUT_FORMAT="github-actions"
+else
+    OUT_FORMAT="colored-line-number"
+fi
+
+# some linters are commented until code is in a more stable state.
+golangci-lint run --disable-all --deadline=10m \
+  --out-format=$OUT_FORMAT \
+  --enable=gofmt \
+  --enable=golint \
+  --enable=govet \
+  --enable=gosimple \
+  --enable=unconvert \
+  --enable=ineffassign \
+  --enable=staticcheck \
+  --enable=structcheck \
+  --enable=goimports \
+  --enable=misspell \
+  --enable=unparam \
+  --enable=asciicheck
+#  --enable=deadcode \
+#  --enable=errcheck \
+#  --enable=unused \
\ No newline at end of file