diff --git a/internal/worker/command_blender.go b/internal/worker/command_blender.go
index 76fdbe7a..7eda3bd9 100644
--- a/internal/worker/command_blender.go
+++ b/internal/worker/command_blender.go
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ type BlenderParameters struct {
 // cmdBlender executes the "blender-render" command.
 func (ce *CommandExecutor) cmdBlenderRender(ctx context.Context, logger zerolog.Logger, taskID string, cmd api.Command) error {
 	cmdCtx, cmdCtxCancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
-	defer cmdCtxCancel()
+	defer cmdCtxCancel() // Ensure the subprocess exits whenever this function returns.
 
 	execCmd, err := ce.cmdBlenderRenderCommand(cmdCtx, logger, taskID, cmd)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -73,9 +73,13 @@ func (ce *CommandExecutor) cmdBlenderRender(ctx context.Context, logger zerolog.
 		}
 
 		logger.Debug().Msg(line)
-		logChunker.Append(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("pid=%d > %s", blenderPID, line))
+		if err := logChunker.Append(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("pid=%d > %s", blenderPID, line)); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("appending log entry to log chunker: %w", err)
+		}
+	}
+	if err := logChunker.Flush(ctx); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("flushing log chunker: %w", err)
 	}
-	logChunker.Flush(ctx)
 
 	if err := execCmd.Wait(); err != nil {
 		logger.Error().Err(err).Msg("error in CLI execution")
diff --git a/internal/worker/command_ffmpeg.go b/internal/worker/command_ffmpeg.go
index 10e1cb14..1a6a1226 100644
--- a/internal/worker/command_ffmpeg.go
+++ b/internal/worker/command_ffmpeg.go
@@ -73,9 +73,13 @@ func (ce *CommandExecutor) cmdFramesToVideo(ctx context.Context, logger zerolog.
 		}
 
 		logger.Debug().Msg(line)
-		logChunker.Append(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("pid=%d > %s", ffmpegPID, line))
+		if err := logChunker.Append(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("pid=%d > %s", ffmpegPID, line)); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("appending log entry to log chunker: %w", err)
+		}
+	}
+	if err := logChunker.Flush(ctx); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("flushing log chunker: %w", err)
 	}
-	logChunker.Flush(ctx)
 
 	if err := execCmd.Wait(); err != nil {
 		logger.Error().Err(err).Msg("error in CLI execution")
diff --git a/internal/worker/command_file_mgmt_test.go b/internal/worker/command_file_mgmt_test.go
index 1b9f33e7..c51da53c 100644
--- a/internal/worker/command_file_mgmt_test.go
+++ b/internal/worker/command_file_mgmt_test.go
@@ -156,7 +156,9 @@ func TestTimestampedPathFile(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
 	fileCreateEmpty("somefile.txt")
-	os.Chtimes("somefile.txt", mtime, mtime)
+	if err := os.Chtimes("somefile.txt", mtime, mtime); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf(err.Error())
+	}
 
 	newpath, err := timestampedPath("somefile.txt")
 
@@ -174,8 +176,12 @@ func TestTimestampedPathDir(t *testing.T) {
 	mtime, err := time.Parse(time.RFC3339, "2006-01-02T15:04:05-07:00")
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
-	os.Mkdir("somedir", os.ModePerm)
-	os.Chtimes("somedir", mtime, mtime)
+	if err := os.Mkdir("somedir", os.ModePerm); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err.Error())
+	}
+	if err := os.Chtimes("somedir", mtime, mtime); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err.Error())
+	}
 
 	newpath, err := timestampedPath("somedir")
 
diff --git a/internal/worker/upstream_buffer.go b/internal/worker/upstream_buffer.go
index 753b422e..d0455411 100644
--- a/internal/worker/upstream_buffer.go
+++ b/internal/worker/upstream_buffer.go
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ func (ub *UpstreamBufferDB) prepareDatabase(ctx context.Context) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("beginning database transaction: %w", err)
 	}
-	defer tx.Rollback()
+	defer rollbackTransaction(tx)
 
 	stmt := `CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS task_update_queue(task_id VARCHAR(36), payload BLOB)`
 	log.Debug().Str("sql", stmt).Msg("creating database table")
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ func (ub *UpstreamBufferDB) queueTaskUpdate(ctx context.Context, taskID string,
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("beginning database transaction: %w", err)
 	}
-	defer tx.Rollback()
+	defer rollbackTransaction(tx)
 
 	blob, err := json.Marshal(update)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ func (ub *UpstreamBufferDB) flushFirstItem(ctx context.Context) (done bool, err
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, fmt.Errorf("beginning database transaction: %w", err)
 	}
-	defer tx.Rollback()
+	defer rollbackTransaction(tx)
 
 	stmt := `SELECT rowid, task_id, payload FROM task_update_queue ORDER BY rowid LIMIT 1`
 	log.Trace().Str("sql", stmt).Msg("fetching queued task updates")
@@ -332,3 +332,9 @@ func (ub *UpstreamBufferDB) periodicFlushLoop() {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func rollbackTransaction(tx *sql.Tx) {
+	if err := tx.Rollback(); err != nil {
+		log.Error().Err(err).Msg("rolling back transaction")
+	}
+}