diff --git a/client/client_update_test.go b/client/client_update_test.go
index 4cd028fb94..275cf42ce7 100644
--- a/client/client_update_test.go
+++ b/client/client_update_test.go
@@ -461,7 +461,6 @@ func TestUpdateRemoteRoot50XCannotUseLocalCache(t *testing.T) {
 // but is missing other data, then we propagate the ErrMetaNotFound.  Skipping
 // force check, because that only matters for root.
 func TestUpdateNonRootRemoteMissingMetadataNoLocalCache(t *testing.T) {
-	// TODO: fix json syntax error
 	for _, role := range append(data.BaseRoles, "targets/a", "targets/a/b") {
 		if role == data.CanonicalRootRole {
 			continue
@@ -531,7 +530,6 @@ func TestUpdateNonRootRemoteMissingMetadataCannotUseLocalCache(t *testing.T) {
 // If there is no local cache, we just update. If the server 50X's when getting
 // metadata, we propagate ErrServerUnavailable.
 func TestUpdateNonRootRemote50XNoLocalCache(t *testing.T) {
-	// TODO: fix json syntax error
 	for _, role := range append(data.BaseRoles, "targets/a", "targets/a/b") {
 		if role == data.CanonicalRootRole {
 			continue
diff --git a/tuf/client/client.go b/tuf/client/client.go
index b3ad1ae5d0..33ffa20936 100644
--- a/tuf/client/client.go
+++ b/tuf/client/client.go
@@ -247,19 +247,21 @@ func (c *Client) downloadTimestamp() error {
 	// We may not have a cached timestamp if this is the first time
 	// we're interacting with the repo. This will result in the
 	// version being 0
-	var download bool
-	old := &data.Signed{}
-	version := 0
+	var (
+		saveToCache bool
+		old         *data.Signed
+		version     = 0
+	)
 	cachedTS, err := c.cache.GetMeta(role, maxSize)
 	if err == nil {
-		err := json.Unmarshal(cachedTS, old)
+		cached := &data.Signed{}
+		err := json.Unmarshal(cachedTS, cached)
 		if err == nil {
-			ts, err := data.TimestampFromSigned(old)
+			ts, err := data.TimestampFromSigned(cached)
 			if err == nil {
 				version = ts.Signed.Version
 			}
-		} else {
-			old = nil
+			old = cached
 		}
 	}
 	// unlike root, targets and snapshot, always try and download timestamps
@@ -278,14 +280,14 @@ func (c *Client) downloadTimestamp() error {
 		logrus.Warn("Error while downloading remote metadata, using cached timestamp - this might not be the latest version available remotely")
 		s = old
 	} else {
-		download = true
+		saveToCache = true
 	}
 	err = signed.Verify(s, role, version, c.keysDB)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	logrus.Debug("successfully verified timestamp")
-	if download {
+	if saveToCache {
 		c.cache.SetMeta(role, raw)
 	}
 	ts, err := data.TimestampFromSigned(s)