diff --git a/cmd/gasm/audit.go b/cmd/gasm/audit.go
index 08c99d2..7a77407 100644
--- a/cmd/gasm/audit.go
+++ b/cmd/gasm/audit.go
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"regexp"
 	"runtime"
-	"sort"
+	"slices"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
 	"sourcedock.dev/petrbalvin/gasm-devkit/arch"
@@ -80,9 +81,9 @@ mnemonic, so the audit tracks whatever toolchain `+"`go env GOROOT`"+` names.
 	// GO-ONLY is not enumerable by probing: Go's table is only visible
 	// through names we already know, so nothing can be reported there.
 
-	sort.Strings(superset)
-	sort.Strings(backlog)
-	sort.Strings(shared)
+	slices.Sort(superset)
+	slices.Sort(backlog)
+	slices.Sort(shared)
 
 	w := os.Stdout
 	fmt.Fprintf(w, "gasm table (amd64, families excluded): %d mnemonics\n", len(names))
@@ -176,8 +177,10 @@ func probeGoAsm(names []string) (map[string]bool, error) {
 		if m == nil {
 			continue
 		}
-		var lineNo int
-		fmt.Sscanf(m[1], "%d", &lineNo)
+		lineNo, err := strconv.Atoi(m[1])
+		if err != nil {
+			continue
+		}
 		if name, ok := lineMnemonic[lineNo]; ok && unrecognizedRe.MatchString(l) {
 			result[name] = false
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/gasm/scaffold.go b/cmd/gasm/scaffold.go
index da3dd67..2ec6386 100644
--- a/cmd/gasm/scaffold.go
+++ b/cmd/gasm/scaffold.go
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ bodies, place the file in the kernel's package, and run it in CI.
 
 		fmt.Fprintf(&out, "func Test%sDifferential(t *testing.T) {\n", strings.ToUpper(name[:1])+name[1:])
 		fmt.Fprintf(&out, "\trng := rand.New(rand.NewSource(1))\n")
-		fmt.Fprintf(&out, "\tfor iter := 0; iter < 1000; iter++ {\n")
+		fmt.Fprintf(&out, "\tfor range 1000 {\n")
 		// Seed two independent argument sets per iteration: the kernel runs
 		// on set A, the portable reference on set B, so in-place writes
 		// through pointer/slice arguments cannot contaminate the other side.
@@ -97,11 +97,11 @@ bodies, place the file in the kernel's package, and run it in CI.
 		fmt.Fprintf(&out, "\t\tgot := %s(%s)\n", name, strings.Join(aArgs, ", "))
 		fmt.Fprintf(&out, "\t\twant := %sPortable(%s)\n", name, strings.Join(bArgs, ", "))
 		fmt.Fprintf(&out, "\t\tif !bytes.Equal(outputBytes(got), outputBytes(want)) {\n")
-		fmt.Fprintf(&out, "\t\t\tt.Fatalf(\"iter %%d: kernel diverges from the portable spec\", iter)\n")
+		fmt.Fprintf(&out, "\t\t\tt.Fatalf(\"kernel diverges from the portable spec (seed 1, deterministic)\")\n")
 		fmt.Fprintf(&out, "\t\t}\n")
 		for _, s := range sliceNames {
 			fmt.Fprintf(&out, "\t\tif !bytes.Equal(outputBytes(%sA), outputBytes(%sB)) {\n", s, s)
-			fmt.Fprintf(&out, "\t\t\tt.Fatalf(\"iter %%d: kernel mutated %%s differently\", iter, %q)\n", s)
+			fmt.Fprintf(&out, "\t\t\tt.Fatalf(\"kernel mutated %%q differently (seed 1, deterministic)\", %q)\n", s)
 			fmt.Fprintf(&out, "\t\t}\n")
 		}
 		fmt.Fprintf(&out, "\t}\n}\n\n")
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ func outputBytes(v any) []byte {
 		return b
 	case int:
 		b := make([]byte, 8)
-		for i := 0; i < 8; i++ {
+		for i := range 8 {
 			b[i] = byte(uint64(t) >> (8 * i))
 		}
 		return b
diff --git a/verify/buffers.go b/verify/buffers.go
index 1b094f0..af6b7b4 100644
--- a/verify/buffers.go
+++ b/verify/buffers.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"encoding/hex"
 	"fmt"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"unsafe"
 )
@@ -200,21 +201,13 @@ func ParseScalarArgs(spec string) (map[string]uint64, error) {
 }
 
 func splitScalar(part string) (string, uint64, error) {
-	eq := strings.Index(part, "=")
-	if eq <= 0 {
+	name, valStr, ok := strings.Cut(part, "=")
+	if !ok || strings.TrimSpace(name) == "" {
 		return "", 0, fmt.Errorf("scalar arg spec %q: want name=value", part)
 	}
-	name := strings.TrimSpace(part[:eq])
-	valStr := strings.TrimSpace(part[eq+1:])
-	var val uint64
-	var err error
-	if strings.HasPrefix(valStr, "0x") || strings.HasPrefix(valStr, "0X") {
-		_, err = fmt.Sscanf(valStr, "0x%x", &val)
-	} else {
-		_, err = fmt.Sscanf(valStr, "%d", &val)
-	}
-	if err != nil || name == "" {
+	val, err := strconv.ParseUint(strings.TrimSpace(valStr), 0, 64)
+	if err != nil {
 		return "", 0, fmt.Errorf("scalar arg spec %q: bad value", part)
 	}
-	return name, val, nil
+	return strings.TrimSpace(name), val, nil
 }