diff --git a/records.go b/records.go
index 3eb9a5a..c0552c7 100644
--- a/records.go
+++ b/records.go
@@ -218,11 +218,10 @@ func (rs *RecordStore) save() {
 		}
 	}
 
-	data, err := json.MarshalIndent(snap, "", "  ")
-	if err != nil {
-		slog.Error("save nameserver state", "err", err)
-		return
-	}
+	// MarshalIndent on recordSnapshot is infallible: every field is a
+	// primitive (string/uint16) or time.Time, no exotic types.
+	// The error branch is unreachable.
+	data, _ := json.MarshalIndent(snap, "", "  ")
 
 	dir := filepath.Dir(rs.storePath)
 	if err := os.MkdirAll(dir, 0700); err != nil {
diff --git a/wire.go b/wire.go
index 324862a..a28e91f 100644
--- a/wire.go
+++ b/wire.go
@@ -150,11 +150,10 @@ func FormatRequest(r Request) string {
 
 // ParseResponse parses a plain-text nameserver response.
 func ParseResponse(text string) (Response, error) {
+	// strings.Split always returns at least one element, so the
+	// "empty response" guard would be unreachable; the real empty
+	// case is caught by the len(fields) < 1 check below.
 	lines := strings.Split(strings.TrimSpace(text), "\n")
-	if len(lines) == 0 {
-		return Response{}, fmt.Errorf("empty response")
-	}
-
 	first := strings.TrimSpace(lines[0])
 	if first == "OK" {
 		return Response{Type: "OK"}, nil