diff --git a/storage/metric/leveldb.go b/storage/metric/leveldb.go
index 09db056d7..c72c74ed0 100644
--- a/storage/metric/leveldb.go
+++ b/storage/metric/leveldb.go
@@ -30,9 +30,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 )
 
-var (
-	leveldbChunkSize = flag.Int("leveldbChunkSize", 200, "Maximum number of samples stored under one key.")
-
+const (
 	sortConcurrency = 2
 )
 
@@ -47,6 +45,8 @@ type LevelDBMetricPersistence struct {
 }
 
 var (
+	leveldbChunkSize = flag.Int("leveldbChunkSize", 200, "Maximum number of samples stored under one key.")
+
 	// These flag values are back of the envelope, though they seem sensible.
 	// Please re-evaluate based on your own needs.
 	curationRemarksCacheSize         = flag.Int("curationRemarksCacheSize", 50*1024*1024, "The size for the curation remarks cache (bytes).")
@@ -188,9 +188,7 @@ func (l *LevelDBMetricPersistence) AppendSample(sample model.Sample) (err error)
 // together by their respective metric fingerprint, and finally sorts
 // them chronologically.
 func groupByFingerprint(samples model.Samples) map[model.Fingerprint]model.Samples {
-	var (
-		fingerprintToSamples = map[model.Fingerprint]model.Samples{}
-	)
+	fingerprintToSamples := map[model.Fingerprint]model.Samples{}
 
 	for _, sample := range samples {
 		fingerprint := *model.NewFingerprintFromMetric(sample.Metric)
@@ -199,10 +197,8 @@ func groupByFingerprint(samples model.Samples) map[model.Fingerprint]model.Sampl
 		fingerprintToSamples[fingerprint] = samples
 	}
 
-	var (
-		sortingSemaphore = make(chan bool, sortConcurrency)
-		doneSorting      sync.WaitGroup
-	)
+	sortingSemaphore := make(chan bool, sortConcurrency)
+	doneSorting := sync.WaitGroup{}
 
 	for i := 0; i < sortConcurrency; i++ {
 		sortingSemaphore <- true
@@ -211,8 +207,8 @@ func groupByFingerprint(samples model.Samples) map[model.Fingerprint]model.Sampl
 	for _, samples := range fingerprintToSamples {
 		doneSorting.Add(1)
 
+		<-sortingSemaphore
 		go func(samples model.Samples) {
-			<-sortingSemaphore
 			sort.Sort(samples)
 			sortingSemaphore <- true
 			doneSorting.Done()
@@ -538,16 +534,12 @@ func (l *LevelDBMetricPersistence) AppendSamples(samples model.Samples) (err err
 		recordOutcome(duration, err, map[string]string{operation: appendSamples, result: success}, map[string]string{operation: appendSamples, result: failure})
 	}(time.Now())
 
-	var (
-		fingerprintToSamples = groupByFingerprint(samples)
-		indexErrChan         = make(chan error, 1)
-		watermarkErrChan     = make(chan error, 1)
-	)
+	fingerprintToSamples := groupByFingerprint(samples)
+	indexErrChan := make(chan error, 1)
+	watermarkErrChan := make(chan error, 1)
 
 	go func(groups map[model.Fingerprint]model.Samples) {
-		var (
-			metrics = map[model.Fingerprint]model.Metric{}
-		)
+		metrics := map[model.Fingerprint]model.Metric{}
 
 		for fingerprint, samples := range groups {
 			metrics[fingerprint] = samples[0].Metric