diff --git a/tools/genesis-snapshot/main.go b/tools/genesis-snapshot/main.go
index 01a0d6af7..c87ab179a 100644
--- a/tools/genesis-snapshot/main.go
+++ b/tools/genesis-snapshot/main.go
@@ -18,11 +18,11 @@ func main() {
 	parsedOpts, configSelected := parseFlags()
 	opts := presets.Base
 	if strings.Contains(configSelected, ".yml") {
-		if yamlOpts, err := presets.GenerateFromYaml(configSelected); err != nil {
+		yamlOpts, err := presets.GenerateFromYaml(configSelected)
+		if err != nil {
 			panic(err)
-		} else {
-			opts = append(opts, yamlOpts...)
 		}
+		opts = append(opts, yamlOpts...)
 	} else {
 		switch configSelected {
 		case "docker":
diff --git a/tools/genesis-snapshot/presets/presets.go b/tools/genesis-snapshot/presets/presets.go
index 97934ebc0..9b40eeb7b 100644
--- a/tools/genesis-snapshot/presets/presets.go
+++ b/tools/genesis-snapshot/presets/presets.go
@@ -16,19 +16,19 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	// use defaults from iota.go
+	// use defaults from iota.go.
 	protocolParamsBase = iotago.NewV3SnapshotProtocolParameters(
 		iotago.WithNetworkOptions("default", iotago.PrefixTestnet),
 	)
 
-	// use defaults from iota.go
+	// use defaults from iota.go.
 	protocolParamsDocker = iotago.NewV3SnapshotProtocolParameters(
 		iotago.WithNetworkOptions("docker", iotago.PrefixTestnet),
 		iotago.WithTimeProviderOptions(5, time.Now().Unix(), 10, 7),
 		iotago.WithLivenessOptions(10, 15, 3, 6, 8),
 	)
 
-	// use defaults from iota.go
+	// use defaults from iota.go.
 	protocolParamsFeature = iotago.NewV3SnapshotProtocolParameters(
 		iotago.WithNetworkOptions("feature", iotago.PrefixTestnet),
 		iotago.WithTimeProviderOptions(666666, time.Now().Unix()-100_000, 10, 13),
diff --git a/tools/genesis-snapshot/presets/presets_yaml.go b/tools/genesis-snapshot/presets/presets_yaml.go
index 5f1918f1e..f6445dfdf 100644
--- a/tools/genesis-snapshot/presets/presets_yaml.go
+++ b/tools/genesis-snapshot/presets/presets_yaml.go
@@ -17,12 +17,12 @@ import (
 
 type ValidatorYaml struct {
 	Name      string `yaml:"name"`
-	PublicKey string `yaml:"public-key"`
+	PublicKey string `yaml:"publicKey"`
 }
 
 type BlockIssuerYaml struct {
 	Name      string `yaml:"name"`
-	PublicKey string `yaml:"public-key"`
+	PublicKey string `yaml:"publicKey"`
 }
 
 type BasicOutputYaml struct {
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ type ConfigYaml struct {
 	FilePath string `yaml:"filepath"`
 
 	Validators   []ValidatorYaml   `yaml:"validators"`
-	BlockIssuers []BlockIssuerYaml `yaml:"block-issuers"`
-	BasicOutputs []BasicOutputYaml `yaml:"basic-outputs"`
+	BlockIssuers []BlockIssuerYaml `yaml:"blockIssuers"`
+	BasicOutputs []BasicOutputYaml `yaml:"basicOutputs"`
 }
 
 func GenerateFromYaml(hostsFile string) ([]options.Option[snapshotcreator.Options], error) {
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ func GenerateFromYaml(hostsFile string) ([]options.Option[snapshotcreator.Option
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	var accounts []snapshotcreator.AccountDetails
+	accounts := make([]snapshotcreator.AccountDetails, 0, len(configYaml.Validators)+len(configYaml.BlockIssuers))
 	for _, validator := range configYaml.Validators {
 		pubkey := validator.PublicKey
 		fmt.Printf("adding validator %s with publicKey %s\n", validator.Name, pubkey)
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func GenerateFromYaml(hostsFile string) ([]options.Option[snapshotcreator.Option
 		accounts = append(accounts, account)
 	}
 
-	var basicOutputs []snapshotcreator.BasicOutputDetails
+	basicOutputs := make([]snapshotcreator.BasicOutputDetails, 0, len(configYaml.BasicOutputs))
 	for _, basicOutput := range configYaml.BasicOutputs {
 		address := lo.Return2(iotago.ParseBech32(basicOutput.Address))
 		amount := basicOutput.Amount