diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 0bed6c80..7e52ff0b 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -107,8 +107,9 @@ fmt: ## Run go fmt against code.
 	go fmt ./...
 
 .PHONY: vet
-vet: ## Run go vet against code.
+vet: gowork ## Run go vet against code.
 	go vet ./...
+	go vet ./api/...
 
 .PHONY: tidy
 tidy: ## Run go mod tidy on every mod file in the repo
@@ -124,7 +125,7 @@ PROCS?=$(shell expr $(shell nproc --ignore 2) / 2)
 PROC_CMD = --procs ${PROCS}
 
 .PHONY: test
-test: manifests generate fmt vet envtest ## Run tests.
+test: manifests generate gowork fmt vet envtest ginkgo ## Run tests.
 	for mod in $(shell find . -name go.mod -exec dirname {} \;); do \
 		pushd ./$$mod ; \
 		if [ -f test/functional/suite_test.go ]; then \
@@ -330,23 +331,26 @@ get-ci-tools:
 
 # Run go fmt against code
 gofmt: get-ci-tools
-	$(CI_TOOLS_REPO_DIR)/test-runner/gofmt.sh
+	GOWORK=off $(CI_TOOLS_REPO_DIR)/test-runner/gofmt.sh
+	GOWORK=off $(CI_TOOLS_REPO_DIR)/test-runner/gofmt.sh ./api
 
 # Run go vet against code
 govet: get-ci-tools
-	$(CI_TOOLS_REPO_DIR)/test-runner/govet.sh
+	GOWORK=off $(CI_TOOLS_REPO_DIR)/test-runner/govet.sh
+	GOWORK=off $(CI_TOOLS_REPO_DIR)/test-runner/govet.sh ./api
 
 # Run go test against code
-gotest: get-ci-tools
-	$(CI_TOOLS_REPO_DIR)/test-runner/gotest.sh
+gotest: test
 
 # Run golangci-lint test against code
 golangci: get-ci-tools
-	$(CI_TOOLS_REPO_DIR)/test-runner/golangci.sh
+	GOWORK=off $(CI_TOOLS_REPO_DIR)/test-runner/golangci.sh
+	GOWORK=off $(CI_TOOLS_REPO_DIR)/test-runner/golangci.sh ./api
 
 # Run go lint against code
 golint: get-ci-tools
-	PATH=$(GOBIN):$(PATH); $(CI_TOOLS_REPO_DIR)/test-runner/golint.sh
+	GOWORK=off PATH=$(GOBIN):$(PATH); $(CI_TOOLS_REPO_DIR)/test-runner/golint.sh
+	GOWORK=off PATH=$(GOBIN):$(PATH); $(CI_TOOLS_REPO_DIR)/test-runner/golint.sh ./api
 
 .PHONY: operator-lint
 operator-lint: $(LOCALBIN) gowork ## Runs operator-lint
@@ -358,6 +362,7 @@ gowork: ## Generate go.work file
 	test -f go.work || go work init
 	go work use .
 	go work use ./api
+	go work sync
 
 # Used for webhook testing
 # Please ensure the mariadb-controller-manager deployment and
diff --git a/api/go.mod b/api/go.mod
index 9e13b86a..c5bf28db 100644
--- a/api/go.mod
+++ b/api/go.mod
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/spf13/pflag v1.0.5 // indirect
 	go.uber.org/multierr v1.11.0 // indirect
 	go.uber.org/zap v1.27.0 // indirect
-	golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20240119083558-1b970713d09a // indirect
+	golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20240205201215-2c58cdc269a3 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/net v0.25.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/oauth2 v0.8.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/sys v0.20.0 // indirect
diff --git a/api/go.sum b/api/go.sum
index 68d73c65..a59e4345 100644
--- a/api/go.sum
+++ b/api/go.sum
@@ -125,8 +125,8 @@ go.uber.org/zap v1.27.0/go.mod h1:GB2qFLM7cTU87MWRP2mPIjqfIDnGu+VIO4V/SdhGo2E=
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20190308221718-c2843e01d9a2/go.mod h1:djNgcEr1/C05ACkg1iLfiJU5Ep61QUkGW8qpdssI0+w=
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20191011191535-87dc89f01550/go.mod h1:yigFU9vqHzYiE8UmvKecakEJjdnWj3jj499lnFckfCI=
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20200622213623-75b288015ac9/go.mod h1:LzIPMQfyMNhhGPhUkYOs5KpL4U8rLKemX1yGLhDgUto=
-golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20240119083558-1b970713d09a h1:Q8/wZp0KX97QFTc2ywcOE0YRjZPVIx+MXInMzdvQqcA=
-golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20240119083558-1b970713d09a/go.mod h1:idGWGoKP1toJGkd5/ig9ZLuPcZBC3ewk7SzmH0uou08=
+golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20240205201215-2c58cdc269a3 h1:/RIbNt/Zr7rVhIkQhooTxCxFcdWLGIKnZA4IXNFSrvo=
+golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20240205201215-2c58cdc269a3/go.mod h1:idGWGoKP1toJGkd5/ig9ZLuPcZBC3ewk7SzmH0uou08=
 golang.org/x/lint v0.0.0-20190930215403-16217165b5de/go.mod h1:6SW0HCj/g11FgYtHlgUYUwCkIfeOF89ocIRzGO/8vkc=
 golang.org/x/mod v0.2.0/go.mod h1:s0Qsj1ACt9ePp/hMypM3fl4fZqREWJwdYDEqhRiZZUA=
 golang.org/x/mod v0.3.0/go.mod h1:s0Qsj1ACt9ePp/hMypM3fl4fZqREWJwdYDEqhRiZZUA=
diff --git a/api/test/helpers/harnesses.go b/api/test/helpers/harnesses.go
index cd848f60..7d2a46ac 100644
--- a/api/test/helpers/harnesses.go
+++ b/api/test/helpers/harnesses.go
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"time"
 
-	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
-	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
+	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2" //revive:disable:dot-imports
+	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"    //revive:disable:dot-imports
 	mariadbv1 "github.com/openstack-k8s-operators/mariadb-operator/api/v1beta1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 )
@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@ type MariaDBTestHarness struct {
 	mariaDBHelper      *TestHelper
 	timeout            time.Duration
 	interval           time.Duration
-	runUpdate          bool
 }
 
 func (harness *MariaDBTestHarness) Setup(
diff --git a/api/v1beta1/galera_webhook.go b/api/v1beta1/galera_webhook.go
index ed3706bb..faa65d6d 100644
--- a/api/v1beta1/galera_webhook.go
+++ b/api/v1beta1/galera_webhook.go
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ limitations under the License.
 package v1beta1
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+
 	apierrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/validation/field"
@@ -121,6 +123,11 @@ func (spec *GaleraSpecCore) ValidateCreate(basePath *field.Path) (admission.Warn
 func (r *Galera) ValidateUpdate(old runtime.Object) (admission.Warnings, error) {
 	galeralog.Info("validate update", "name", r.Name)
 
+	oldGalera, ok := old.(*Galera)
+	if !ok || oldGalera == nil {
+		return nil, apierrors.NewInternalError(fmt.Errorf("unable to convert existing object"))
+	}
+
 	// TODO(user): fill in your validation logic upon object update.
 	return nil, nil
 }
diff --git a/api/v1beta1/mariadbdatabase_funcs.go b/api/v1beta1/mariadbdatabase_funcs.go
index 15b5c36a..02f07570 100644
--- a/api/v1beta1/mariadbdatabase_funcs.go
+++ b/api/v1beta1/mariadbdatabase_funcs.go
@@ -420,10 +420,9 @@ func (d *Database) loadDatabaseAndAccountCRs(
 			h.GetBeforeObject(),
 			err,
 		)
-	} else {
-		d.account = mariaDBAccount
-		d.secretObj = secretObj
 	}
+	d.account = mariaDBAccount
+	d.secretObj = secretObj
 
 	return nil
 }
@@ -475,9 +474,12 @@ func (d *Database) DeleteFinalizer(
 
 		// also do a delete for "unused" MariaDBAccounts, associated with
 		// this MariaDBDatabase.
-		DeleteUnusedMariaDBAccountFinalizers(
+		err = DeleteUnusedMariaDBAccountFinalizers(
 			ctx, h, d.database.Name, d.account.Name, d.account.Namespace,
 		)
+		if err != nil && !k8s_errors.IsNotFound(err) {
+			return err
+		}
 	}
 	if controllerutil.RemoveFinalizer(d.database, h.GetFinalizer()) {
 		err := h.GetClient().Update(ctx, d.database)
diff --git a/api/v1beta1/mariadbdatabase_funcs_test.go b/api/v1beta1/mariadbdatabase_funcs_test.go
index c9f98ca5..dcf783ec 100644
--- a/api/v1beta1/mariadbdatabase_funcs_test.go
+++ b/api/v1beta1/mariadbdatabase_funcs_test.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ package v1beta1
 import (
 	"testing"
 
-	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
+	. "github.com/onsi/gomega" //revive:disable:dot-imports
 	"github.com/openstack-k8s-operators/lib-common/modules/common/tls"
 	"k8s.io/utils/ptr"
 )
diff --git a/api/v1beta1/webhook_suite_test.go b/api/v1beta1/webhook_suite_test.go
index ae2ca89f..7a920d02 100644
--- a/api/v1beta1/webhook_suite_test.go
+++ b/api/v1beta1/webhook_suite_test.go
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
-	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
-	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
+	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2" //revive:disable:dot-imports
+	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"    //revive:disable:dot-imports
 
 	admissionv1beta1 "k8s.io/api/admission/v1beta1"
 	//+kubebuilder:scaffold:imports
diff --git a/controllers/galera_controller.go b/controllers/galera_controller.go
index 4ca3fbd3..abac7c0c 100644
--- a/controllers/galera_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/galera_controller.go
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ func isGaleraContainerStartedAndWaiting(ctx context.Context, pod *corev1.Pod, in
 	waiting := false
 	err := mariadb.ExecInPod(ctx, h, config, instance.Namespace, pod.Name, "galera",
 		[]string{"/bin/bash", "-c", "test ! -f /var/lib/mysql/gcomm_uri && pgrep -aP1 | grep -o detect_gcomm_and_start.sh"},
-		func(stdout *bytes.Buffer, stderr *bytes.Buffer) error {
+		func(stdout *bytes.Buffer, _ *bytes.Buffer) error {
 			predicate := strings.TrimSuffix(stdout.String(), "\n")
 			waiting = (predicate == "detect_gcomm_and_start.sh")
 			return nil
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ func isGaleraContainerStartedAndWaiting(ctx context.Context, pod *corev1.Pod, in
 func injectGcommURI(ctx context.Context, h *helper.Helper, config *rest.Config, instance *mariadbv1.Galera, pod *corev1.Pod, uri string) error {
 	err := mariadb.ExecInPod(ctx, h, config, instance.Namespace, pod.Name, "galera",
 		[]string{"/bin/bash", "-c", "echo '" + uri + "' > /var/lib/mysql/gcomm_uri"},
-		func(stdout *bytes.Buffer, stderr *bytes.Buffer) error {
+		func(_ *bytes.Buffer, _ *bytes.Buffer) error {
 			attr := instance.Status.Attributes[pod.Name]
 			attr.Gcomm = uri
 			attr.ContainerID = pod.Status.ContainerStatuses[0].ContainerID
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ func injectGcommURI(ctx context.Context, h *helper.Helper, config *rest.Config,
 func retrieveSequenceNumber(ctx context.Context, helper *helper.Helper, config *rest.Config, instance *mariadbv1.Galera, pod *corev1.Pod) error {
 	err := mariadb.ExecInPod(ctx, helper, config, instance.Namespace, pod.Name, "galera",
 		[]string{"/bin/bash", "/var/lib/operator-scripts/detect_last_commit.sh"},
-		func(stdout *bytes.Buffer, stderr *bytes.Buffer) error {
+		func(stdout *bytes.Buffer, _ *bytes.Buffer) error {
 			seqno := strings.TrimSuffix(stdout.String(), "\n")
 			attr := mariadbv1.GaleraAttributes{
 				Seqno: seqno,