diff --git a/cmd/ipfs/daemon.go b/cmd/ipfs/daemon.go
index c5e2b244b..29d2f2053 100644
--- a/cmd/ipfs/daemon.go
+++ b/cmd/ipfs/daemon.go
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ import (
 	corehttp "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/core/corehttp"
 	corerepo "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/core/corerepo"
 	nodeMount "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/fuse/node"
-	//config "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/repo/config"
 	fsrepo "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/repo/fsrepo"
 	migrate "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/repo/fsrepo/migrations"
 
@@ -200,7 +199,7 @@ func daemonFunc(req *cmds.Request, re cmds.ResponseEmitter, env interface{}) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	ctx := env.(*oldcmds.Context)
+	cctx := env.(*oldcmds.Context)
 
 	go func() {
 		<-req.Context.Done()
@@ -219,10 +218,9 @@ func daemonFunc(req *cmds.Request, re cmds.ResponseEmitter, env interface{}) {
 	// first, whether user has provided the initialization flag. we may be
 	// running in an uninitialized state.
 	initialize, _ := req.Options[initOptionKwd].(bool)
-
 	if initialize {
 
-		cfg := ctx.ConfigRoot
+		cfg := cctx.ConfigRoot
 		if !fsrepo.IsInitialized(cfg) {
 			err := initWithDefaults(os.Stdout, cfg)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -234,7 +232,7 @@ func daemonFunc(req *cmds.Request, re cmds.ResponseEmitter, env interface{}) {
 
 	// acquire the repo lock _before_ constructing a node. we need to make
 	// sure we are permitted to access the resources (datastore, etc.)
-	repo, err := fsrepo.Open(ctx.ConfigRoot)
+	repo, err := fsrepo.Open(cctx.ConfigRoot)
 	switch err {
 	default:
 		re.SetError(err, cmdkit.ErrNormal)
@@ -264,7 +262,7 @@ func daemonFunc(req *cmds.Request, re cmds.ResponseEmitter, env interface{}) {
 			return
 		}
 
-		repo, err = fsrepo.Open(ctx.ConfigRoot)
+		repo, err = fsrepo.Open(cctx.ConfigRoot)
 		if err != nil {
 			re.SetError(err, cmdkit.ErrNormal)
 			return
@@ -273,7 +271,7 @@ func daemonFunc(req *cmds.Request, re cmds.ResponseEmitter, env interface{}) {
 		break
 	}
 
-	cfg, err := ctx.GetConfig()
+	cfg, err := cctx.GetConfig()
 	if err != nil {
 		re.SetError(err, cmdkit.ErrNormal)
 		return
@@ -340,12 +338,12 @@ func daemonFunc(req *cmds.Request, re cmds.ResponseEmitter, env interface{}) {
 		}
 	}()
 
-	ctx.ConstructNode = func() (*core.IpfsNode, error) {
+	cctx.ConstructNode = func() (*core.IpfsNode, error) {
 		return node, nil
 	}
 
 	// construct api endpoint - every time
-	err, apiErrc := serveHTTPApi(req, ctx)
+	err, apiErrc := serveHTTPApi(req, cctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		re.SetError(err, cmdkit.ErrNormal)
 		return
@@ -359,7 +357,7 @@ func daemonFunc(req *cmds.Request, re cmds.ResponseEmitter, env interface{}) {
 		return
 	}
 	if mount {
-		if err := mountFuse(req, ctx); err != nil {
+		if err := mountFuse(req, cctx); err != nil {
 			re.SetError(err, cmdkit.ErrNormal)
 			return
 		}
@@ -376,7 +374,7 @@ func daemonFunc(req *cmds.Request, re cmds.ResponseEmitter, env interface{}) {
 	var gwErrc <-chan error
 	if len(cfg.Addresses.Gateway) > 0 {
 		var err error
-		err, gwErrc = serveHTTPGateway(req, ctx)
+		err, gwErrc = serveHTTPGateway(req, cctx)
 		if err != nil {
 			re.SetError(err, cmdkit.ErrNormal)
 			return
diff --git a/cmd/ipfs/main.go b/cmd/ipfs/main.go
index 63b713309..e6dd46e58 100644
--- a/cmd/ipfs/main.go
+++ b/cmd/ipfs/main.go
@@ -108,11 +108,8 @@ func mainRet() int {
 		}
 		log.Debugf("config path is %s", repoPath)
 
-		// this sets up the function that will initialize the config lazily.
-
 		// this sets up the function that will initialize the node
 		// this is so that we can construct the node lazily.
-
 		return &oldcmds.Context{
 			ConfigRoot: repoPath,
 			LoadConfig: loadConfig,
diff --git a/commands/legacy/legacy.go b/commands/legacy/legacy.go
index 828004669..61db54dcf 100644
--- a/commands/legacy/legacy.go
+++ b/commands/legacy/legacy.go
@@ -53,29 +53,3 @@ func OldContext(env interface{}) *oldcmds.Context {
 
 	return ctx
 }
-
-/*
-// OldReqLog returns an oldcmds.ReqLog from a ReqLog
-func OldReqLog(newrl *ReqLog) *oldcmds.ReqLog {
-	if newrl == nil {
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	rl := &oldcmds.ReqLog{}
-
-	for _, rle := range newrl.Requests {
-		oldrle := &oldcmds.ReqLogEntry{
-			StartTime: rle.StartTime,
-			EndTime:   rle.EndTime,
-			Active:    rle.Active,
-			Command:   rle.Command,
-			Options:   rle.Options,
-			Args:      rle.Args,
-			ID:        rle.ID,
-		}
-		rl.AddEntry(oldrle)
-	}
-
-	return rl
-}
-*/
diff --git a/commands/legacy/legacy_test.go b/commands/legacy/legacy_test.go
index 28f61791f..30e79f148 100644
--- a/commands/legacy/legacy_test.go
+++ b/commands/legacy/legacy_test.go
@@ -184,32 +184,3 @@ func TestTeeEmitter(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("expected %#v, got %#v", expect, buf2.String())
 	}
 }
-
-/*
-type teeErrorTestCase struct {
-	err1, err2 error
-	bothNil    bool
-	errString  string
-}
-
-func TestTeeError(t *testing.T) {
-	tcs := []teeErrorTestCase{
-		teeErrorTestCase{nil, nil, true, ""},
-		teeErrorTestCase{fmt.Errorf("error!"), nil, false, "1: error!"},
-		teeErrorTestCase{nil, fmt.Errorf("error!"), false, "2: error!"},
-		teeErrorTestCase{fmt.Errorf("error!"), fmt.Errorf("error!"), false, `1: error!
-2: error!`},
-	}
-
-	for i, tc := range tcs {
-		teeError := cmds.TeeError{tc.err1, tc.err2}
-		if teeError.BothNil() != tc.bothNil {
-			t.Fatalf("BothNil()/%d: expected %v but got %v", i, tc.bothNil, teeError.BothNil())
-		}
-
-		if teeError.Error() != tc.errString {
-			t.Fatalf("Error()/%d: expected %v but got %v", i, tc.errString, teeError.Error())
-		}
-	}
-}
-*/
diff --git a/commands/request.go b/commands/request.go
index 5c26a5e8b..f0dd2b10e 100644
--- a/commands/request.go
+++ b/commands/request.go
@@ -76,6 +76,9 @@ func (c *Context) RootContext() context.Context {
 	return n.Context()
 }
 
+// LogRequest adds the passed request to the request log and
+// returns a function that should be called when the request
+// lifetime is over.
 func (c *Context) LogRequest(req *cmds.Request) func() {
 	rle := &ReqLogEntry{
 		StartTime: time.Now(),
@@ -93,6 +96,7 @@ func (c *Context) LogRequest(req *cmds.Request) func() {
 	}
 }
 
+// Close cleans up the application state.
 func (c *Context) Close() {
 	// let's not forget teardown. If a node was initialized, we must close it.
 	// Note that this means the underlying req.Context().Node variable is exposed.
diff --git a/core/commands/add.go b/core/commands/add.go
index 69d494ada..0c66cc0fa 100644
--- a/core/commands/add.go
+++ b/core/commands/add.go
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ You can now check what blocks have been created by:
 			return nil
 		}
 
+		// HACK! Using context to pass the size to PostRun
 		sizeCh := make(chan int64, 1)
 		req.Context = context.WithValue(req.Context, "size", sizeCh)
 
@@ -366,6 +367,7 @@ You can now check what blocks have been created by:
 					bar.Start()
 				}
 
+				// HACK! using context to pass size from PreRun
 				var sizeChan chan int64
 				sizeChan, _ = req.Context.Value("size").(chan int64)
 
@@ -429,7 +431,7 @@ You can now check what blocks have been created by:
 							bar.ShowTimeLeft = true
 						}
 					case <-req.Context.Done():
-						//re.SetError(req.Context.Err(), cmdkit.ErrNormal)
+						// don't set or print error here, that happens in the goroutine below
 						return
 					}
 				}
diff --git a/core/commands/cat.go b/core/commands/cat.go
index c949ef827..1034f7924 100644
--- a/core/commands/cat.go
+++ b/core/commands/cat.go
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ var CatCmd = &cmds.Command{
 		}
 
 		err = req.ParseBodyArgs()
-		if err != nil && err.Error() != "all arguments covered by positional arguments" {
+		if err != nil && !cmds.IsAllArgsAlreadyCovered(err) {
 			res.SetError(err, cmdkit.ErrNormal)
 			return
 		}
diff --git a/core/commands/commands.go b/core/commands/commands.go
index 4fa546742..bec5eca0f 100644
--- a/core/commands/commands.go
+++ b/core/commands/commands.go
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import (
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 
-	// oldcmds "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/commands"
 	e "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/core/commands/e"
 
 	"gx/ipfs/QmSRaAPPNxyhnXeDa5NXtZ2CWBYJ6BRWNQp6gKxhPcoqDM/go-ipfs-cmdkit"
diff --git a/core/commands/get_test.go b/core/commands/get_test.go
index 7672a7fdc..7850bfa69 100644
--- a/core/commands/get_test.go
+++ b/core/commands/get_test.go
@@ -45,12 +45,10 @@ func TestGetOutputPath(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 
-	/*
-		defOpts, err := GetCmd.GetOptions([]string{})
-		if err != nil {
-			t.Fatalf("error getting default command options: %v", err)
-		}
-	*/
+	_, err := GetCmd.GetOptions([]string{})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("error getting default command options: %v", err)
+	}
 
 	for _, tc := range cases {
 		req, err := cmds.NewRequest(context.TODO(), []string{}, tc.opts, tc.args, nil, GetCmd)
diff --git a/test/sharness/t0110-gateway.sh b/test/sharness/t0110-gateway.sh
index fa37c5b21..c5a4aa39c 100755
--- a/test/sharness/t0110-gateway.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/t0110-gateway.sh
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ test_expect_success "get IPFS directory file through readonly API output looks g
   test_cmp dir/test actual
 '
 
-test_expect_failure "refs IPFS directory file through readonly API succeeds" '
+test_expect_success "refs IPFS directory file through readonly API succeeds" '
   test_curl_gateway_api "refs?arg=$HASH2/test"
 '