diff --git a/plugins/dashboard/plugin.go b/plugins/dashboard/plugin.go
index 91b9e6953e8b4e19ad76636f15ad99e836120aff..774bfc5f169a3e17fa67df41ab7da467af2c0602 100644
--- a/plugins/dashboard/plugin.go
+++ b/plugins/dashboard/plugin.go
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ func neighborMetrics() []neighbormetric {
 	stats := []neighbormetric{}
 
 	// gossip plugin might be disabled
-	neighbors := gossip.GetAllNeighbors()
+	neighbors := gossip.Neighbors()
 	if neighbors == nil {
 		return stats
 	}
diff --git a/plugins/gossip/gossip.go b/plugins/gossip/gossip.go
index 3a95698d62be831bde4cc60108adac5d37ee4346..8214d7fafcdcb8c553b60774099ca9dc0f02bf2e 100644
--- a/plugins/gossip/gossip.go
+++ b/plugins/gossip/gossip.go
@@ -5,16 +5,15 @@ import (
 	"net"
 	"strconv"
 
-	"github.com/iotaledger/hive.go/autopeering/peer/service"
-	"github.com/iotaledger/hive.go/logger"
-	"github.com/iotaledger/hive.go/netutil"
-
 	"github.com/iotaledger/goshimmer/packages/binary/messagelayer/message"
 	gp "github.com/iotaledger/goshimmer/packages/gossip"
 	"github.com/iotaledger/goshimmer/packages/gossip/server"
 	"github.com/iotaledger/goshimmer/plugins/autopeering/local"
 	"github.com/iotaledger/goshimmer/plugins/config"
 	"github.com/iotaledger/goshimmer/plugins/messagelayer"
+	"github.com/iotaledger/hive.go/autopeering/peer/service"
+	"github.com/iotaledger/hive.go/logger"
+	"github.com/iotaledger/hive.go/netutil"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -27,9 +26,9 @@ func configureGossip() {
 	lPeer := local.GetInstance()
 
 	// announce the gossip service
-	gossipPort := config.Node.GetInt(GOSSIP_PORT)
+	gossipPort := config.Node.GetInt(CfgGossipPort)
 	if !netutil.IsValidPort(gossipPort) {
-		log.Fatalf("Invalid port number (%s): %d", GOSSIP_PORT, gossipPort)
+		log.Fatalf("Invalid port number (%s): %d", CfgGossipPort, gossipPort)
 	}
 
 	if err := lPeer.UpdateService(service.GossipKey, "tcp", gossipPort); err != nil {
@@ -72,17 +71,18 @@ func start(shutdownSignal <-chan struct{}) {
 }
 
 // loads the given message from the message layer or an error if not found.
-func loadMessage(messageId message.Id) (bytes []byte, err error) {
-	log.Debugw("load message from db", "id", messageId.String())
-	if !messagelayer.Tangle.Message(messageId).Consume(func(message *message.Message) {
+func loadMessage(messageID message.Id) (bytes []byte, err error) {
+	log.Debugw("load message from db", "id", messageID.String())
+	if !messagelayer.Tangle.Message(messageID).Consume(func(message *message.Message) {
 		bytes = message.Bytes()
 	}) {
-		err = fmt.Errorf("message not found: hash=%s", messageId)
+		err = fmt.Errorf("message not found: hash=%s", messageID)
 	}
 	return
 }
 
-func GetAllNeighbors() []*gp.Neighbor {
+// Neighbors returns the list of the neighbors.
+func Neighbors() []*gp.Neighbor {
 	if mgr == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
diff --git a/plugins/gossip/parameters.go b/plugins/gossip/parameters.go
index aa96e7cbd674429c80c2af2c923a975651950bdc..ade8e8a22e94808dd3c130be13c20fb509e107e4 100644
--- a/plugins/gossip/parameters.go
+++ b/plugins/gossip/parameters.go
@@ -5,9 +5,10 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	GOSSIP_PORT = "gossip.port"
+	// CfgGossipPort defines the config flag of the gossip port.
+	CfgGossipPort = "gossip.port"
 )
 
 func init() {
-	flag.Int(GOSSIP_PORT, 14666, "tcp port for gossip connection")
+	flag.Int(CfgGossipPort, 14666, "tcp port for gossip connection")
 }
diff --git a/plugins/gossip/plugin.go b/plugins/gossip/plugin.go
index 2b671dc4ffb30610daaaf87eb3e4b965a3882c8b..49c42e85c847a1e50d3c0d3b520f977e17a5bf20 100644
--- a/plugins/gossip/plugin.go
+++ b/plugins/gossip/plugin.go
@@ -1,18 +1,17 @@
 package gossip
 
 import (
+	"github.com/iotaledger/goshimmer/packages/binary/messagelayer/message"
+	"github.com/iotaledger/goshimmer/packages/binary/messagelayer/tangle"
+	"github.com/iotaledger/goshimmer/packages/gossip"
+	"github.com/iotaledger/goshimmer/packages/shutdown"
+	"github.com/iotaledger/goshimmer/plugins/messagelayer"
 	"github.com/iotaledger/hive.go/autopeering/peer"
 	"github.com/iotaledger/hive.go/autopeering/selection"
 	"github.com/iotaledger/hive.go/daemon"
 	"github.com/iotaledger/hive.go/events"
 	"github.com/iotaledger/hive.go/logger"
 	"github.com/iotaledger/hive.go/node"
-
-	"github.com/iotaledger/goshimmer/packages/binary/messagelayer/message"
-	"github.com/iotaledger/goshimmer/packages/binary/messagelayer/tangle"
-	"github.com/iotaledger/goshimmer/packages/gossip"
-	"github.com/iotaledger/goshimmer/packages/shutdown"
-	"github.com/iotaledger/goshimmer/plugins/messagelayer"
 )
 
 // PluginName is the name of the gossip plugin.