diff --git a/pluginmgr/core/plugins.go b/pluginmgr/core/plugins.go
index 401d430a1c4ed697bd54905d0a484924425742bc..e0e508578dba66cda616d24abbfb70b66f856e50 100644
--- a/pluginmgr/core/plugins.go
+++ b/pluginmgr/core/plugins.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ var PLUGINS = node.Plugins(
 	database.PLUGIN,
 	autopeering.Plugin,
 	messagelayer.PLUGIN,
-	gossip.PLUGIN,
+	gossip.Plugin,
 	gracefulshutdown.PLUGIN,
 	metrics.PLUGIN,
 	drng.PLUGIN,
diff --git a/plugins/autopeering/autopeering.go b/plugins/autopeering/autopeering.go
index 64754dd30687f3d907d9fbb414a5a7de05c2da06..db01bc67d6f5dd7ad4d5ac2a9924bc23669e3bb5 100644
--- a/plugins/autopeering/autopeering.go
+++ b/plugins/autopeering/autopeering.go
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ func configureAP() {
 	)
 
 	// enable peer selection only when gossip is enabled
-	if !node.IsSkipped(gossip.PLUGIN) {
+	if !node.IsSkipped(gossip.Plugin) {
 		Selection = selection.New(local.GetInstance(), Discovery,
 			selection.Logger(log.Named("sel")),
 			selection.NeighborValidator(selection.ValidatorFunc(isValidNeighbor)),
diff --git a/plugins/dashboard/plugin.go b/plugins/dashboard/plugin.go
index add51aa795dc5daebeea5d833dfe6164a0e84963..3136d28177a64c8e82fef0c41cf469da6c0d3914 100644
--- a/plugins/dashboard/plugin.go
+++ b/plugins/dashboard/plugin.go
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ 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 be42070803563bd6d164cd4bf443ec41bf45c856..ea81051648c4b951d591e69aa7b0a25008e72cfb 100644
--- a/plugins/gossip/gossip.go
+++ b/plugins/gossip/gossip.go
@@ -27,9 +27,9 @@ 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 {
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func configureGossip() {
 }
 
 func start(shutdownSignal <-chan struct{}) {
-	defer log.Info("Stopping " + name + " ... done")
+	defer log.Info("Stopping " + pluginName + " ... done")
 
 	lPeer := local.GetInstance()
 
@@ -65,24 +65,25 @@ func start(shutdownSignal <-chan struct{}) {
 	mgr.Start(srv)
 	defer mgr.Close()
 
-	log.Infof("%s started: Address=%s/%s", name, localAddr.String(), localAddr.Network())
+	log.Infof("%s started: Address=%s/%s", pluginName, localAddr.String(), localAddr.Network())
 
 	<-shutdownSignal
-	log.Info("Stopping " + name + " ...")
+	log.Info("Stopping " + pluginName + " ...")
 }
 
 // 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 ef7ebeceeddc3133b7eac78e4bfe0ff9c330daff..c2f3a56f696898752b40393da8c799ab04f4ce49 100644
--- a/plugins/gossip/plugin.go
+++ b/plugins/gossip/plugin.go
@@ -15,19 +15,20 @@ import (
 	"github.com/iotaledger/goshimmer/plugins/messagelayer"
 )
 
-const name = "Gossip" // name of the plugin
+const pluginName = "Gossip" // name of the plugin
 
-var PLUGIN = node.NewPlugin(name, node.Enabled, configure, run)
+// Plugin defines the gossip plugin
+var Plugin = node.NewPlugin(pluginName, node.Enabled, configure, run)
 
 func configure(*node.Plugin) {
-	log = logger.NewLogger(name)
+	log = logger.NewLogger(pluginName)
 
 	configureGossip()
 	configureEvents()
 }
 
 func run(*node.Plugin) {
-	if err := daemon.BackgroundWorker(name, start, shutdown.PriorityGossip); err != nil {
+	if err := daemon.BackgroundWorker(pluginName, start, shutdown.PriorityGossip); err != nil {
 		log.Errorf("Failed to start as daemon: %s", err)
 	}
 }