diff --git a/build/ci.go b/build/ci.go
index 5c7269925b74..112455631764 100644
--- a/build/ci.go
+++ b/build/ci.go
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/cespare/cp"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto/signify"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/internal/build"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/params"
@@ -163,7 +164,7 @@ func executablePath(name string) string {
 func main() {
 	log.SetFlags(log.Lshortfile)
 
-	if _, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join("build", "ci.go")); os.IsNotExist(err) {
+	if !common.FileExist(filepath.Join("build", "ci.go")) {
 		log.Fatal("this script must be run from the root of the repository")
 	}
 	if len(os.Args) < 2 {
@@ -733,7 +734,7 @@ func ppaUpload(workdir, ppa, sshUser string, files []string) {
 	var idfile string
 	if sshkey := getenvBase64("PPA_SSH_KEY"); len(sshkey) > 0 {
 		idfile = filepath.Join(workdir, "sshkey")
-		if _, err := os.Stat(idfile); os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		if !common.FileExist(idfile) {
 			ioutil.WriteFile(idfile, sshkey, 0600)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/geth/consolecmd.go b/cmd/geth/consolecmd.go
index 4765155df385..f00c7c433a19 100644
--- a/cmd/geth/consolecmd.go
+++ b/cmd/geth/consolecmd.go
@@ -18,11 +18,11 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/cmd/utils"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/console"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/node"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/rpc"
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ func remoteConsole(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 				// Maintain compatibility with older Geth configurations storing the
 				// Ropsten database in `testnet` instead of `ropsten`.
 				legacyPath := filepath.Join(path, "testnet")
-				if _, err := os.Stat(legacyPath); !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+				if common.FileExist(legacyPath) {
 					path = legacyPath
 				} else {
 					path = filepath.Join(path, "ropsten")
diff --git a/cmd/utils/flags.go b/cmd/utils/flags.go
index 91ea24caa356..7ef3236e1d14 100644
--- a/cmd/utils/flags.go
+++ b/cmd/utils/flags.go
@@ -1360,7 +1360,7 @@ func setDataDir(ctx *cli.Context, cfg *node.Config) {
 		// Maintain compatibility with older Geth configurations storing the
 		// Ropsten database in `testnet` instead of `ropsten`.
 		legacyPath := filepath.Join(node.DefaultDataDir(), "testnet")
-		if _, err := os.Stat(legacyPath); !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		if common.FileExist(legacyPath) {
 			log.Warn("Using the deprecated `testnet` datadir. Future versions will store the Ropsten chain in `ropsten`.")
 			cfg.DataDir = legacyPath
 		} else {
diff --git a/core/state/pruner/pruner.go b/core/state/pruner/pruner.go
index 4e3daac669b4..a2f8afc90e30 100644
--- a/core/state/pruner/pruner.go
+++ b/core/state/pruner/pruner.go
@@ -497,7 +497,7 @@ Check the command description "geth snapshot prune-state --help" for more detail
 `
 
 func deleteCleanTrieCache(path string) {
-	if _, err := os.Stat(path); os.IsNotExist(err) {
+	if !common.FileExist(path) {
 		log.Warn(warningLog)
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/core/tx_journal.go b/core/tx_journal.go
index d282126a083a..5453ee191658 100644
--- a/core/tx_journal.go
+++ b/core/tx_journal.go
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ func newTxJournal(path string) *txJournal {
 // the specified pool.
 func (journal *txJournal) load(add func([]*types.Transaction) []error) error {
 	// Skip the parsing if the journal file doesn't exist at all
-	if _, err := os.Stat(journal.path); os.IsNotExist(err) {
+	if !common.FileExist(journal.path) {
 		return nil
 	}
 	// Open the journal for loading any past transactions