diff --git a/pkg/cli/actionlint.go b/pkg/cli/actionlint.go
index ddbbdbdbb1..dd2ef876ba 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/actionlint.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/actionlint.go
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ func runActionlintOnFiles(lockFiles []string, verbose bool, strict bool) error {
 	}
 
 	// Get relative paths from git root for all files
-	var relPaths []string
+	relPaths := make([]string, 0, len(lockFiles))
 	for _, lockFile := range lockFiles {
 		relPath, err := filepath.Rel(gitRoot, lockFile)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/cli/add_interactive_engine.go b/pkg/cli/add_interactive_engine.go
index 7dbe6349aa..386ed7cdb8 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/add_interactive_engine.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/add_interactive_engine.go
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ func (c *AddInteractiveConfig) selectAIEngineAndKey() error {
 	// Build engine options with notes about existing secrets and workflow specification.
 	// The list of engines is derived from the catalog to ensure all registered engines appear.
 	catalog := workflow.NewEngineCatalog(workflow.NewEngineRegistry())
-	var engineOptions []huh.Option[string]
+	engineOptions := make([]huh.Option[string], 0, len(catalog.All()))
 	for _, def := range catalog.All() {
 		opt := constants.GetEngineOption(def.ID)
 		label := fmt.Sprintf("%s - %s", def.DisplayName, def.Description)
diff --git a/pkg/cli/codemod_bash_anonymous.go b/pkg/cli/codemod_bash_anonymous.go
index 03ceab4710..2bbfba8a58 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/codemod_bash_anonymous.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/codemod_bash_anonymous.go
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ func getBashAnonymousRemovalCodemod() Codemod {
 
 // replaceBashAnonymousWithTrue replaces 'bash:' with 'bash: true' in the tools block
 func replaceBashAnonymousWithTrue(lines []string) ([]string, bool) {
-	var result []string
+	result := make([]string, 0, len(lines))
 	var modified bool
 	var inToolsBlock bool
 	var toolsIndent string
diff --git a/pkg/cli/codemod_discussion_flag.go b/pkg/cli/codemod_discussion_flag.go
index 700d942c50..a07ae543a5 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/codemod_discussion_flag.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/codemod_discussion_flag.go
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ func getDiscussionFlagRemovalCodemod() Codemod {
 			}
 
 			newContent, applied, err := applyFrontmatterLineTransform(content, func(lines []string) ([]string, bool) {
-				var result []string
+				result := make([]string, 0, len(lines))
 				var modified bool
 				var inSafeOutputsBlock bool
 				var safeOutputsIndent string
diff --git a/pkg/cli/codemod_expires_integer.go b/pkg/cli/codemod_expires_integer.go
index e7dab3a732..a416f6a3d0 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/codemod_expires_integer.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/codemod_expires_integer.go
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ func getExpiresIntegerToStringCodemod() Codemod {
 // convertExpiresIntegersToDayStrings converts integer expires values to day strings within safe-outputs blocks.
 // Only affects expires lines nested inside a safe-outputs block.
 func convertExpiresIntegersToDayStrings(lines []string) ([]string, bool) {
-	var result []string
+	result := make([]string, 0, len(lines))
 	var modified bool
 	var inSafeOutputsBlock bool
 	var safeOutputsIndent string
diff --git a/pkg/cli/codemod_github_app.go b/pkg/cli/codemod_github_app.go
index 2214a33d54..4684fa9a59 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/codemod_github_app.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/codemod_github_app.go
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func hasDeprecatedAppField(frontmatter map[string]any) bool {
 
 // renameAppToGitHubApp renames 'app:' to 'github-app:' within tools.github, safe-outputs, and checkout blocks.
 func renameAppToGitHubApp(lines []string) ([]string, bool) {
-	var result []string
+	result := make([]string, 0, len(lines))
 	modified := false
 
 	// Block tracking
diff --git a/pkg/cli/codemod_mcp_mode_to_type.go b/pkg/cli/codemod_mcp_mode_to_type.go
index c23a17164e..6ce496048f 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/codemod_mcp_mode_to_type.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/codemod_mcp_mode_to_type.go
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ func getMCPModeToTypeCodemod() Codemod {
 
 // renameModeToTypeInMCPServers renames 'mode:' to 'type:' within mcp-servers blocks
 func renameModeToTypeInMCPServers(lines []string) ([]string, bool) {
-	var result []string
+	result := make([]string, 0, len(lines))
 	var modified bool
 	var inMCPServers bool
 	var mcpServersIndent string
diff --git a/pkg/cli/codemod_mcp_network.go b/pkg/cli/codemod_mcp_network.go
index f46ac26c1e..1cb5e63373 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/codemod_mcp_network.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/codemod_mcp_network.go
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ func getMCPNetworkMigrationCodemod() Codemod {
 
 // removeFieldFromMCPServer removes a field from a specific MCP server configuration
 func removeFieldFromMCPServer(lines []string, serverName string, fieldName string) ([]string, bool) {
-	var result []string
+	result := make([]string, 0, len(lines))
 	var modified bool
 	var inMCPServers bool
 	var mcpServersIndent string
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ func addTopLevelNetwork(lines []string, domains []string) []string {
 
 // updateNetworkAllowed updates the existing top-level network.allowed configuration
 func updateNetworkAllowed(lines []string, domains []string) []string {
-	var result []string
+	result := make([]string, 0, len(lines))
 	var inNetworkBlock bool
 	var networkIndent string
 	var inAllowedBlock bool
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ func updateNetworkAllowed(lines []string, domains []string) []string {
 
 // addAllowedToNetwork adds an allowed field to an existing network block
 func addAllowedToNetwork(lines []string, domains []string) []string {
-	var result []string
+	result := make([]string, 0, len(lines))
 	var inNetworkBlock bool
 	var networkIndent string
 	var insertIndex = -1
diff --git a/pkg/cli/codemod_playwright_domains.go b/pkg/cli/codemod_playwright_domains.go
index e98fae60b0..adcf3e5e00 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/codemod_playwright_domains.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/codemod_playwright_domains.go
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ func getPlaywrightDomainsCodemod() Codemod {
 
 // removeFieldFromPlaywright removes a field from the tools.playwright block (two-level nesting)
 func removeFieldFromPlaywright(lines []string, fieldName string) ([]string, bool) {
-	var result []string
+	result := make([]string, 0, len(lines))
 	var modified bool
 	var inTools bool
 	var toolsIndent string
diff --git a/pkg/cli/codemod_safe_inputs_to_mcp_scripts.go b/pkg/cli/codemod_safe_inputs_to_mcp_scripts.go
index dafaf34255..6d8616ab7b 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/codemod_safe_inputs_to_mcp_scripts.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/codemod_safe_inputs_to_mcp_scripts.go
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ func getSafeInputsToMCPScriptsCodemod() Codemod {
 
 // renameTopLevelKey renames a top-level YAML key from oldKey to newKey, preserving formatting.
 func renameTopLevelKey(lines []string, oldKey, newKey string) ([]string, bool) {
-	var result []string
+	result := make([]string, 0, len(lines))
 	applied := false
 
 	for _, line := range lines {
diff --git a/pkg/cli/codemod_serena_local_mode.go b/pkg/cli/codemod_serena_local_mode.go
index f821e48189..01034ef05c 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/codemod_serena_local_mode.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/codemod_serena_local_mode.go
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func getSerenaLocalModeCodemod() Codemod {
 // replaceSerenaLocalModeWithDocker replaces 'mode: local' with 'mode: docker' within the
 // tools.serena block in frontmatter lines.
 func replaceSerenaLocalModeWithDocker(lines []string) ([]string, bool) {
-	var result []string
+	result := make([]string, 0, len(lines))
 	var modified bool
 	var inTools bool
 	var toolsIndent string
diff --git a/pkg/cli/codemod_yaml_utils.go b/pkg/cli/codemod_yaml_utils.go
index 2a818d75d6..89c0ff3474 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/codemod_yaml_utils.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/codemod_yaml_utils.go
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func applyFrontmatterLineTransform(content string, transform func([]string) ([]s
 // removeFieldFromBlock removes a field and its nested content from a YAML block
 // Returns the modified lines and whether any changes were made
 func removeFieldFromBlock(lines []string, fieldName string, parentBlock string) ([]string, bool) {
-	var result []string
+	result := make([]string, 0, len(lines))
 	var modified bool
 	var inParentBlock bool
 	var parentIndent string
diff --git a/pkg/cli/run_interactive.go b/pkg/cli/run_interactive.go
index 59193cb87f..c986470990 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/run_interactive.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/run_interactive.go
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ func collectInputsWithMap(inputs map[string]*workflow.InputDefinition) ([]string
 	}
 
 	// Collect the final values from the pointers
-	var result []string
+	result := make([]string, 0, len(inputPtrs))
 	for name, valuePtr := range inputPtrs {
 		value := *valuePtr
 		if value != "" {