diff --git a/rules/group.go b/rules/group.go
index aa418e43f9..b3364f2156 100644
--- a/rules/group.go
+++ b/rules/group.go
@@ -71,9 +71,9 @@ type Group struct {
 	// Rule group evaluation iteration function,
 	// defaults to DefaultEvalIterationFunc.
 	evalIterationFunc GroupEvalIterationFunc
+	alertStore        AlertStore
 
-	appOpts               *storage.AppendOptions
-	alertStore            AlertStore
+	appOpts *storage.AppendOptions
 }
 
 // GroupEvalIterationFunc is used to implement and extend rule group
@@ -144,8 +144,8 @@ func NewGroup(o GroupOptions) *Group {
 		logger:               opts.Logger.With("file", o.File, "group", o.Name),
 		metrics:              metrics,
 		evalIterationFunc:    evalIterationFunc,
-		appOpts:              &storage.AppendOptions{DiscardOutOfOrder: true},
 		alertStore:           o.AlertStore,
+		appOpts:              &storage.AppendOptions{DiscardOutOfOrder: true},
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/rules/manager_test.go b/rules/manager_test.go
index 22e9a5ecec..0221a65536 100644
--- a/rules/manager_test.go
+++ b/rules/manager_test.go
@@ -2586,7 +2586,7 @@ func TestKeepFiringForStateRestore(t *testing.T) {
 		Queryable:       testStorage,
 		Context:         context.Background(),
 		Logger:          promslog.NewNopLogger(),
-		NotifyFunc:      func(ctx context.Context, expr string, alerts ...*Alert) {},
+		NotifyFunc:      func(_ context.Context, _ string, _ ...*Alert) {},
 		OutageTolerance: 30 * time.Minute,
 		ForGracePeriod:  10 * time.Minute,
 		AlertStore:      alertStore,
@@ -2713,8 +2713,8 @@ func TestKeepFiringForStateRestore(t *testing.T) {
 
 			got := newRule.ActiveAlerts()
 			got2 := newRule2.ActiveAlerts()
-			require.Equal(t, len(exp), len(got))
-			require.Equal(t, len(exp2), len(got2))
+			require.Len(t, got, len(exp))
+			require.Len(t, got2, len(exp2))
 			require.Equal(t, tt.alertsExpected, len(got)+len(got2))
 
 			results := [][]*Alert{got, got2}
@@ -2733,7 +2733,7 @@ func TestKeepFiringForStateRestore(t *testing.T) {
 
 			for i, expected := range expectedAlerts {
 				got = results[i]
-				require.Equal(t, len(expected), len(got))
+				require.Len(t, got, len(expected))
 				for j, alert := range expected {
 					diff := float64(alert.KeepFiringSince.Unix() - got[j].KeepFiringSince.Unix())
 					require.Equal(t, 0.0, math.Abs(diff), "'keep_firing_for' restored time is wrong")
diff --git a/rules/store.go b/rules/store.go
index e18401a48d..631f5e2799 100644
--- a/rules/store.go
+++ b/rules/store.go
@@ -115,12 +115,12 @@ func (s *FileStore) SetAlerts(key uint64, groupKey string, alerts []*Alert) erro
 	s.stateMtx.Lock()
 	defer s.stateMtx.Unlock()
 
-	// Update in memory
-	if alerts != nil {
-		s.alertsByRule[key] = alerts
-	} else {
+	if alerts == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
+	// Update in memory
+	s.alertsByRule[key] = alerts
+
 	// flush in memory state to file storage
 	file, err := os.Create(s.path)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/rules/store_test.go b/rules/store_test.go
index b48c03807e..b774ec96f4 100644
--- a/rules/store_test.go
+++ b/rules/store_test.go
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ func TestAlertStore(t *testing.T) {
 
 		got, err := alertStore.GetAlerts(key)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
-		require.Equal(t, len(alerts), len(got))
+		require.Len(t, got, len(alerts))
 
 		result := make([]*Alert, 0, len(got))
 		for _, value := range got {