diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index f7589e02..84c069d4 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ go 1.20
 
 require (
 	github.com/nspcc-dev/rfc6979 v0.2.1
-	github.com/pkg/errors v0.9.1
 	github.com/stretchr/testify v1.9.0
 	github.com/twmb/murmur3 v1.1.8
 	go.uber.org/zap v1.27.0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index a05d75bb..d93c6b33 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1 h1:vj9j/u1bqnvCEfJOwUhtlOARqs3+rkHYY13jYWTU97c
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSsI+c5H38=
 github.com/nspcc-dev/rfc6979 v0.2.1 h1:8wWxkamHWFmO790GsewSoKUSJjVnL1fmdRpokU/RgRM=
 github.com/nspcc-dev/rfc6979 v0.2.1/go.mod h1:Tk7h5kyUWkhjyO3zUgFFhy1v2vQv3BvQEntakdtqrWc=
-github.com/pkg/errors v0.9.1 h1:FEBLx1zS214owpjy7qsBeixbURkuhQAwrK5UwLGTwt4=
-github.com/pkg/errors v0.9.1/go.mod h1:bwawxfHBFNV+L2hUp1rHADufV3IMtnDRdf1r5NINEl0=
 github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0 h1:4DBwDE0NGyQoBHbLQYPwSUPoCMWR5BEzIk/f1lZbAQM=
 github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0/go.mod h1:iKH77koFhYxTK1pcRnkKkqfTogsbg7gZNVY4sRDYZ/4=
 github.com/stretchr/testify v1.9.0 h1:HtqpIVDClZ4nwg75+f6Lvsy/wHu+3BoSGCbBAcpTsTg=
diff --git a/internal/payload/consensus_message.go b/internal/payload/consensus_message.go
index 2f1fed1f..88dded51 100644
--- a/internal/payload/consensus_message.go
+++ b/internal/payload/consensus_message.go
@@ -3,10 +3,10 @@ package payload
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"encoding/gob"
+	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/dbft"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/dbft/internal/crypto"
-	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
 type (
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ func (m *message) DecodeBinary(r *gob.Decoder) error {
 	case dbft.RecoveryMessageType:
 		m.payload = new(recoveryMessage)
 	default:
-		return errors.Errorf("invalid type: 0x%02x", byte(m.cmType))
+		return fmt.Errorf("invalid type: 0x%02x", byte(m.cmType))
 	}
 
 	rr := bytes.NewReader(aux.Payload)