diff --git a/pkg/bmt/bmt.go b/pkg/bmt/bmt.go
index 28d65403bdc..ae3c5e95421 100644
--- a/pkg/bmt/bmt.go
+++ b/pkg/bmt/bmt.go
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ type Hasher struct {
 	bmt    *tree       // prebuilt BMT resource for flowcontrol and proofs
 	size   int         // bytes written to Hasher since last Reset()
 	pos    int         // index of rightmost currently open segment
-	offset int         // offset (cursor position) within currently open segment
 	result chan []byte // result channel
 	errc   chan error  // error channel
 	span   []byte      // The span of the data subsumed under the chunk
@@ -49,7 +48,7 @@ func NewHasher(hasherFact func() hash.Hash) *Hasher {
 		result: make(chan []byte),
 		errc:   make(chan error, 1),
 		span:   make([]byte, SpanSize),
-		bmt:    newTree(conf.segmentSize, conf.maxSize, conf.depth, conf.hasher),
+		bmt:    newTree(conf.maxSize, conf.depth, conf.hasher),
 	}
 }
 
@@ -126,7 +125,6 @@ func (h *Hasher) Write(b []byte) (int, error) {
 	copy(h.bmt.buffer[h.size:], b)
 	secsize := 2 * h.segmentSize
 	from := h.size / secsize
-	h.offset = h.size % secsize
 	h.size += l
 	to := h.size / secsize
 	if l == maxVal {
@@ -143,7 +141,6 @@ func (h *Hasher) Write(b []byte) (int, error) {
 func (h *Hasher) Reset() {
 	h.pos = 0
 	h.size = 0
-	h.offset = 0
 	copy(h.span, zerospan)
 }
 
@@ -182,7 +179,6 @@ func (h *Hasher) processSection(i int, final bool) {
 // since hashing the parent is synchronous the same hasher can be used.
 func (h *Hasher) writeNode(n *node, isLeft bool, s []byte) {
 	var err error
-	level := 1
 	for {
 		// at the root of the bmt just write the result to the result channel
 		if n == nil {
@@ -211,7 +207,6 @@ func (h *Hasher) writeNode(n *node, isLeft bool, s []byte) {
 		}
 		isLeft = n.isLeft
 		n = n.parent
-		level++
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/bmt/pool.go b/pkg/bmt/pool.go
index 1a7731854ae..a7f7245c40d 100644
--- a/pkg/bmt/pool.go
+++ b/pkg/bmt/pool.go
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ func NewPool(c *Conf) *Pool {
 		c:    make(chan *tree, c.capacity),
 	}
 	for i := 0; i < c.capacity; i++ {
-		p.c <- newTree(p.segmentSize, p.maxSize, p.depth, p.hasher)
+		p.c <- newTree(p.maxSize, p.depth, p.hasher)
 	}
 	return p
 }
@@ -116,9 +116,7 @@ func newNode(index int, parent *node, hasher hash.Hash) *node {
 }
 
 // newTree initialises a tree by building up the nodes of a BMT
-//
-// segmentSize is stipulated to be the size of the hash.
-func newTree(segmentSize, maxsize, depth int, hashfunc func() hash.Hash) *tree {
+func newTree(maxsize, depth int, hashfunc func() hash.Hash) *tree {
 	n := newNode(0, nil, hashfunc())
 	prevlevel := []*node{n}
 	// iterate over levels and creates 2^(depth-level) nodes