diff --git a/checksum/checksum.go b/checksum/checksum.go
index 7cfbb6bbe..099a4d91d 100644
--- a/checksum/checksum.go
+++ b/checksum/checksum.go
@@ -12,14 +12,14 @@ import (
 )
 
 // SHA256 sum of the given file
-func SHA256(path string) (result string, err error) {
+func SHA256(path string) (string, error) {
 	return calculate(sha256.New(), path)
 }
 
-func calculate(hash hash.Hash, path string) (result string, err error) {
+func calculate(hash hash.Hash, path string) (string, error) {
 	file, err := os.Open(path)
 	if err != nil {
-		return
+		return "", err
 	}
 	defer func() {
 		if err := file.Close(); err != nil {
@@ -30,12 +30,10 @@ func calculate(hash hash.Hash, path string) (result string, err error) {
 	return doCalculate(hash, file)
 }
 
-func doCalculate(hash hash.Hash, file io.Reader) (result string, err error) {
-	_, err = io.Copy(hash, file)
+func doCalculate(hash hash.Hash, file io.Reader) (string, error) {
+	_, err := io.Copy(hash, file)
 	if err != nil {
-		return
+		return "", err
 	}
-
-	result = hex.EncodeToString(hash.Sum(nil))
-	return
+	return hex.EncodeToString(hash.Sum(nil)), nil
 }
diff --git a/pipeline/checksums/checksums.go b/pipeline/checksums/checksums.go
index f85a666bd..02404e687 100644
--- a/pipeline/checksums/checksums.go
+++ b/pipeline/checksums/checksums.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func (Pipe) Run(ctx *context.Context) (err error) {
 
 // Default sets the pipe defaults
 func (Pipe) Default(ctx *context.Context) error {
-	if ctx.Config.Checksum.NameTemplate != "" {
+	if ctx.Config.Checksum.NameTemplate == "" {
 		ctx.Config.Checksum.NameTemplate = "{{ .ProjectName }}_{{ .Version }}_checksums.txt"
 	}
 	return nil
diff --git a/pipeline/checksums/checksums_test.go b/pipeline/checksums/checksums_test.go
index d4c890be9..3392a8094 100644
--- a/pipeline/checksums/checksums_test.go
+++ b/pipeline/checksums/checksums_test.go
@@ -91,3 +91,29 @@ func TestPipeCouldNotOpenChecksumsTxt(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Error(t, err)
 	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "/checksums.txt: permission denied")
 }
+
+func TestDefault(t *testing.T) {
+	var ctx = &context.Context{
+		Config: config.Project{
+			Checksum: config.Checksum{},
+		},
+	}
+	assert.NoError(t, Pipe{}.Default(ctx))
+	assert.Equal(
+		t,
+		"{{ .ProjectName }}_{{ .Version }}_checksums.txt",
+		ctx.Config.Checksum.NameTemplate,
+	)
+}
+
+func TestDefaultSet(t *testing.T) {
+	var ctx = &context.Context{
+		Config: config.Project{
+			Checksum: config.Checksum{
+				NameTemplate: "checksums.txt",
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	assert.NoError(t, Pipe{}.Default(ctx))
+	assert.Equal(t, "checksums.txt", ctx.Config.Checksum.NameTemplate)
+}