diff --git a/apt b/apt
index 4692ad323f5..3c8a270a6ce 100644
--- a/apt
+++ b/apt
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ def main():
     if module.boolean(p['update_cache']):
         cache.update()
         cache.open(progress=None)
-        if p['package'] == None:
+        if not p['package']:
             module.exit_json(changed=False)
 
     force_yes = module.boolean(p['force'])
diff --git a/git b/git
index aff83e3df8b..020306bd1f2 100644
--- a/git
+++ b/git
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ def has_local_mods(dest):
     os.chdir(dest)
     cmd = "git status -s"
     lines = os.popen(cmd).read().splitlines()
-    lines = filter(lambda c: re.search('^\\?\\?.*$',c) == None,lines)
+    lines = filter(lambda c: not re.search('^\\?\\?.*$', c), lines)
     return len(lines) > 0
 
 def reset(module,dest,force):
diff --git a/mysql_db b/mysql_db
index 42150370506..807603a83dd 100644
--- a/mysql_db
+++ b/mysql_db
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ def main():
     else:
         connect_to_db = 'mysql'
     try:
-        if module.params["login_unix_socket"] != None:
+        if module.params["login_unix_socket"]:
             db_connection = MySQLdb.connect(host=module.params["login_host"], unix_socket=module.params["login_unix_socket"], user=login_user, passwd=login_password, db=connect_to_db)
         else:
             db_connection = MySQLdb.connect(host=module.params["login_host"], user=login_user, passwd=login_password, db=connect_to_db)
diff --git a/mysql_user b/mysql_user
index bcf90b70332..b9b833e1f64 100644
--- a/mysql_user
+++ b/mysql_user
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ def main():
         module.fail_json(msg="when supplying login arguments, both login_user and login_password must be provided")
 
     try:
-        if module.params["login_unix_socket"] != None:
+        if module.params["login_unix_socket"]:
             db_connection = MySQLdb.connect(host=module.params["login_host"], unix_socket=module.params["login_unix_socket"], user=login_user, passwd=login_password, db="mysql")
         else:
             db_connection = MySQLdb.connect(host=module.params["login_host"], user=login_user, passwd=login_password, db="mysql")
diff --git a/selinux b/selinux
index c2965a33398..eafa3bf1a61 100644
--- a/selinux
+++ b/selinux
@@ -147,10 +147,10 @@ def main():
 
     # check to see if policy is set if state is not 'disabled'
     if (state != 'disabled'):
-        if (policy == '' or policy == None):
+        if not policy:
             module.fail_json(msg='policy is required if state is not \'disabled\'')
     else:
-        if (policy == '' or policy == None):
+        if not policy:
             policy = config_policy
 
     # check changed values and run changes
diff --git a/service b/service
index adac3ba4b93..cb862d859c3 100644
--- a/service
+++ b/service
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ class Service(object):
                     break
 
     def check_service_changed(self):
-        if self.state and self.running == None:
+        if self.state and self.running is None:
             self.module.fail_json(msg="failed determining the current service state => state stays unchanged")
         # Find out if state has changed
         if not self.running and self.state in ["started", "running"]:
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ class LinuxService(Service):
         rc, status_stdout, status_stderr = self.service_control()
 
         # Check if we have upstart on the system and then the job state
-        if self.svc_initctl != None and self.running is None:
+        if self.svc_initctl and self.running is None:
             # check the job status by upstart response
             initctl_rc, initctl_status_stdout, initctl_status_stderr = self.execute_command("%s status %s" % (self.svc_initctl, self.name))
             if initctl_status_stdout.find("stop/waiting") != -1:
@@ -386,14 +386,14 @@ class LinuxService(Service):
                 self.running = True
 
         # if the job status is still not known check it by response code
-        if self.running == None:
+        if self.running is None:
             if rc in [2, 3, 4, 69]:
                 self.running = False
             elif rc == 0:
                 self.running = True
 
         # if the job status is still not known check it by status output keywords
-        if self.running == None:
+        if self.running is None:
             # first tranform the status output that could irritate keyword matching
             cleanout = status_stdout.lower().replace(self.name.lower(), '')
             if "stop" in cleanout:
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ class LinuxService(Service):
                 self.running = False
 
         # if the job status is still not known check it by special conditions
-        if self.running == None:
+        if self.running is None:
             if self.name == 'iptables' and status_stdout.find("ACCEPT") != -1:
                 # iptables status command output is lame
                 # TODO: lookup if we can use a return code for this instead?
diff --git a/virt b/virt
index d7ef80b434f..85d3fcc395e 100644
--- a/virt
+++ b/virt
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ class Virt(object):
         """
 
         conn = libvirt.openReadOnly(None)
-        if conn == None:
+        if not conn:
             return (-1,'Failed to open connection to the hypervisor')
         try:
             domV = conn.lookupByName(vmid)