diff --git a/fireworks/core/launchpad.py b/fireworks/core/launchpad.py
index 02a9fb43b..c43a343dd 100644
--- a/fireworks/core/launchpad.py
+++ b/fireworks/core/launchpad.py
@@ -189,11 +189,11 @@ def __init__(
 
         # set up logger
         self.logdir = logdir
-        self.strm_lvl = strm_lvl or "INFO"
+        self.strm_lvl = strm_lvl if strm_lvl else "INFO"
         self.m_logger = get_fw_logger("launchpad", l_dir=self.logdir, stream_level=self.strm_lvl)
 
-        self.user_indices = user_indices or []
-        self.wf_user_indices = wf_user_indices or []
+        self.user_indices = user_indices if user_indices else []
+        self.wf_user_indices = wf_user_indices if wf_user_indices else []
 
         # get connection
         if uri_mode:
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ def maintain(self, infinite=True, maintain_interval=None) -> None:
             infinite (bool)
             maintain_interval (seconds): sleep time
         """
-        maintain_interval = maintain_interval or MAINTAIN_INTERVAL
+        maintain_interval = maintain_interval if maintain_interval else MAINTAIN_INTERVAL
 
         while True:
             self.m_logger.info("Performing maintenance on Launchpad...")
@@ -729,7 +729,7 @@ def get_fw_ids(self, query=None, sort=None, limit=0, count_only=False, launches_
             list: list of firework ids matching the query
         """
         coll = "launches" if launches_mode else "fireworks"
-        criteria = query or {}
+        criteria = query if query else {}
         if launches_mode:
             lids = self._get_active_launch_ids()
             criteria["launch_id"] = {"$in": lids}
@@ -775,7 +775,7 @@ def get_wf_ids(self, query=None, sort=None, limit=0, count_only=False):
         Returns:
             list: list of firework ids
         """
-        criteria = query or {}
+        criteria = query if query else {}
         aggregation = []
 
         if criteria is not None:
@@ -898,7 +898,7 @@ def future_run_exists(self, fworker=None) -> bool:
             return True
         # retrieve all [RUNNING/RESERVED] fireworks
         q = fworker.query if fworker else {}
-        q.update(state={"$in": ["RUNNING", "RESERVED"]})
+        q.update({"state": {"$in": ["RUNNING", "RESERVED"]}})
         active = self.get_fw_ids(q)
         # then check if they have WAITING children
         for fw_id in active:
@@ -1670,7 +1670,7 @@ def rerun_fw(self, fw_id, rerun_duplicates=True, recover_launch=None, recover_mo
         # Launch recovery
         if recover_launch is not None:
             recovery = self.get_recovery(fw_id, recover_launch)
-            recovery.update(_mode=recover_mode)
+            recovery.update({"_mode": recover_mode})
             set_spec = recursive_dict({"$set": {"spec._recovery": recovery}})
             if recover_mode == "prev_dir":
                 prev_dir = self.get_launch_by_id(recovery.get("_launch_id")).launch_dir
@@ -1714,7 +1714,7 @@ def get_recovery(self, fw_id, launch_id="last"):
         m_fw = self.get_fw_by_id(fw_id)
         launch = m_fw.launches[-1] if launch_id == "last" else self.get_launch_by_id(launch_id)
         recovery = launch.state_history[-1].get("checkpoint")
-        recovery.update(_prev_dir=launch.launch_dir, _launch_id=launch.launch_id)
+        recovery.update({"_prev_dir": launch.launch_dir, "_launch_id": launch.launch_id})
         return recovery
 
     def _refresh_wf(self, fw_id) -> None: