diff --git a/bob/bio/base/tools/algorithm.py b/bob/bio/base/tools/algorithm.py
index 5a3af5b6444c011b8246dd4d05e9bb5f32f49c12..a819c06f11e9ea5ace4d2d7e555f13e77031b434 100644
--- a/bob/bio/base/tools/algorithm.py
+++ b/bob/bio/base/tools/algorithm.py
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ def project(algorithm, extractor, groups = None, indices = None, force = False):
   projected_files = fs.projected_list(groups=groups)
 
   # select a subset of indices to iterate
-  if indices != None:
+  if indices is not None:
     index_range = range(indices[0], indices[1])
     logger.info("- Projection: splitting of index range %s", str(indices))
   else:
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ def enroll(algorithm, extractor, compute_zt_norm, indices = None, groups = ['dev
     for group in groups:
       model_ids = fs.model_ids(group)
 
-      if indices != None:
+      if indices is not None:
         model_ids = model_ids[indices[0]:indices[1]]
         logger.info("- Enrollment: splitting of index range %s", str(indices))
 
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ def enroll(algorithm, extractor, compute_zt_norm, indices = None, groups = ['dev
     for group in groups:
       t_model_ids = fs.t_model_ids(group)
 
-      if indices != None:
+      if indices is not None:
         t_model_ids = t_model_ids[indices[0]:indices[1]]
         logger.info("- Enrollment: splitting of index range %s", str(indices))
 
diff --git a/bob/bio/base/tools/extractor.py b/bob/bio/base/tools/extractor.py
index 87e7d8ef22e260704e2936b3071d3191b06ead1c..08a659cdc1733ec172c4e3e1c19b6f01924c137f 100644
--- a/bob/bio/base/tools/extractor.py
+++ b/bob/bio/base/tools/extractor.py
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ def extract(extractor, preprocessor, groups=None, indices = None, force = False)
   feature_files = fs.feature_list(groups=groups)
 
   # select a subset of indices to iterate
-  if indices != None:
+  if indices is not None:
     index_range = range(indices[0], indices[1])
     logger.info("- Extraction: splitting of index range %s" % str(indices))
   else:
diff --git a/bob/bio/base/tools/grid.py b/bob/bio/base/tools/grid.py
index 52e1ce68ee115d716691f341185db3be87885c9c..f9f1620c5e99519b690f95ef3e657074ac17c89e 100644
--- a/bob/bio/base/tools/grid.py
+++ b/bob/bio/base/tools/grid.py
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ class GridSubmission:
 
       import gridtk
       # setup logger
-      bob.core.log.set_verbosity_level(bob.core.log.setup("gridtk"), args.verbose)
+      bob.core.log.set_verbosity_level(bob.core.log.setup("gridtk"), min(args.verbose,2))
       Manager = gridtk.local.JobManagerLocal if args.grid.is_local() else gridtk.sge.JobManagerSGE
       self.job_manager = Manager(database = args.gridtk_database_file, wrapper_script=jman)
       self.submitted_job_ids = []
diff --git a/bob/bio/base/tools/preprocessor.py b/bob/bio/base/tools/preprocessor.py
index 067b9ccd4461b6d0253ee655ab095b445b356fcd..07aa4b71d9068f877341e5f4eb70a5a64ab351e8 100644
--- a/bob/bio/base/tools/preprocessor.py
+++ b/bob/bio/base/tools/preprocessor.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ def preprocess(preprocessor, groups = None, indices = None, force = False):
   preprocessed_data_files = fs.preprocessed_data_list(groups=groups)
 
   # select a subset of keys to iterate
-  if indices != None:
+  if indices is not None:
     index_range = range(indices[0], indices[1])
     logger.info("- Preprocessing: splitting of index range %s", str(indices))
   else:
diff --git a/bob/bio/base/tools/scoring.py b/bob/bio/base/tools/scoring.py
index c55149a9eb2a86bccb9beb63ac65bfa64727a7e2..136867e17afa976bb11cebf7a0eabf582f761928 100644
--- a/bob/bio/base/tools/scoring.py
+++ b/bob/bio/base/tools/scoring.py
@@ -251,12 +251,12 @@ def compute_scores(algorithm, compute_zt_norm, force = False, indices = None, gr
   for group in groups:
     # get model ids
     model_ids = fs.model_ids(group)
-    if indices != None:
+    if indices is not None:
       model_ids = model_ids[indices[0]:indices[1]]
       logger.info("- Scoring: splitting of index range %s", str(indices))
     if compute_zt_norm:
       t_model_ids = fs.t_model_ids(group)
-      if indices != None:
+      if indices is not None:
         t_model_ids = t_model_ids[indices[0]:indices[1]]
 
     # compute A scores