diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index bc44d831..bb3a4cb7 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ select = [
 #    "LOG", # Flake8 logging issues (pedantic logger formatting issues can be added with "G")
 #    "T20", # Warns for print statments, production code should log
 #    "PT", # pytest linting
-#    "RET", # Consistent clear return statments
+    "RET", # Consistent clear return statments
     "RSE", # Raise parentheses
 #    "SIM", # Simplifications detected
     "ARG", # unused arguments
diff --git a/src/openflexure_microscope_server/things/auto_recentre_stage.py b/src/openflexure_microscope_server/things/auto_recentre_stage.py
index 910a44cf..bbdd5635 100644
--- a/src/openflexure_microscope_server/things/auto_recentre_stage.py
+++ b/src/openflexure_microscope_server/things/auto_recentre_stage.py
@@ -118,20 +118,12 @@ class RecentringThing(Thing):
                         logging.info(
                             f"Breaking because the highest point is at {np.argmax(sorted_all_heights)} in the list"
                         )
-                        # plt.plot(sorted_lateral, sorted_all_heights,'.')
-                        # plt.plot(sorted_lateral, quad_fit_func(sorted_lateral))
-                        # plt.show()
+
                         break
-                    else:
-                        if turning_loc < np.min(sorted_lateral):
-                            moves = -1
-                        elif turning_loc > np.max(sorted_lateral):
-                            moves = 1
-                        else:
-                            # plt.plot(sorted_lateral, sorted_all_heights,'.')
-                            # plt.plot(sorted_lateral, quad_fit_func(sorted_lateral))
-                            # plt.show()
-                            pass
+                    if turning_loc < np.min(sorted_lateral):
+                        moves = -1
+                    elif turning_loc > np.max(sorted_lateral):
+                        moves = 1
 
             # Centre value is replaced by the maximum value recorded in that axis
             centre[direction] = focused_pos[direction][np.argmax(all_heights)][
diff --git a/src/openflexure_microscope_server/things/autofocus.py b/src/openflexure_microscope_server/things/autofocus.py
index 1a14f074..dd4a388a 100644
--- a/src/openflexure_microscope_server/things/autofocus.py
+++ b/src/openflexure_microscope_server/things/autofocus.py
@@ -105,11 +105,12 @@ class JPEGSharpnessMonitor:
             stop: int = int(np.argmax(jpeg_times > stage_times[1]))
         except ValueError as e:
             if np.sum(jpeg_times > stage_times[0]) == 0:
-                raise ValueError(
-                    "No images were captured during the move of the stage.  Perhaps the camera is not streaming images?"
-                ) from e
-            else:
-                raise e
+                errmsg = (
+                    "No images were captured during the move of the stage. "
+                    "Perhaps the camera is not streaming images?"
+                )
+                raise ValueError(errmsg) from e
+            raise e
         if stop < 1:
             stop = len(jpeg_times)
             logging.debug("changing stop to %s", (stop))
diff --git a/src/openflexure_microscope_server/things/background_detect.py b/src/openflexure_microscope_server/things/background_detect.py
index 744ed402..897234c3 100644
--- a/src/openflexure_microscope_server/things/background_detect.py
+++ b/src/openflexure_microscope_server/things/background_detect.py
@@ -23,8 +23,7 @@ class BackgroundDetectThing(Thing):
         bd = self.thing_settings.get("background_distributions", None)
         if bd:
             return ChannelDistributions(**bd)
-        else:
-            return None
+        return None
 
     @background_distributions.setter
     def background_distributions(self, value: Optional[ChannelDistributions]) -> None:
diff --git a/tests/utilities/scan_test_helpers.py b/tests/utilities/scan_test_helpers.py
index 7ee583ed..62bb7f73 100644
--- a/tests/utilities/scan_test_helpers.py
+++ b/tests/utilities/scan_test_helpers.py
@@ -189,8 +189,7 @@ def get_expected_result_for_example_smart_spiral(
     """
     pkl_fname = os.path.join(THIS_DIR, f"example_smart_spiral_{sample_name}.pkl")
     with open(pkl_fname, "rb") as pkl_file_obj:
-        planner = pickle.load(pkl_file_obj)
-    return planner
+        return pickle.load(pkl_file_obj)
 
 
 def load_sample_points(sample_name: str):