diff --git a/fireworks/core/firework.py b/fireworks/core/firework.py
index 58ee39624..b043d0102 100644
--- a/fireworks/core/firework.py
+++ b/fireworks/core/firework.py
@@ -153,9 +153,9 @@ def __init__(
                 not only to direct children, but to all dependent FireWorks
                 down to the Workflow's leaves.
         """
-        mod_spec = mod_spec or []
-        additions = additions or []
-        detours = detours or []
+        mod_spec = mod_spec if mod_spec is not None else []
+        additions = additions if additions is not None else []
+        detours = detours if detours is not None else []
 
         self.stored_data = stored_data if stored_data else {}
         self.exit = exit
@@ -267,13 +267,13 @@ def __init__(
             NEGATIVE_FWID_CTR -= 1
             self.fw_id = NEGATIVE_FWID_CTR
 
-        self.launches = launches or []
-        self.archived_launches = archived_launches or []
+        self.launches = launches if launches else []
+        self.archived_launches = archived_launches if archived_launches else []
         self.created_on = created_on or datetime.utcnow()
         self.updated_on = updated_on or datetime.utcnow()
 
         parents = [parents] if isinstance(parents, Firework) else parents
-        self.parents = parents or []
+        self.parents = parents if parents else []
 
         self._state = state
 
@@ -476,9 +476,9 @@ def __init__(
         self.fworker = fworker or FWorker()
         self.host = host or get_my_host()
         self.ip = ip or get_my_ip()
-        self.trackers = trackers or []
+        self.trackers = trackers if trackers else []
         self.action = action if action else None
-        self.state_history = state_history or []
+        self.state_history = state_history if state_history else []
         self.state = state
         self.launch_id = launch_id
         self.fw_id = fw_id
@@ -643,7 +643,7 @@ def _update_state_history(self, state) -> None:
             now_time = datetime.utcnow()
             new_history_entry = {"state": state, "created_on": now_time}
             if state != "COMPLETED" and last_checkpoint:
-                new_history_entry.update(checkpoint=last_checkpoint)
+                new_history_entry.update({"checkpoint": last_checkpoint})
             self.state_history.append(new_history_entry)
             if state in ["RUNNING", "RESERVED"]:
                 self.touch_history()  # add updated_on key
diff --git a/fireworks/core/launchpad.py b/fireworks/core/launchpad.py
index 4afc4ec01..c43a343dd 100644
--- a/fireworks/core/launchpad.py
+++ b/fireworks/core/launchpad.py
@@ -185,15 +185,15 @@ def __init__(
         self.password = password
         self.authsource = authsource or self.name
         self.mongoclient_kwargs = mongoclient_kwargs or {}
-        self.uri_mode = bool(uri_mode)
+        self.uri_mode = uri_mode
 
         # set up logger
         self.logdir = logdir
         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:
@@ -267,20 +267,31 @@ def update_spec(self, fw_ids, spec_document, mongo=False) -> None:
             )
 
     @classmethod
-    def from_dict(cls, dct):
+    def from_dict(cls, d):
+        port = d.get("port", None)
+        name = d.get("name", None)
+        username = d.get("username", None)
+        password = d.get("password", None)
+        logdir = d.get("logdir", None)
+        strm_lvl = d.get("strm_lvl", None)
+        user_indices = d.get("user_indices", [])
+        wf_user_indices = d.get("wf_user_indices", [])
+        authsource = d.get("authsource", None)
+        uri_mode = d.get("uri_mode", False)
+        mongoclient_kwargs = d.get("mongoclient_kwargs", None)
         return LaunchPad(
-            dct["host"],
-            port=dct.get("port"),
-            name=dct.get("name"),
-            username=dct.get("username"),
-            password=dct.get("password"),
-            logdir=dct.get("logdir"),
-            strm_lvl=dct.get("strm_lvl"),
-            user_indices=dct.get("user_indices"),
-            wf_user_indices=dct.get("wf_user_indices"),
-            authsource=dct.get("authsource"),
-            uri_mode=dct.get("uri_mode", False),
-            mongoclient_kwargs=dct.get("mongoclient_kwargs"),
+            d["host"],
+            port,
+            name,
+            username,
+            password,
+            logdir,
+            strm_lvl,
+            user_indices,
+            wf_user_indices,
+            authsource,
+            uri_mode,
+            mongoclient_kwargs,
         )
 
     @classmethod
@@ -1659,7 +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
@@ -1703,7 +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:
diff --git a/fireworks/features/stats.py b/fireworks/features/stats.py
index 402e5ef6b..c381e64d6 100644
--- a/fireworks/features/stats.py
+++ b/fireworks/features/stats.py
@@ -197,8 +197,8 @@ def group_fizzled_fireworks(
             "created_on": self._query_datetime_range(start_time=query_start, end_time=query_end, **args),
         }
         if include_ids:
-            project_query.update(fw_id=1)
-            group_query.update(fw_id={"$push": "$fw_id"})
+            project_query.update({"fw_id": 1})
+            group_query.update({"fw_id": {"$push": "$fw_id"}})
         if query:
             match_query.update(query)
         return self._aggregate(
@@ -306,11 +306,11 @@ def _get_summary(
             }
         match_query.update(query)
         if runtime_stats:
-            project_query.update(runtime_secs=1)
+            project_query.update({"runtime_secs": 1})
             group_query.update(RUNTIME_STATS)
         if include_ids:
             project_query.update({id_field: 1})
-            group_query.update(ids={"$push": "$" + id_field})
+            group_query.update({"ids": {"$push": "$" + id_field}})
         return self._aggregate(
             coll=coll,
             match=match_query,
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ def _aggregate(
         for arg in [match, project, unwind, group_op]:
             if arg is None:
                 arg = {}
-        group_op.update(_id=f"${group_by}")
+        group_op.update({"_id": "$" + group_by})
         if sort is None:
             sort_query = ("_id", 1)
         query = [{"$match": match}, {"$project": project}, {"$group": group_op}, {"$sort": SON([sort_query])}]
diff --git a/fireworks/queue/queue_launcher.py b/fireworks/queue/queue_launcher.py
index 781ee59c6..b99827c93 100644
--- a/fireworks/queue/queue_launcher.py
+++ b/fireworks/queue/queue_launcher.py
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ def launch_rocket_to_queue(
 
                 # update qadapter job_name based on FW name
                 job_name = get_slug(fw.name)[0:QUEUE_JOBNAME_MAXLEN]
-                qadapter.update(job_name=job_name)
+                qadapter.update({"job_name": job_name})
 
                 if "_queueadapter" in fw.spec:
                     l_logger.debug("updating queue params using Firework spec..")
diff --git a/fireworks/user_objects/queue_adapters/common_adapter.py b/fireworks/user_objects/queue_adapters/common_adapter.py
index 259d6ada7..6e1380b25 100644
--- a/fireworks/user_objects/queue_adapters/common_adapter.py
+++ b/fireworks/user_objects/queue_adapters/common_adapter.py
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ def __init__(self, q_type, q_name=None, template_file=None, timeout=None, **kwar
         )
         self.q_name = q_name or q_type
         self.timeout = timeout or 5
-        self.update(kwargs)
+        self.update(dict(kwargs))
 
         self.q_commands = copy.deepcopy(CommonAdapter.default_q_commands)
         if "_q_commands_override" in self: