diff --git a/lib/tool_shed/test/functional/test_0020_basic_repository_dependencies.py b/lib/tool_shed/test/functional/test_0020_basic_repository_dependencies.py
index f4fce544de59..6383b6b8be20 100644
--- a/lib/tool_shed/test/functional/test_0020_basic_repository_dependencies.py
+++ b/lib/tool_shed/test/functional/test_0020_basic_repository_dependencies.py
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
+from ..base import common
 from ..base.api import skip_if_api_v2
-from ..base.twilltestcase import (
-    common,
-    ShedTwillTestCase,
-)
+from ..base.twilltestcase import ShedTwillTestCase
 
 column_maker_repository_name = "column_maker_0020"
 column_maker_repository_description = "A flexible aligner."
@@ -30,6 +28,7 @@ def test_0005_create_category(self):
     def test_0010_create_column_maker_repository(self):
         """Create and populate column_maker_0020."""
         category = self.populator.get_category_with_name("Test 0020 Basic Repository Dependencies")
+        assert category
         self.login(email=common.test_user_1_email, username=common.test_user_1_name)
         column_maker_repository = self.get_or_create_repository(
             name=column_maker_repository_name,
@@ -39,11 +38,13 @@ def test_0010_create_column_maker_repository(self):
             category=category,
             strings_displayed=[],
         )
+        assert column_maker_repository
         self.commit_tar_to_repository(column_maker_repository, "column_maker/column_maker.tar")
 
     def test_0020_create_emboss_5_repository_and_upload_files(self):
         """Create and populate the emboss_5_0020 repository."""
         category = self.populator.get_category_with_name("Test 0020 Basic Repository Dependencies")
+        assert category
         repository = self.get_or_create_repository(
             name=emboss_repository_name,
             description=emboss_repository_description,
@@ -52,14 +53,17 @@ def test_0020_create_emboss_5_repository_and_upload_files(self):
             category=category,
             strings_displayed=[],
         )
+        assert repository
         self.commit_tar_to_repository(repository, "emboss/emboss.tar")
 
     def test_0025_generate_and_upload_repository_dependencies_xml(self):
         """Generate and upload the repository_dependencies.xml file"""
         repository = self._get_repository_by_name_and_owner(emboss_repository_name, common.test_user_1_name)
+        assert repository
         column_maker_repository = self._get_repository_by_name_and_owner(
             column_maker_repository_name, common.test_user_1_name
         )
+        assert column_maker_repository
         repository_dependencies_path = self.generate_temp_path("test_0020", additional_paths=["emboss", "5"])
         repository_tuple = (
             self.url,
@@ -75,9 +79,11 @@ def test_0025_generate_and_upload_repository_dependencies_xml(self):
     def test_0030_verify_emboss_5_dependencies(self):
         """Verify that the emboss_5 repository now depends on the emboss_datatypes repository with correct name, owner, and changeset revision."""
         repository = self._get_repository_by_name_and_owner(emboss_repository_name, common.test_user_1_name)
+        assert repository
         column_maker_repository = self._get_repository_by_name_and_owner(
             column_maker_repository_name, common.test_user_1_name
         )
+        assert column_maker_repository
         changeset_revision = self.get_repository_tip(column_maker_repository)
         strings_displayed = [
             "Tool dependencies",
@@ -93,8 +99,10 @@ def test_0030_verify_emboss_5_dependencies(self):
     def test_0040_verify_repository_metadata(self):
         """Verify that resetting the metadata does not change it."""
         emboss_repository = self._get_repository_by_name_and_owner(emboss_repository_name, common.test_user_1_name)
+        assert emboss_repository
         column_maker_repository = self._get_repository_by_name_and_owner(
             column_maker_repository_name, common.test_user_1_name
         )
+        assert column_maker_repository
         self.verify_unchanged_repository_metadata(emboss_repository)
         self.verify_unchanged_repository_metadata(column_maker_repository)