diff --git a/packages/voila/src/kernel.ts b/packages/voila/src/kernel.ts
index 2c27bce40..7ec07a3aa 100644
--- a/packages/voila/src/kernel.ts
+++ b/packages/voila/src/kernel.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,6 @@ export async function connectKernel(
   const connectionInfo = ServerConnection.makeSettings({ baseUrl });
 
   const model = await Kernel.findById(kernelId, connectionInfo);
-  const kernel = await Kernel.connectTo(model, connectionInfo);
+  const kernel = Kernel.connectTo(model, connectionInfo);
   return kernel;
 }
diff --git a/packages/voila/src/loader.ts b/packages/voila/src/loader.ts
index 3353d5160..33022a7c5 100644
--- a/packages/voila/src/loader.ts
+++ b/packages/voila/src/loader.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ const cdn = 'https://unpkg.com/';
  *
  * @param pkg Package name or names to load
  */
-const requirePromise = function(pkg) {
+const requirePromise = function(pkg: string[]) {
   return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
     const require = window.requirejs;
     if (require === undefined) {
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ const requirePromise = function(pkg) {
   });
 };
 
-function moduleNameToCDNUrl(moduleName, moduleVersion) {
+function moduleNameToCDNUrl(moduleName: string, moduleVersion: string) {
   let packageName = moduleName;
   let fileName = 'index'; // default filename
   // if a '/' is present, like 'foo/bar', packageName is changed to 'foo', and path to 'bar'
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ export function requireLoader(
           'Requirejs is needed, please ensure it is loaded on the page.'
         );
       }
-      const conf = { paths: {} };
+      const conf: { paths: { [key: string]: string } } = { paths: {} };
       conf.paths[moduleName] = moduleNameToCDNUrl(moduleName, moduleVersion);
       require.undef(failedId);
       require.config(conf);
diff --git a/packages/voila/src/manager.ts b/packages/voila/src/manager.ts
index 127b7d047..72898fc63 100644
--- a/packages/voila/src/manager.ts
+++ b/packages/voila/src/manager.ts
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ export class WidgetManager extends JupyterLabManager {
     }
     if (view.el) {
       view.el.setAttribute('data-voila-jupyter-widget', '');
-      view.el.addEventListener('jupyterWidgetResize', e => {
+      view.el.addEventListener('jupyterWidgetResize', (e: Event) => {
         MessageLoop.postMessage(
           view.pWidget,
           PhosphorWidget.Widget.ResizeMessage.UnknownSize
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ export class WidgetManager extends JupyterLabManager {
 
   async _build_models(): Promise<{ [key: string]: base.WidgetModel }> {
     const comm_ids = await this._get_comm_info();
-    const models = {};
+    const models: { [key: string]: base.WidgetModel } = {};
     /**
      * For the classical notebook, iopub_msg_rate_limit=1000 (default)
      * And for zmq, we are affected by the default ZMQ_SNDHWM setting of 1000
diff --git a/packages/voila/src/utils.ts b/packages/voila/src/utils.ts
index bb01d19cf..882ce7142 100644
--- a/packages/voila/src/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/voila/src/utils.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import pLimit from 'p-limit';
 
-const delay = sec => new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, sec * 1000));
+const delay = (sec: number) =>
+  new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, sec * 1000));
 
 /**
  * Map a function onto a list where fn is being called at a limit of 'rate' number of calls per second.
diff --git a/packages/voila/tsconfig.json b/packages/voila/tsconfig.json
index d27376230..399b75b7a 100644
--- a/packages/voila/tsconfig.json
+++ b/packages/voila/tsconfig.json
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
   "extends": "../../tsconfigbase",
   "compilerOptions": {
     "outDir": "lib",
-    "noImplicitAny": false,
     "rootDir": "src"
   },
   "include": ["src/**/*"]