diff --git a/rally_openstack/task/scenarios/vm/utils.py b/rally_openstack/task/scenarios/vm/utils.py
index 4958696b..765cfbc7 100644
--- a/rally_openstack/task/scenarios/vm/utils.py
+++ b/rally_openstack/task/scenarios/vm/utils.py
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ class VMScenario(nova_utils.NovaScenario):
         if interpreter:
             if isinstance(interpreter, str):
                 interpreter = [interpreter]
-            elif type(interpreter) != list:
+            elif not isinstance(interpreter, list):
                 raise ValueError("command 'interpreter' value must be str "
                                  "or list type")
             cmd.extend(interpreter)
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ class VMScenario(nova_utils.NovaScenario):
         if remote_path:
             if isinstance(remote_path, str):
                 remote_path = [remote_path]
-            elif type(remote_path) != list:
+            elif not isinstance(remote_path, list):
                 raise ValueError("command 'remote_path' value must be str "
                                  "or list type")
             cmd.extend(remote_path)
diff --git a/tests/unit/task/scenarios/neutron/test_utils.py b/tests/unit/task/scenarios/neutron/test_utils.py
index 7d8b84d9..1d48f0d5 100644
--- a/tests/unit/task/scenarios/neutron/test_utils.py
+++ b/tests/unit/task/scenarios/neutron/test_utils.py
@@ -556,7 +556,7 @@ class NeutronScenarioTestCase(test.ScenarioTestCase):
          "context": {"tenant": {"networks":
                                 [mock.MagicMock(), mock.MagicMock()]}}})
     @ddt.unpack
-    @mock.patch("random.choice", side_effect=lambda l: l[0])
+    @mock.patch("random.choice", side_effect=lambda items: items[0])
     def test_get_or_create_network(self, mock_random_choice,
                                    network_create_args=None, context=None):
         self.scenario.context = context