diff --git a/rally-jobs/rally-keystone-api-v2.yaml b/rally-jobs/rally-keystone-api-v2.yaml
index e59e8bf1d9..98c40aa5a4 100644
--- a/rally-jobs/rally-keystone-api-v2.yaml
+++ b/rally-jobs/rally-keystone-api-v2.yaml
@@ -197,17 +197,6 @@
         failure_rate:
           max: 0
 
-  KeystoneBasic.create_delete_user:
-    -
-      args: {}
-      runner:
-        type: "constant"
-        times: 10
-        concurrency: 10
-      sla:
-        failure_rate:
-          max: 0
-
   KeystoneBasic.create_and_delete_service:
     -
       runner:
diff --git a/rally-jobs/rally-mos.yaml b/rally-jobs/rally-mos.yaml
index 64c0d33d19..f51cd23bfb 100644
--- a/rally-jobs/rally-mos.yaml
+++ b/rally-jobs/rally-mos.yaml
@@ -116,17 +116,6 @@
         failure_rate:
           max: 0
 
-  KeystoneBasic.create_delete_user:
-    -
-      args: {}
-      runner:
-        type: "constant"
-        times: 1
-        concurrency: 1
-      sla:
-        failure_rate:
-          max: 0
-
   HeatStacks.create_and_list_stack:
     -
       args:
diff --git a/rally-jobs/rally.yaml b/rally-jobs/rally.yaml
index d188ecb0fa..fc20829ec3 100644
--- a/rally-jobs/rally.yaml
+++ b/rally-jobs/rally.yaml
@@ -197,17 +197,6 @@
         failure_rate:
           max: 0
 
-  KeystoneBasic.create_delete_user:
-    -
-      args: {}
-      runner:
-        type: "constant"
-        times: 10
-        concurrency: 10
-      sla:
-        failure_rate:
-          max: 0
-
   KeystoneBasic.create_and_delete_service:
     -
       runner:
diff --git a/rally/cli/commands/task.py b/rally/cli/commands/task.py
index e50bc108bb..f0290056be 100644
--- a/rally/cli/commands/task.py
+++ b/rally/cli/commands/task.py
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ import jsonschema
 from oslo_utils import uuidutils
 import six
 from six.moves.urllib import parse as urlparse
-import yaml
 
 from rally.cli import cliutils
 from rally.cli import envutils
@@ -36,6 +35,7 @@ from rally.common.io import junit
 from rally.common import logging
 from rally.common import utils as rutils
 from rally.common import version
+from rally.common import yamlutils as yaml
 from rally import consts
 from rally import exceptions
 from rally import plugins
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ class TaskCommands(object):
             try:
                 kw = args and yaml.safe_load(args)
                 kw = {} if kw is None else kw
-            except yaml.parser.ParserError as e:
+            except yaml.ParserError as e:
                 print_invalid_header(src_name, args)
                 print(_("%(source)s has to be YAML or JSON. Details:"
                         "\n\n%(err)s\n")
diff --git a/rally/task/context.py b/rally/task/context.py
index 8de3dd58f4..d06dc58bc9 100644
--- a/rally/task/context.py
+++ b/rally/task/context.py
@@ -75,12 +75,12 @@ class BaseContext(plugin.Plugin, functional.FunctionalMixin,
         # NOTE(amaretskiy): self.config is a constant data and must be
         #                   immutable or write-protected type to prevent
         #                   unexpected changes in runtime
-        if type(config) == dict:
+        if isinstance(config, dict):
             if hasattr(self, "DEFAULT_CONFIG"):
                 for key, value in self.DEFAULT_CONFIG.items():
                     config.setdefault(key, value)
             self.config = utils.LockedDict(config)
-        elif type(config) == list:
+        elif isinstance(config, list):
             self.config = tuple(config)
         else:
             # NOTE(amaretskiy): It is improbable that config can be a None,
diff --git a/rally/task/validation.py b/rally/task/validation.py
index 8ff2a4d576..b6899955c4 100755
--- a/rally/task/validation.py
+++ b/rally/task/validation.py
@@ -21,10 +21,10 @@ import re
 from glanceclient import exc as glance_exc
 from novaclient import exceptions as nova_exc
 import six
-import yaml
 
 from rally.common.i18n import _
 from rally.common import objects
+from rally.common import yamlutils as yaml
 from rally import consts
 from rally import exceptions
 from rally import osclients
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ def file_exists(config, clients, deployment, param_name, mode=os.R_OK,
 def check_command_dict(command):
     """Check command-specifying dict `command', raise ValueError on error."""
 
-    if type(command) != dict:
+    if not isinstance(command, dict):
         raise ValueError("Command must be a dictionary")
 
     # NOTE(pboldin): Here we check for the values not for presence of the keys
diff --git a/tests/unit/task/test_validation.py b/tests/unit/task/test_validation.py
index d6d3400fc0..4bac49d2c4 100755
--- a/tests/unit/task/test_validation.py
+++ b/tests/unit/task/test_validation.py
@@ -923,7 +923,7 @@ class ValidatorsTestCase(test.TestCase):
                          valid)
 
     @mock.patch(
-        "yaml.safe_load",
+        "rally.common.yamlutils.safe_load",
         return_value={
             "version": "2.0",
             "name": "wb",