diff --git a/backup/drivers/xtrabackup.py b/backup/drivers/xtrabackup.py
index f175857227..9a0529e5a7 100644
--- a/backup/drivers/xtrabackup.py
+++ b/backup/drivers/xtrabackup.py
@@ -52,9 +52,9 @@ class XtraBackup(mysql_base.MySQLBaseRunner):
 
     @property
     def cmd(self):
-        cmd = (f'xtrabackup --backup --stream=xbstream --parallel=2 '
-               f'--datadir=%(datadir)s --user=%(user)s '
-               f'--password=%(password)s --host=%(host)s'
+        cmd = ('xtrabackup --backup --stream=xbstream --parallel=2 '
+               '--datadir=%(datadir)s --user=%(user)s '
+               '--password=%(password)s --host=%(host)s'
                % {
                    'datadir': self.datadir,
                    'user': CONF.db_user,
@@ -91,9 +91,9 @@ class XtraBackup(mysql_base.MySQLBaseRunner):
 class XtraBackupIncremental(XtraBackup):
     """XtraBackup incremental backup."""
     prepare_log = '/tmp/prepare.log'
-    incremental_prep = (f'xtrabackup --prepare --apply-log-only'
-                        f' --target-dir=%(restore_location)s'
-                        f' %(incremental_args)s')
+    incremental_prep = ('xtrabackup --prepare --apply-log-only'
+                        ' --target-dir=%(restore_location)s'
+                        ' %(incremental_args)s')
 
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         if not kwargs.get('lsn'):
diff --git a/backup/tests/unittests/drivers/test_postgres.py b/backup/tests/unittests/drivers/test_postgres.py
index bcee9b2f2a..d76db7410a 100644
--- a/backup/tests/unittests/drivers/test_postgres.py
+++ b/backup/tests/unittests/drivers/test_postgres.py
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ class TestPgBasebackupIncremental(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_incremental_restore_cmd(self):
         # prepare the test
         runner = self.runner_cls(**self.params)
-        cmd = f'tar xzf - -C /var/lib/postgresql/data/pgdata'
+        cmd = 'tar xzf - -C /var/lib/postgresql/data/pgdata'
 
         # call the method
         ret = runner.incremental_restore_cmd()
diff --git a/backup/tests/unittests/drivers/test_xtrabackup.py b/backup/tests/unittests/drivers/test_xtrabackup.py
index 8092db9a0c..a9ac972acd 100644
--- a/backup/tests/unittests/drivers/test_xtrabackup.py
+++ b/backup/tests/unittests/drivers/test_xtrabackup.py
@@ -68,9 +68,9 @@ class TestXtraBackup(unittest.TestCase):
         runner = self.runner_cls(**self.params)
 
         # assertions
-        cmd = (f'xtrabackup --backup --stream=xbstream --parallel=2 '
-               f'--datadir=%(datadir)s --user=%(user)s '
-               f'--password=%(password)s --host=%(host)s'
+        cmd = ('xtrabackup --backup --stream=xbstream --parallel=2 '
+               '--datadir=%(datadir)s --user=%(user)s '
+               '--password=%(password)s --host=%(host)s'
                % {
                    'datadir': runner.datadir,
                    'user': CONF.db_user,
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index b40c99c8ae..2f83bd203d 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,3 @@
-# The order of packages is significant, because pip processes them in the order
-# of appearance. Changing the order has an impact on the overall integration
-# process, which may cause wedges in the gate later.
 pbr!=2.1.0,>=2.0.0 # Apache-2.0
 SQLAlchemy!=1.1.5,!=1.1.6,!=1.1.7,!=1.1.8,>=1.0.10 # MIT
 eventlet!=0.18.3,!=0.20.1,>=0.18.2 # MIT
@@ -53,4 +50,4 @@ oslo.cache>=1.26.0 # Apache-2.0
 # for trove network driver
 Flask>=2.2.3 # BSD
 pyroute2>=0.7.7;sys_platform!='win32' # Apache-2.0 (+ dual licensed GPL2)
-gunicorn>=20.1.0 # MIT
\ No newline at end of file
+gunicorn>=20.1.0 # MIT
diff --git a/test-requirements.txt b/test-requirements.txt
index bf696a251c..d01d750175 100644
--- a/test-requirements.txt
+++ b/test-requirements.txt
@@ -1,8 +1,5 @@
-# The order of packages is significant, because pip processes them in the order
-# of appearance. Changing the order has an impact on the overall integration
-# process, which may cause wedges in the gate later.
 # Hacking already pins down pep8, pyflakes and flake8
-hacking>=3.0.1,<3.1.0 # Apache-2.0
+hacking<6.0.0 # Apache-2.0
 bandit[baseline]>=1.7.7 # Apache-2.0
 coverage!=4.4,>=4.0 # Apache-2.0
 WebTest>=2.0.27 # MIT
diff --git a/trove/common/models.py b/trove/common/models.py
index 2cc247d05b..5f9478f5d0 100644
--- a/trove/common/models.py
+++ b/trove/common/models.py
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ class ModelBase(object):
         """Overloaded to cause this object to look like a data entity."""
         if not hasattr(other, 'id'):
             return False
-        return type(other) == type(self) and other.id == self.id
+        return type(other) is type(self) and other.id == self.id
 
     def __ne__(self, other):
         """Overloaded to cause this object to look like a data entity."""
diff --git a/trove/common/stream_codecs.py b/trove/common/stream_codecs.py
index 8a5cc98a42..b77dc4d898 100644
--- a/trove/common/stream_codecs.py
+++ b/trove/common/stream_codecs.py
@@ -506,9 +506,9 @@ class JsonCodec(StreamCodec):
         return jsonutils.dumps(dict_data)
 
     def deserialize(self, stream):
-        if type(stream) == str:
+        if isinstance(stream, str):
             return jsonutils.load(io.StringIO(stream))
-        if type(stream) == bytes:
+        if isinstance(stream, bytes):
             return jsonutils.load(io.BytesIO(stream))
 
 
diff --git a/trove/common/wsgi.py b/trove/common/wsgi.py
index 5231811dff..1e126385b3 100644
--- a/trove/common/wsgi.py
+++ b/trove/common/wsgi.py
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ from trove.common import pastedeploy
 from trove.common import utils
 
 CONTEXT_KEY = 'trove.context'
-Router = base_wsgi.Router
 Debug = base_wsgi.Debug
 Middleware = base_wsgi.Middleware
 JSONDictSerializer = base_wsgi.JSONDictSerializer
diff --git a/trove/hacking/checks.py b/trove/hacking/checks.py
index a00a281446..61ddbf539c 100644
--- a/trove/hacking/checks.py
+++ b/trove/hacking/checks.py
@@ -12,8 +12,6 @@
 
 import re
 
-import pycodestyle
-
 from hacking import core
 
 _all_log_levels = (
@@ -59,20 +57,19 @@ def check_raised_localized_exceptions(logical_line, filename):
 
 
 @core.flake8ext
-def no_translate_logs(physical_line, logical_line, filename):
+def no_translate_logs(logical_line, filename, noqa):
     """T105 - Log messages shouldn't be translated from the
     Pike release.
     :param logical_line: The logical line to check.
-    :param physical_line: The physical line to check.
     :param filename: The file name where the logical line exists.
+    :param noqa: whether the check should be skipped
     :returns: None if the logical line passes the check, otherwise a tuple
     is yielded that contains the offending index in logical line and a
     message describe the check validation failure.
     """
-    if _translation_is_not_expected(filename):
+    if noqa:
         return
-
-    if pycodestyle.noqa(physical_line):
+    if _translation_is_not_expected(filename):
         return
 
     msg = "T105: Log message shouldn't be translated."
diff --git a/trove/instance/models.py b/trove/instance/models.py
index bd9dfabba8..2d9b671b2e 100644
--- a/trove/instance/models.py
+++ b/trove/instance/models.py
@@ -505,7 +505,7 @@ class SimpleInstance(object):
     @property
     def access(self):
         if hasattr(self.db_info, 'access'):
-            if type(self.db_info.access) == str:
+            if isinstance(self.db_info.access, str):
                 return json.loads(self.db_info.access)
             return self.db_info.access
         else:
diff --git a/trove/tests/unittests/backup/test_backup_models.py b/trove/tests/unittests/backup/test_backup_models.py
index 71b0f3a0e6..10466eea5f 100644
--- a/trove/tests/unittests/backup/test_backup_models.py
+++ b/trove/tests/unittests/backup/test_backup_models.py
@@ -208,9 +208,9 @@ class BackupCreateTest(trove_testtools.TestCase):
         instance = MagicMock()
         instance.cluster_id = 'bad_id'
         with patch.object(instance_models.BuiltInstance, 'load',
-                          return_value=instance),\
+                          return_value=instance), \
             patch.object(models.Backup, 'validate_can_perform_action',
-                         return_value=None),\
+                         return_value=None), \
             patch.object(models.Backup, 'verify_swift_auth_token',
                          return_value=None):
             self.assertRaises(exception.ClusterInstanceOperationNotSupported,
@@ -223,13 +223,13 @@ class BackupCreateTest(trove_testtools.TestCase):
         instance = MagicMock()
         instance.cluster_id = None
         with patch.object(instance_models.BuiltInstance, 'load',
-                          return_value=instance),\
+                          return_value=instance), \
             patch.object(models.Backup, 'validate_can_perform_action',
-                         return_value=None),\
+                         return_value=None), \
             patch.object(models.Backup, 'verify_swift_auth_token',
-                         return_value=None),\
+                         return_value=None), \
             patch.object(DatabaseModelBase, 'is_valid',
-                         return_value=False),\
+                         return_value=False), \
             patch('trove.quota.quota.QuotaEngine.reserve',
                   return_value=[]):
             DatabaseModelBase.errors = {}
diff --git a/trove/tests/unittests/hacking/test_check.py b/trove/tests/unittests/hacking/test_check.py
index d09eabfc0d..f3b0d4ba84 100644
--- a/trove/tests/unittests/hacking/test_check.py
+++ b/trove/tests/unittests/hacking/test_check.py
@@ -41,24 +41,23 @@ class HackingTestCase(trove_testtools.TestCase):
         for level in all_log_levels:
             bad = 'LOG.%s(_("Bad"))' % level
             self.assertEqual(
-                1, len(list(tc.no_translate_logs(bad, bad, 'f'))))
+                1, len(list(tc.no_translate_logs(bad, 'f', False))))
             bad = "LOG.%s(_('Bad'))" % level
             self.assertEqual(
-                1, len(list(tc.no_translate_logs(bad, bad, 'f'))))
+                1, len(list(tc.no_translate_logs(bad, 'f', False))))
             ok = 'LOG.%s("OK")' % level
             self.assertEqual(
-                0, len(list(tc.no_translate_logs(ok, ok, 'f'))))
-            ok = "LOG.%s(_('OK'))    # noqa" % level
+                0, len(list(tc.no_translate_logs(ok, 'f', False))))
+            ok = "LOG.%s(_('OK'))" % level
             self.assertEqual(
-                0, len(list(tc.no_translate_logs(ok, ok, 'f'))))
+                0, len(list(tc.no_translate_logs(ok, 'f', True))))
             ok = "LOG.%s(variable)" % level
             self.assertEqual(
-                0, len(list(tc.no_translate_logs(ok, ok, 'f'))))
+                0, len(list(tc.no_translate_logs(ok, 'f', False))))
             # Do not do validations in tests
             ok = 'LOG.%s(_("OK - unit tests"))' % level
             self.assertEqual(
-                0, len(list(tc.no_translate_logs(ok, ok,
-                                                 'f/tests/f'))))
+                0, len(list(tc.no_translate_logs(ok, 'f/tests/f', False))))
 
     def test_check_localized_exception_messages(self):
         f = tc.check_raised_localized_exceptions
diff --git a/trove/tests/unittests/taskmanager/test_models.py b/trove/tests/unittests/taskmanager/test_models.py
index 777fba7128..1bb6e84cf9 100644
--- a/trove/tests/unittests/taskmanager/test_models.py
+++ b/trove/tests/unittests/taskmanager/test_models.py
@@ -269,10 +269,8 @@ class FreshInstanceTasksTest(BaseFreshInstanceTasksTest):
         # execute
         files = self.freshinstancetasks.get_injected_files("test", 'test')
         # verify
-        self.assertTrue(
-            '/etc/trove/conf.d/guest_info.conf' in files)
-        self.assertTrue(
-            '/etc/trove/conf.d/trove-guestagent.conf' in files)
+        self.assertIn('/etc/trove/conf.d/guest_info.conf', files)
+        self.assertIn('/etc/trove/conf.d/trove-guestagent.conf', files)
         self.assertEqual(
             self.guestconfig_content,
             files['/etc/trove/conf.d/trove-guestagent.conf'])
@@ -289,10 +287,8 @@ class FreshInstanceTasksTest(BaseFreshInstanceTasksTest):
         # execute
         files = self.freshinstancetasks.get_injected_files("test", 'test')
         # verify
-        self.assertTrue(
-            '/etc/guest_info' in files)
-        self.assertTrue(
-            '/etc/trove-guestagent.conf' in files)
+        self.assertIn('/etc/guest_info', files)
+        self.assertIn('/etc/trove-guestagent.conf', files)
         self.assertEqual(
             self.guestconfig_content,
             files['/etc/trove-guestagent.conf'])
diff --git a/trove/volume_type/models.py b/trove/volume_type/models.py
index 5080f73386..584f6a61a5 100644
--- a/trove/volume_type/models.py
+++ b/trove/volume_type/models.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ class VolumeType(object):
 
     @classmethod
     def load(cls, volume_type_id, context=None, client=None):
-        if not(client or context):
+        if not (client or context):
             raise trove_exception.InvalidModelError(
                 "client or context must be provided to load a volume_type")
         if not client: