diff --git a/micropy/app/stubs.py b/micropy/app/stubs.py
index 643332b2a..ec6560904 100644
--- a/micropy/app/stubs.py
+++ b/micropy/app/stubs.py
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ def _get_desc(name: str, cfg: dict):
         pyb.run_script(create_stubs, DevicePath(dev_path))
     except Exception as e:
         # TODO: Handle more usage cases
-        log.error(f"Failed to execute script: {str(e)}", exception=e)
+        log.error(f"Failed to execute script: {e!s}", exception=e)
         raise
     log.success("Done!")
     log.info("Copying stubs...")
diff --git a/micropy/exceptions.py b/micropy/exceptions.py
index 94cf35109..18fe5a308 100644
--- a/micropy/exceptions.py
+++ b/micropy/exceptions.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 """Micropy Exceptions."""
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+from typing import Optional
+
 
 class MicropyException(Exception):
     """Generic MicroPy Exception."""
@@ -21,7 +23,7 @@ class StubValidationError(StubError):
     """Raised when a stub fails validation."""
 
     def __init__(self, path, errors, *args, **kwargs):
-        msg = f"Stub at[{str(path)}] encountered" f" the following validation errors: {str(errors)}"
+        msg = f"Stub at[{path!s}] encountered" f" the following validation errors: {errors!s}"
         super().__init__(msg, *args, **kwargs)
 
     def __str__(self):
@@ -52,7 +54,7 @@ class RequirementNotFound(RequirementException):
 class PyDeviceError(MicropyException):
     """Generic PyDevice exception."""
 
-    def __init__(self, message: str = None):
+    def __init__(self, message: Optional[str] = None):
         super().__init__(message)
         self.message = message
 
diff --git a/micropy/logger.py b/micropy/logger.py
index 80988741e..953c202c7 100644
--- a/micropy/logger.py
+++ b/micropy/logger.py
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ def exception(self, error, **kwargs):
 
         """
         name = type(error).__name__
-        msg = f"{name}: {str(error)}"
+        msg = f"{name}: {error!s}"
         return self.echo(msg, log="exception", title_color="red", fg="red", accent="red", **kwargs)
 
     def success(self, msg, **kwargs):
diff --git a/micropy/project/modules/stubs.py b/micropy/project/modules/stubs.py
index 186ed6320..bf17336e2 100644
--- a/micropy/project/modules/stubs.py
+++ b/micropy/project/modules/stubs.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 import sys
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Any, List, Sequence, Union
+from typing import Any, List, Optional, Sequence, Union
 
 from boltons import setutils
 from micropy.project.modules import ProjectModule
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ class StubsModule(ProjectModule):
     PRIORITY: int = 9
 
     def __init__(
-        self, stub_manager: StubManager, stubs: Sequence[DeviceStub] = None, **kwargs: Any
+        self, stub_manager: StubManager, stubs: Optional[Sequence[DeviceStub]] = None, **kwargs: Any
     ):
         super().__init__(**kwargs)
         self.stub_manager: StubManager = stub_manager
diff --git a/micropy/project/template.py b/micropy/project/template.py
index d4a00d1a6..3e5c080c3 100644
--- a/micropy/project/template.py
+++ b/micropy/project/template.py
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ def render_to(self, name, parent_dir, *args, **kwargs):
 
         """
         template = self.get(name, **kwargs)
-        self.log.debug(f"Loaded: {str(template)}")
+        self.log.debug(f"Loaded: {template!s}")
         if self.run_checks:
             self.log.debug(f"Verifying {template} requirements...")
             template.run_checks()
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ def render_to(self, name, parent_dir, *args, **kwargs):
             self.log.debug(f"Create: {out_dir}")
             parent_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
             out_dir.parent.mkdir(exist_ok=True, parents=True)
-            self.log.debug(f"Rendered: {name} to {str(out_dir)}")
+            self.log.debug(f"Rendered: {name} to {out_dir!s}")
             self.log.info(f"$[{name.capitalize()}] File Generated!")
             stream = template.render_stream()
             return stream.dump(str(out_dir))
@@ -326,13 +326,13 @@ def update(self, name, root_dir, **kwargs):
 
         """
         template = self.get(name, **kwargs)
-        self.log.debug(f"Loaded: {str(template)}")
+        self.log.debug(f"Loaded: {template!s}")
         try:
             template.update(root_dir)
         except FileNotFoundError:
             self.log.debug("Template does not exist!")
             return self.render_to(name, root_dir, **kwargs)
-        self.log.debug(f"Updated: {str(template)}")
+        self.log.debug(f"Updated: {template!s}")
         return template
 
     @property
diff --git a/micropy/pyd/abc.py b/micropy/pyd/abc.py
index 28793d334..1208ece18 100644
--- a/micropy/pyd/abc.py
+++ b/micropy/pyd/abc.py
@@ -3,14 +3,14 @@
 import abc
 from io import BytesIO, StringIO
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Any, AnyStr, Generic, NewType, Protocol, TypeVar
+from typing import Any, AnyStr, Generic, NewType, Optional, Protocol, TypeVar
 
 HostPath = NewType("HostPath", str)
 DevicePath = NewType("DevicePath", str)
 
 
 class StartHandler(Protocol):
-    def __call__(self, *, name: str = None, size: int | None = None) -> Any:
+    def __call__(self, *, name: Optional[str] = None, size: int | None = None) -> Any:
         ...
 
 
diff --git a/micropy/pyd/backend_upydevice.py b/micropy/pyd/backend_upydevice.py
index 834769333..413ffca42 100644
--- a/micropy/pyd/backend_upydevice.py
+++ b/micropy/pyd/backend_upydevice.py
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ def write_file(
         target_path = self.resolve_path(target_path)
         self._pydevice.cmd("import gc")
         self._pydevice.cmd("import ubinascii")
-        self._pydevice.cmd(f"f = open('{str(target_path)}', 'wb')")
+        self._pydevice.cmd(f"f = open('{target_path!s}', 'wb')")
 
         content_iter = (
             iterutils.chunked_iter(contents, self.BUFFER_SIZE)
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ def write_file(
         )
 
         content_size = len(contents)
-        consumer.on_start(name=f"Writing {str(target_path)}", size=content_size)
+        consumer.on_start(name=f"Writing {target_path!s}", size=content_size)
 
         for chunk in content_iter:
             cmd = (
diff --git a/micropy/pyd/consumers.py b/micropy/pyd/consumers.py
index a6b333b7a..b6d7fda1b 100644
--- a/micropy/pyd/consumers.py
+++ b/micropy/pyd/consumers.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 from functools import partialmethod
-from typing import Any, Callable, NamedTuple, cast
+from typing import Any, Callable, NamedTuple, Optional, cast
 
 from micropy.pyd.abc import (
     EndHandler,
@@ -19,14 +19,14 @@ class ProgressStreamConsumer:
 
     def __init__(
         self,
-        on_description: Callable[
-            [str, dict[str, Any] | None], tuple[str, dict[str, Any] | None]
+        on_description: Optional[
+            Callable[[str, dict[str, Any] | None], tuple[str, dict[str, Any] | None]]
         ] = None,
         **kwargs,
     ):
         self._on_description = on_description or (lambda s, cfg: (s, cfg))
 
-    def on_start(self, *, name: str = None, size: int | None = None):
+    def on_start(self, *, name: Optional[str] = None, size: int | None = None):
         bar_format = "{l_bar}{bar}| [{n_fmt}/{total_fmt} @ {rate_fmt}]"
         tqdm_kwargs = {
             "unit_scale": True,
diff --git a/tests/test_highlevel.py b/tests/test_highlevel.py
index 11e559ea9..9fcf973fb 100644
--- a/tests/test_highlevel.py
+++ b/tests/test_highlevel.py
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ def build_project(self, mpy, path):
         if proj_path.exists():
             shutil.rmtree(proj_path, ignore_errors=True)
         proj = project.Project(proj_path)
-        proj_stub = list(mpy.stubs)[0]
+        proj_stub = next(iter(mpy.stubs))
         proj.add(project.modules.StubsModule, mpy.stubs, stubs=[proj_stub])
         proj.add(project.modules.PackagesModule, "requirements.txt")
         proj.add(project.modules.DevPackagesModule, "dev-requirements.txt")
diff --git a/tests/test_project.py b/tests/test_project.py
index e519d0d15..a918b3a6c 100644
--- a/tests/test_project.py
+++ b/tests/test_project.py
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ def stub_module(self, mocker, tmp_path, micropy_stubs):
         mp = micropy_stubs()
         parent_mock = mocker.MagicMock()
         parent_mock.data_path = tmp_path / ".micropy"
-        stub_item = list(mp.stubs)[0]
+        stub_item = next(iter(mp.stubs))
         stub_mod = modules.StubsModule(
             mp.stubs, stubs=[stub_item], parent=parent_mock, log=mocker.Mock()
         )
diff --git a/tests/test_stubs.py b/tests/test_stubs.py
index cdbf7e91f..b2eb6ba42 100644
--- a/tests/test_stubs.py
+++ b/tests/test_stubs.py
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ def __init__(self, path, copy_to=None, **kwargs):
 
 def test_stub_resolve_link(mock_mp_stubs, tmp_path):
     """should create DeviceStub from symlink"""
-    stub = list(mock_mp_stubs.stubs)[0]
+    stub = next(iter(mock_mp_stubs.stubs))
     link_path = tmp_path / "stub_symlink"
     linked_stub = stubs.stubs.DeviceStub.resolve_link(stub, link_path)
     assert stub == linked_stub
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ def test_manager_resolve_subresource(mock_mp_stubs, tmp_path):
     subresource = tmp_path / "stub_subresource"
     subresource.mkdir()
     manager = mock_mp_stubs.stubs.resolve_subresource(test_stubs, subresource)
-    linked_stub = list(manager)[0]
+    linked_stub = next(iter(manager))
     assert linked_stub.path.is_symlink()
     assert linked_stub in list(mock_mp_stubs.stubs)