diff --git a/instana/agent.py b/instana/agent.py
index 9db01f38..5d3174ed 100644
--- a/instana/agent.py
+++ b/instana/agent.py
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ def announce(self, discovery):
                                        headers={"Content-Type": "application/json"},
                                        timeout=0.8)
 
-            if response.status_code is 200:
+            if response.status_code == 200:
                 self.last_seen = datetime.now()
         except (requests.ConnectTimeout, requests.ConnectionError):
             logger.debug("announce", exc_info=True)
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ def is_agent_ready(self):
         try:
             response = self.client.head(self.__data_url(), timeout=0.8)
 
-            if response.status_code is 200:
+            if response.status_code == 200:
                 return True
             return False
         except (requests.ConnectTimeout, requests.ConnectionError):
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ def report_data(self, entity_data):
 
             # logger.warn("report_data: response.status_code is %s" % response.status_code)
 
-            if response.status_code is 200:
+            if response.status_code == 200:
                 self.last_seen = datetime.now()
         except (requests.ConnectTimeout, requests.ConnectionError):
             logger.debug("report_data: Instana host agent connection error")
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ def report_traces(self, spans):
 
             # logger.warn("report_traces: response.status_code is %s" % response.status_code)
 
-            if response.status_code is 200:
+            if response.status_code == 200:
                 self.last_seen = datetime.now()
         except (requests.ConnectTimeout, requests.ConnectionError):
             logger.debug("report_traces: Instana host agent connection error")
diff --git a/instana/fsm.py b/instana/fsm.py
index e1b7c80f..cf368fcd 100644
--- a/instana/fsm.py
+++ b/instana/fsm.py
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ def announce_sensor(self, e):
 
         response = self.agent.announce(d)
 
-        if response and (response.status_code is 200) and (len(response.content) > 2):
+        if response and (response.status_code == 200) and (len(response.content) > 2):
             self.agent.set_from(response.content)
             self.fsm.pending()
             logger.debug("Announced pid: %s (true pid: %s).  Waiting for Agent Ready...", str(pid), str(self.agent.from_.pid))
diff --git a/instana/instrumentation/aiohttp/server.py b/instana/instrumentation/aiohttp/server.py
index 9638bd3c..2e6ccef3 100644
--- a/instana/instrumentation/aiohttp/server.py
+++ b/instana/instrumentation/aiohttp/server.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ async def stan_middleware(request, handler):
                 if 500 <= response.status <= 511:
                     scope.span.set_tag("error", True)
                     ec = scope.span.tags.get('ec', 0)
-                    if ec is 0:
+                    if ec == 0:
                         scope.span.set_tag("ec", ec + 1)
 
                 scope.span.set_tag("http.status_code", response.status)
diff --git a/instana/instrumentation/django/middleware.py b/instana/instrumentation/django/middleware.py
index 15bb7c42..98593e94 100644
--- a/instana/instrumentation/django/middleware.py
+++ b/instana/instrumentation/django/middleware.py
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ def process_response(self, request, response):
                 if 500 <= response.status_code <= 511:
                     request.iscope.span.set_tag("error", True)
                     ec = request.iscope.span.tags.get('ec', 0)
-                    if ec is 0:
+                    if ec == 0:
                         request.iscope.span.set_tag("ec", ec+1)
 
                 request.iscope.span.set_tag(ext.HTTP_STATUS_CODE, response.status_code)
diff --git a/instana/instrumentation/flask/vanilla.py b/instana/instrumentation/flask/vanilla.py
index aeb5d3df..e92766e4 100644
--- a/instana/instrumentation/flask/vanilla.py
+++ b/instana/instrumentation/flask/vanilla.py
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ def after_request_with_instana(response):
             if 500 <= response.status_code <= 511:
                 span.set_tag("error", True)
                 ec = span.tags.get('ec', 0)
-                if ec is 0:
+                if ec == 0:
                     span.set_tag("ec", ec+1)
 
             span.set_tag(ext.HTTP_STATUS_CODE, int(response.status_code))
diff --git a/instana/instrumentation/flask/with_blinker.py b/instana/instrumentation/flask/with_blinker.py
index b9f0a906..81e74e3b 100644
--- a/instana/instrumentation/flask/with_blinker.py
+++ b/instana/instrumentation/flask/with_blinker.py
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ def request_finished_with_instana(sender, response, **extra):
             if 500 <= response.status_code <= 511:
                 span.set_tag("error", True)
                 ec = span.tags.get('ec', 0)
-                if ec is 0:
+                if ec == 0:
                     span.set_tag("ec", ec+1)
 
             span.set_tag(ext.HTTP_STATUS_CODE, int(response.status_code))
diff --git a/instana/instrumentation/sqlalchemy.py b/instana/instrumentation/sqlalchemy.py
index 3aa0426f..387099d6 100644
--- a/instana/instrumentation/sqlalchemy.py
+++ b/instana/instrumentation/sqlalchemy.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
     from sqlalchemy import event
     from sqlalchemy.engine import Engine
 
-    url_regexp = re.compile('\/\/(\S+@)')
+    url_regexp = re.compile(r"\/\/(\S+@)")
 
     @event.listens_for(Engine, 'before_cursor_execute', named=True)
     def receive_before_cursor_execute(**kw):
diff --git a/instana/instrumentation/tornado/server.py b/instana/instrumentation/tornado/server.py
index d4bb2b88..c2e99512 100644
--- a/instana/instrumentation/tornado/server.py
+++ b/instana/instrumentation/tornado/server.py
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ def on_finish_with_instana(wrapped, instance, argv, kwargs):
                 if 500 <= status_code <= 511:
                     scope.span.set_tag("error", True)
                     ec = scope.span.tags.get('ec', 0)
-                    if ec is 0:
+                    if ec == 0:
                         scope.span.set_tag("ec", ec + 1)
 
                 scope.span.set_tag("http.status_code", status_code)
diff --git a/instana/instrumentation/urllib3.py b/instana/instrumentation/urllib3.py
index 2d5d992c..a54327d1 100644
--- a/instana/instrumentation/urllib3.py
+++ b/instana/instrumentation/urllib3.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ def collect(instance, args, kwargs):
             kvs['host'] = instance.host
             kvs['port'] = instance.port
 
-            if args is not None and len(args) is 2:
+            if args is not None and len(args) == 2:
                 kvs['method'] = args[0]
                 kvs['path'] = args[1]
             else:
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ def collect(instance, args, kwargs):
             if kvs.get('path') is not None and ('?' in kvs['path']):
                 parts = kvs['path'].split('?')
                 kvs['path'] = parts[0]
-                if len(parts) is 2:
+                if len(parts) == 2:
                     kvs['query'] = strip_secrets(parts[1], agent.secrets_matcher, agent.secrets_list)
 
             if type(instance) is urllib3.connectionpool.HTTPSConnectionPool:
diff --git a/instana/meter.py b/instana/meter.py
index d8c064a5..1665632d 100644
--- a/instana/meter.py
+++ b/instana/meter.py
@@ -188,10 +188,10 @@ def metric_work():
     def process(self):
         """ Collects, processes & reports metrics """
         try:
-            if self.agent.machine.fsm.current is "wait4init":
+            if self.agent.machine.fsm.current == "wait4init":
                 # Test the host agent if we're ready to send data
                 if self.agent.is_agent_ready():
-                    if self.agent.machine.fsm.current is not "good2go":
+                    if self.agent.machine.fsm.current != "good2go":
                         self.agent.machine.fsm.ready()
                 else:
                     return
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ def process(self):
             response = self.agent.report_data(ed)
 
             if response:
-                if response.status_code is 200 and len(response.content) > 2:
+                if response.status_code == 200 and len(response.content) > 2:
                     # The host agent returned something indicating that is has a request for us that we
                     # need to process.
                     self.handle_agent_tasks(json.loads(response.content)[0])
diff --git a/instana/tracer.py b/instana/tracer.py
index ea0b4fe6..fc334667 100644
--- a/instana/tracer.py
+++ b/instana/tracer.py
@@ -154,5 +154,5 @@ def __add_stack(self, span, limit=None):
 
 
 # Used by __add_stack
-re_tracer_frame = re.compile('/instana/.*\.py$')
+re_tracer_frame = re.compile(r"/instana/.*\.py$")
 re_with_stan_frame = re.compile('with_instana')
diff --git a/instana/util.py b/instana/util.py
index 2c8a753e..2d73f924 100644
--- a/instana/util.py
+++ b/instana/util.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 from .log import logger
 
 
-if sys.version_info.major is 2:
+if sys.version_info.major == 2:
     string_types = basestring
 else:
     string_types = str
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ def sql_sanitizer(sql):
 
 
 # Used by sql_sanitizer
-regexp_sql_values = re.compile('(\'[\s\S][^\']*\'|\d*\.\d+|\d+|NULL)')
+regexp_sql_values = re.compile(r"('[\s\S][^']*'|\d*\.\d+|\d+|NULL)")
 
 
 def get_default_gateway():
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ def get_default_gateway():
                 if '00000000' == parts[1]:
                     hip = parts[2]
 
-        if hip is not None and len(hip) is 8:
+        if hip is not None and len(hip) == 8:
             # Reverse order, convert hex to int
             return "%i.%i.%i.%i" % (int(hip[6:8], 16), int(hip[4:6], 16), int(hip[2:4], 16), int(hip[0:2], 16))
 
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ def get_py_source(file):
 
 
 # Used by get_py_source
-regexp_py = re.compile('\.py$')
+regexp_py = re.compile(r"\.py$")
 
 
 def every(delay, task, name):
diff --git a/tests/test_id_management.py b/tests/test_id_management.py
index 055aaec0..77660ae2 100644
--- a/tests/test_id_management.py
+++ b/tests/test_id_management.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 import instana.util
 
-if sys.version_info.major is 2:
+if sys.version_info.major == 2:
     string_types = basestring
 else:
     string_types = str
diff --git a/tests/test_secrets.py b/tests/test_secrets.py
index 6d2f3c25..583a3f71 100644
--- a/tests/test_secrets.py
+++ b/tests/test_secrets.py
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ def test_contains_no_match(self):
 
     def test_regex(self):
         matcher = 'regex'
-        kwlist = ['\d']
+        kwlist = [r"\d"]
 
         query_params = "one=1&Two=two&THREE=&4='+'&five='okyeah'"
 
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ def test_regex(self):
 
     def test_regex_no_match(self):
         matcher = 'regex'
-        kwlist = ['\d\d\d']
+        kwlist = [r"\d\d\d"]
 
         query_params = "one=1&Two=two&THREE=&4='+'&five='okyeah'"