diff --git a/rasterio/_base.pyx b/rasterio/_base.pyx
index bdd48fe70..f18109a75 100644
--- a/rasterio/_base.pyx
+++ b/rasterio/_base.pyx
@@ -1062,9 +1062,6 @@ cdef class DatasetBase(object):
             value : iter
                 A sequence of ``ColorInterp.<enum>``.
             """
-
-            value = tuple(value)
-
             if self.mode == 'r':
                 raise RasterioIOError(
                     "Can only set color interpretation when dataset is "
@@ -1077,7 +1074,7 @@ cdef class DatasetBase(object):
 
             for bidx, ci in zip(self.indexes, value):
                 exc_wrap_int(
-                    GDALSetRasterColorInterpretation(self.band(bidx), ci.value))
+                    GDALSetRasterColorInterpretation(self.band(bidx), <GDALColorInterp>ci.value))
 
     def colormap(self, bidx):
         """Returns a dict containing the colormap for a band or None."""
diff --git a/rasterio/rio/mask.py b/rasterio/rio/mask.py
index d2e65098b..0654701ae 100644
--- a/rasterio/rio/mask.py
+++ b/rasterio/rio/mask.py
@@ -111,17 +111,17 @@ def mask(
                                                  'input raster',
                                                  param=crop,
                                                  param_hint='--crop')
-                else: # pragma: no cover
+                else:  # pragma: no cover
                     raise e
 
-            meta = src.meta.copy()
-            meta.update(**creation_options)
-            meta.update({
+            profile = src.profile
+            profile.update(**creation_options)
+            profile.update({
                 'driver': driver,
                 'height': out_image.shape[1],
                 'width': out_image.shape[2],
                 'transform': out_transform
             })
 
-            with rasterio.open(output, 'w', **meta) as out:
+            with rasterio.open(output, 'w', **profile) as out:
                 out.write(out_image)
diff --git a/tests/test_colorinterp.py b/tests/test_colorinterp.py
index 4c1fdfd43..8ffd4c73a 100644
--- a/tests/test_colorinterp.py
+++ b/tests/test_colorinterp.py
@@ -86,9 +86,11 @@ def test_set_colorinterp(path_rgba_byte_tif, tmpdir, dtype):
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("ci", ColorInterp.__members__.values())
 def test_set_colorinterp_all(path_4band_no_colorinterp, ci):
-
     """Test setting with all color interpretations."""
 
+    if ci.value == 1:
+        pytest.xfail("Setting colorinterp to gray fails with GDAL 2.3, see https://github.com/mapbox/rasterio/issues/1234")
+
     with rasterio.open(path_4band_no_colorinterp, 'r+') as src:
         all_ci = list(src.colorinterp)
         all_ci[1] = ci
diff --git a/tests/test_rio_mask.py b/tests/test_rio_mask.py
index 6603a0540..d8dc08ce0 100644
--- a/tests/test_rio_mask.py
+++ b/tests/test_rio_mask.py
@@ -10,11 +10,15 @@
 
 import rasterio
 from rasterio.crs import CRS
+from rasterio.env import GDALVersion
 from rasterio.rio.main import main_group
 
 from .conftest import requires_gdal22
 
 
+gdal_version = GDALVersion.runtime()
+
+
 def test_mask(runner, tmpdir, basic_feature, basic_image_2x2,
               pixelated_image_file):
 
@@ -160,7 +164,9 @@ def test_mask_invalid_geojson(runner, tmpdir, pixelated_image_file):
     assert 'Invalid GeoJSON' in result.output
 
 
-
+@pytest.mark.xfail(
+    gdal_version.at_least('2.3'),
+    reason="Test only applicable to GDAL < 2.3")
 @requires_gdal22(
     reason="This test is sensitive to pixel values and requires GDAL 2.2+")
 def test_mask_crop(runner, tmpdir, basic_feature, pixelated_image):
@@ -173,7 +179,7 @@ def test_mask_crop(runner, tmpdir, basic_feature, pixelated_image):
     outfilename = str(tmpdir.join('pixelated_image.tif'))
     kwargs = {
         "crs": CRS({'init': 'epsg:4326'}),
-        "transform": affine.Affine(1, 0, 0, 0, -1, 0),
+        "transform": affine.Affine(1.0, 0, 0, 0, -1.0, 0),
         "count": 1,
         "dtype": rasterio.uint8,
         "driver": "GTiff",
@@ -192,6 +198,7 @@ def test_mask_crop(runner, tmpdir, basic_feature, pixelated_image):
         main_group,
         ['mask', outfilename, output, '--crop', '--geojson-mask', '-'],
         input=json.dumps(basic_feature))
+
     assert result.exit_code == 0
     assert os.path.exists(output)
     with rasterio.open(output) as out:
diff --git a/tests/test_transform.py b/tests/test_transform.py
index f568c4f1c..2fa1989ad 100644
--- a/tests/test_transform.py
+++ b/tests/test_transform.py
@@ -2,10 +2,14 @@
 import pytest
 import rasterio
 from rasterio import transform
+from rasterio.env import GDALVersion
 from rasterio.transform import xy, rowcol
 from rasterio.windows import Window
 
 
+gdal_version = GDALVersion.runtime()
+
+
 def test_window_transform():
     with rasterio.open('tests/data/RGB.byte.tif') as src:
         assert src.window_transform(((0, None), (0, None))) == src.transform
@@ -78,6 +82,9 @@ def test_affine_roundtrip(tmpdir):
         assert out.transform == out_affine
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+    gdal_version.at_least('2.3'),
+    reason="Test only applicable to GDAL < 2.3")
 def test_affine_identity(tmpdir):
     """
     Setting a transform with absolute values equivalent to Affine.identity()