diff --git a/kallithea/lib/vcs/utils/helpers.py b/kallithea/lib/vcs/utils/helpers.py
--- a/kallithea/lib/vcs/utils/helpers.py
+++ b/kallithea/lib/vcs/utils/helpers.py
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ def get_scm(path, search_up=False, expli
         raise VCSError('More than one [%s] scm found at given path %s'
                        % (', '.join((x[0] for x in found_scms)), path))
 
-    if len(found_scms) is 0:
+    if len(found_scms) == 0:
         raise VCSError('No scm found at given path %s' % path)
 
     return found_scms[0]
diff --git a/kallithea/model/validators.py b/kallithea/model/validators.py
--- a/kallithea/model/validators.py
+++ b/kallithea/model/validators.py
@@ -583,11 +583,11 @@ def ValidPerms(type_='repo'):
             # update permissions
             for k, v, t in perms_new:
                 try:
-                    if t is 'user':
+                    if t == 'user':
                         self.user_db = User.query() \
                             .filter(User.active == True) \
                             .filter(User.username == k).one()
-                    if t is 'users_group':
+                    if t == 'users_group':
                         self.user_db = UserGroup.query() \
                             .filter(UserGroup.users_group_active == True) \
                             .filter(UserGroup.users_group_name == k).one()