diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/management/commands/migrate_to_split.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/management/commands/migrate_to_split.py
index 283193dd0f..dbba474d49 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/management/commands/migrate_to_split.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/management/commands/migrate_to_split.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ from xmodule.modulestore import InvalidLocationError
 from xmodule.modulestore.django import loc_mapper
 
 
-def user_from_str(s):
+def user_from_str(identifier):
     """
     Return a user identified by the given string. The string could be an email
     address, or a stringified integer corresponding to the ID of the user in
@@ -19,14 +19,16 @@ def user_from_str(s):
     will be raised.
     """
     try:
-        user_id = int(s)
+        user_id = int(identifier)
     except ValueError:
-        return User.objects.get(email=s)
+        return User.objects.get(email=identifier)
     else:
         return User.objects.get(id=user_id)
 
 
 class Command(BaseCommand):
+    "Migrate a course from old-Mongo to split-Mongo"
+
     help = "Migrate a course from old-Mongo to split-Mongo"
     args = "location email <locator>"
 
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/management/commands/tests/test_delete_split_course.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/management/commands/tests/test_delete_split_course.py
index 02db42abc5..f8411d0967 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/management/commands/tests/test_delete_split_course.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/management/commands/tests/test_delete_split_course.py
@@ -11,9 +11,13 @@ from xmodule.modulestore.tests.django_utils import ModuleStoreTestCase
 from xmodule.modulestore.tests.persistent_factories import PersistentCourseFactory
 from xmodule.modulestore.django import modulestore
 from xmodule.modulestore.exceptions import ItemNotFoundError
+# pylint: disable=E1101
 
 
 class TestArgParsing(unittest.TestCase):
+    """
+    Tests for parsing arguments for the `delete_split_course` management command
+    """
     def setUp(self):
         self.command = Command()
 
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/management/commands/tests/test_migrate_to_split.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/management/commands/tests/test_migrate_to_split.py
index d8e90bb9c2..2dd652b422 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/management/commands/tests/test_migrate_to_split.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/management/commands/tests/test_migrate_to_split.py
@@ -12,9 +12,13 @@ from xmodule.modulestore.tests.django_utils import ModuleStoreTestCase
 from xmodule.modulestore.tests.factories import CourseFactory
 from xmodule.modulestore.django import modulestore
 from xmodule.modulestore.django import loc_mapper
+# pylint: disable=E1101
 
 
 class TestArgParsing(unittest.TestCase):
+    """
+    Tests for parsing arguments for the `migrate_to_split` management command
+    """
     def setUp(self):
         self.command = Command()
 
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/django_utils.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/django_utils.py
index b0cd3df228..88bc6c87d9 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/django_utils.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/modulestore/tests/django_utils.py
@@ -225,9 +225,9 @@ class ModuleStoreTestCase(TestCase):
         if contentstore().fs_files:
             db = contentstore().fs_files.database
             db.connection.drop_database(db)
-        lm = loc_mapper()
-        if lm.db:
-            lm.location_map.drop()
+        location_mapper = loc_mapper()
+        if location_mapper.db:
+            location_mapper.location_map.drop()
 
     @classmethod
     def setUpClass(cls):