diff --git a/evennia/locks/lockfuncs.py b/evennia/locks/lockfuncs.py
index d1166b0616..4d3d1b2922 100644
--- a/evennia/locks/lockfuncs.py
+++ b/evennia/locks/lockfuncs.py
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ from __future__ import print_function
 from django.conf import settings
 from evennia.utils import utils
 
-_PERMISSION_HIERARCHY = [p.lower() for p in settings.PERMISSION_HIERARCHY]
+_PERMISSION_HIERARCHY = [pe.lower() for pe in settings.PERMISSION_HIERARCHY]
 
 
 def _to_player(accessing_obj):
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ def perm(accessing_obj, accessed_obj, *args, **kwargs):
     gtmode = kwargs.pop("_greater_than", False)
 
     try:
-        perm = args[0].lower()
+        permission = args[0].lower()
         perms_object = [p.lower() for p in accessing_obj.permissions.all()]
     except (AttributeError, IndexError):
         return False
@@ -171,9 +171,9 @@ def perm(accessing_obj, accessed_obj, *args, **kwargs):
         perms_player = [p.lower() for p in player.permissions.all()]
         is_quell = player.attributes.get("_quell")
 
-        if perm in _PERMISSION_HIERARCHY:
+        if permission in _PERMISSION_HIERARCHY:
             # check hierarchy without allowing escalation obj->player
-            hpos_target = _PERMISSION_HIERARCHY.index(perm)
+            hpos_target = _PERMISSION_HIERARCHY.index(permission)
             hpos_player = [hpos for hpos, hperm in enumerate(_PERMISSION_HIERARCHY) if hperm in perms_player]
             hpos_player = hpos_player and hpos_player[-1] or -1
             if is_quell:
@@ -187,17 +187,17 @@ def perm(accessing_obj, accessed_obj, *args, **kwargs):
                 return hpos_target < hpos_player
             else:
                 return hpos_target <= hpos_player
-        elif not is_quell and perm in perms_player:
+        elif not is_quell and permission in perms_player:
             # if we get here, check player perms first, otherwise
             # continue as normal
             return True
 
-    if perm in perms_object:
+    if permission in perms_object:
         # simplest case - we have direct match
         return True
-    if perm in _PERMISSION_HIERARCHY:
+    if permission in _PERMISSION_HIERARCHY:
         # check if we have a higher hierarchy position
-        hpos_target = _PERMISSION_HIERARCHY.index(perm)
+        hpos_target = _PERMISSION_HIERARCHY.index(permission)
         return any(1 for hpos, hperm in enumerate(_PERMISSION_HIERARCHY)
                    if hperm in perms_object and hpos_target < hpos)
     return False
@@ -252,11 +252,11 @@ def dbref(accessing_obj, accessed_obj, *args, **kwargs):
     if not args:
         return False
     try:
-        dbref = int(args[0].strip().strip('#'))
+        dbr = int(args[0].strip().strip('#'))
     except ValueError:
         return False
     if hasattr(accessing_obj, 'dbid'):
-        return dbref == accessing_obj.dbid
+        return dbr == accessing_obj.dbid
     return False
 
 
diff --git a/evennia/server/portal/portal.py b/evennia/server/portal/portal.py
index 56579a2ba6..5de5d5bd8f 100644
--- a/evennia/server/portal/portal.py
+++ b/evennia/server/portal/portal.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ from evennia.server.webserver import EvenniaReverseProxyResource
 PORTAL_SERVICES_PLUGIN_MODULES = [mod_import(module) for module in make_iter(settings.PORTAL_SERVICES_PLUGIN_MODULES)]
 LOCKDOWN_MODE = settings.LOCKDOWN_MODE
 
+PORTAL_PIDFILE = ""
 if os.name == 'nt':
     # For Windows we need to handle pid files manually.
     PORTAL_PIDFILE = os.path.join(settings.GAME_DIR, "server", 'portal.pid')
diff --git a/evennia/server/server.py b/evennia/server/server.py
index 866ad2a7f8..e5e01e5d7d 100644
--- a/evennia/server/server.py
+++ b/evennia/server/server.py
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ from evennia.server.sessionhandler import SESSIONS
 
 _SA = object.__setattr__
 
+SERVER_PIDFILE = ""
 if os.name == 'nt':
     # For Windows we need to handle pid files manually.
     SERVER_PIDFILE = os.path.join(settings.GAME_DIR, "server", 'server.pid')
diff --git a/evennia/utils/txws.py b/evennia/utils/txws.py
index 1bbf756a07..cf5f457448 100644
--- a/evennia/utils/txws.py
+++ b/evennia/utils/txws.py
@@ -560,7 +560,8 @@ class WebSocketProtocol(ProtocolWrapper):
                     request, chaff, self.buf = self.buf.partition("\r\n")
                     try:
                         # verb and version are never used, maybe in the future.
-                        verb, self.location, version = request.split(" ")
+                        #verb, self.location, version
+                        _, self.location, _ = request.split(" ")
                     except ValueError:
                         self.loseConnection()
                     else: