diff --git a/evennia/commands/default/general.py b/evennia/commands/default/general.py
index 85fb1b4dd4..8b15e7e3f7 100644
--- a/evennia/commands/default/general.py
+++ b/evennia/commands/default/general.py
@@ -211,7 +211,9 @@ class CmdNick(COMMAND_DEFAULT_CLASS):
             if not specified_nicktype:
                 nicktypes = ("object", "account", "inputline")
             for nicktype in nicktypes:
-                nicks = utils.make_iter(caller.nicks.get(category=nicktype, return_obj=True))
+                nicks = [nick for nick in
+                         utils.make_iter(caller.nicks.get(category=nicktype, return_obj=True))
+                         if nick]
                 for nick in nicks:
                     _, _, nick, repl = nick.value
                     if nick.startswith(self.lhs):
diff --git a/evennia/objects/objects.py b/evennia/objects/objects.py
index 7ac0eba484..0d8d40318a 100644
--- a/evennia/objects/objects.py
+++ b/evennia/objects/objects.py
@@ -392,9 +392,11 @@ class DefaultObject(with_metaclass(TypeclassBase, ObjectDB)):
                 caller's contents (inventory).
             nofound_string (str):  optional custom string for not-found error message.
             multimatch_string (str): optional custom string for multimatch error header.
-            use_dbref (bool or None, optional): if True/False, active/deactivate the use of
-                #dbref as valid global search arguments. If None, check against a permission
-                ('Builder' by default).
+            use_dbref (bool or None, optional): If `True`, allow to enter e.g. a query "#123"
+                to find an object (globally) by its database-id 123. If `False`, the string "#123"
+                will be treated like a normal string. If `None` (default), the ability to query by
+                #dbref is turned on if `self` has the permission 'Builder' and is turned off
+                otherwise.
 
         Returns:
             match (Object, None or list): will return an Object/None if `quiet=False`,
@@ -430,8 +432,8 @@ class DefaultObject(with_metaclass(TypeclassBase, ObjectDB)):
             # only allow exact matching if searching the entire database
             # or unique #dbrefs
             exact = True
-        else:
-            # TODO: write code...if candidates is None:
+
+        elif candidates is None:
             # no custom candidates given - get them automatically
             if location:
                 # location(s) were given
@@ -1947,13 +1949,13 @@ class DefaultCharacter(DefaultObject):
             if len(account.characters) >= settings.MAX_NR_CHARACTERS:
                 errors.append("There are too many characters associated with this account.")
                 return obj, errors
-            
+
             # Create the Character
             obj = create.create_object(**kwargs)
 
             # Record creator id and creation IP
             if ip: obj.db.creator_ip = ip
-            if account: 
+            if account:
                 obj.db.creator_id = account.id
                 if obj not in account.characters:
                     account.db._playable_characters.append(obj)
@@ -1970,7 +1972,7 @@ class DefaultCharacter(DefaultObject):
             # If no description is set, set a default description
             if description or not obj.db.desc:
                 obj.db.desc = description if description else "This is a character."
-            
+
         except Exception as e:
             errors.append("An error occurred while creating this '%s' object." % key)
             logger.log_err(e)