diff --git a/color.py b/color.py
index 9200a29..33bc877 100644
--- a/color.py
+++ b/color.py
@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@
          'blink'  : 5,
          'reverse': 7}
 
-RESET = "\033[m"
+RESET = "\033[m"  # pylint: disable=W1401
+                  # backslash is not anomalous
 
 def is_color(s):
     return s in COLORS
@@ -51,7 +52,7 @@
 
     if attr >= 0 or fg >= 0 or bg >= 0:
       need_sep = False
-      code = "\033["
+      code = "\033["  #pylint: disable=W1401
 
       if attr >= 0:
         code += chr(ord('0') + attr)
diff --git a/command.py b/command.py
index 0c3b360..babb833 100644
--- a/command.py
+++ b/command.py
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@
     groups = mp.config.GetString('manifest.groups')
     if not groups:
       groups = 'all,-notdefault,platform-' + platform.system().lower()
-    groups = [x for x in re.split('[,\s]+', groups) if x]
+    groups = [x for x in re.split(r'[,\s]+', groups) if x]
 
     if not args:
       for project in all_projects.values():
diff --git a/git_command.py b/git_command.py
index a40e6c0..39f795f 100644
--- a/git_command.py
+++ b/git_command.py
@@ -132,15 +132,15 @@
                gitdir = None):
     env = os.environ.copy()
 
-    for e in [REPO_TRACE,
+    for key in [REPO_TRACE,
               GIT_DIR,
               'GIT_ALTERNATE_OBJECT_DIRECTORIES',
               'GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY',
               'GIT_WORK_TREE',
               'GIT_GRAFT_FILE',
               'GIT_INDEX_FILE']:
-      if e in env:
-        del env[e]
+      if key in env:
+        del env[key]
 
     if disable_editor:
       _setenv(env, 'GIT_EDITOR', ':')
diff --git a/git_config.py b/git_config.py
index ae28855..d6510aa 100644
--- a/git_config.py
+++ b/git_config.py
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 
 R_HEADS = 'refs/heads/'
 R_TAGS  = 'refs/tags/'
-ID_RE = re.compile('^[0-9a-f]{40}$')
+ID_RE = re.compile(r'^[0-9a-f]{40}$')
 
 REVIEW_CACHE = dict()
 
@@ -288,7 +288,8 @@
     d = self._do('--null', '--list')
     if d is None:
       return c
-    for line in d.rstrip('\0').split('\0'):
+    for line in d.rstrip('\0').split('\0'):  # pylint: disable=W1401
+                                             # Backslash is not anomalous
       if '\n' in line:
           key, val = line.split('\n', 1)
       else:
diff --git a/git_refs.py b/git_refs.py
index 18c9230..cfeffba 100644
--- a/git_refs.py
+++ b/git_refs.py
@@ -138,14 +138,14 @@
   def _ReadLoose1(self, path, name):
     try:
       fd = open(path, 'rb')
-    except:
+    except IOError:
       return
 
     try:
       try:
         mtime = os.path.getmtime(path)
         ref_id = fd.readline()
-      except:
+      except (IOError, OSError):
         return
     finally:
       fd.close()
diff --git a/main.py b/main.py
index ba40d56..7a09c6b 100755
--- a/main.py
+++ b/main.py
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 import netrc
 import optparse
 import os
-import re
 import sys
 import time
 import urllib2
diff --git a/manifest_xml.py b/manifest_xml.py
index dd163be..cdee87a 100644
--- a/manifest_xml.py
+++ b/manifest_xml.py
@@ -584,7 +584,7 @@
     groups = ''
     if node.hasAttribute('groups'):
       groups = node.getAttribute('groups')
-    groups = [x for x in re.split('[,\s]+', groups) if x]
+    groups = [x for x in re.split(r'[,\s]+', groups) if x]
 
     default_groups = ['all', 'name:%s' % name, 'path:%s' % path]
     groups.extend(set(default_groups).difference(groups))
diff --git a/project.py b/project.py
index 2f47169..6e8bb03 100644
--- a/project.py
+++ b/project.py
@@ -1012,6 +1012,10 @@
     self.CleanPublishedCache(all_refs)
     revid = self.GetRevisionId(all_refs)
 
+    def _doff():
+      self._FastForward(revid)
+      self._CopyFiles()
+
     self._InitWorkTree()
     head = self.work_git.GetHead()
     if head.startswith(R_HEADS):
@@ -1090,9 +1094,6 @@
         # All published commits are merged, and thus we are a
         # strict subset.  We can fast-forward safely.
         #
-        def _doff():
-          self._FastForward(revid)
-          self._CopyFiles()
         syncbuf.later1(self, _doff)
         return
 
@@ -1155,9 +1156,6 @@
         syncbuf.fail(self, e)
         return
     else:
-      def _doff():
-        self._FastForward(revid)
-        self._CopyFiles()
       syncbuf.later1(self, _doff)
 
   def AddCopyFile(self, src, dest, absdest):
@@ -1836,7 +1834,8 @@
       if p.Wait() == 0:
         out = p.stdout
         if out:
-          return out[:-1].split("\0")
+          return out[:-1].split('\0')  # pylint: disable=W1401
+                                       # Backslash is not anomalous
       return []
 
     def DiffZ(self, name, *args):
@@ -1852,7 +1851,7 @@
         out = p.process.stdout.read()
         r = {}
         if out:
-          out = iter(out[:-1].split('\0'))
+          out = iter(out[:-1].split('\0'))  # pylint: disable=W1401
           while out:
             try:
               info = out.next()
diff --git a/subcmds/grep.py b/subcmds/grep.py
index 0dc8f9f..b067629 100644
--- a/subcmds/grep.py
+++ b/subcmds/grep.py
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
 
 Look for a line that has '#define' and either 'MAX_PATH or 'PATH_MAX':
 
-  repo grep -e '#define' --and -\( -e MAX_PATH -e PATH_MAX \)
+  repo grep -e '#define' --and -\\( -e MAX_PATH -e PATH_MAX \\)
 
 Look for a line that has 'NODE' or 'Unexpected' in files that
 contain a line that matches both expressions:
diff --git a/subcmds/init.py b/subcmds/init.py
index e56b922..48df9e8 100644
--- a/subcmds/init.py
+++ b/subcmds/init.py
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@
       r.ResetFetch()
       r.Save()
 
-    groups = re.split('[,\s]+', opt.groups)
+    groups = re.split(r'[,\s]+', opt.groups)
     all_platforms = ['linux', 'darwin']
     platformize = lambda x: 'platform-' + x
     if opt.platform == 'auto':
diff --git a/subcmds/sync.py b/subcmds/sync.py
index d4637d0..8e9477a 100644
--- a/subcmds/sync.py
+++ b/subcmds/sync.py
@@ -696,7 +696,7 @@
       try:
         try:
           self._times = pickle.load(f)
-        except:
+        except IOError:
           try:
             os.remove(self._path)
           except OSError:
diff --git a/subcmds/upload.py b/subcmds/upload.py
index 84a5e44..39721ac 100644
--- a/subcmds/upload.py
+++ b/subcmds/upload.py
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@
     try:
       # refs/changes/XYZ/N --> XYZ
       return refs.get(last_pub).split('/')[-2]
-    except:
+    except (AttributeError, IndexError):
       return ""
 
   def _UploadAndReport(self, opt, todo, original_people):