diff --git a/bert_e/tests/test_bert_e.py b/bert_e/tests/test_bert_e.py
index 007d9ab9..73f08418 100644
--- a/bert_e/tests/test_bert_e.py
+++ b/bert_e/tests/test_bert_e.py
@@ -125,7 +125,8 @@ def initialize_git_repo(repo, username, usermail):
         create_branch(repo, 'development/' + major_minor,
                       'stabilization/' + full_version, file_=True,
                       do_push=False)
-        create_branch(repo, f'development/{major}', f'development/{major_minor}',
+        create_branch(repo, f'development/{major}',
+                      f'development/{major_minor}',
                       file_=True, do_push=False)
         if major != 6 and major != 10:
             repo.cmd('git tag %s.%s.%s', major, minor, micro - 1)
@@ -725,7 +726,6 @@ def test_major_development_branch(self):
         })
         self.finalize_cascade(branches, tags, destination, fixver)
 
-
     def test_retry_handler(self):
         class DummyError(Exception):
             pass
@@ -1530,7 +1530,8 @@ def test_merge_without_integration_prs(self):
         for branch in integration_branches[:-1]:
             sha = self.gitrepo.cmd(f'git rev-parse origin/{branch}').rstrip()
             self.set_build_status(sha, 'SUCCESSFUL')
-        sha1_w_10 = self.gitrepo.cmd(f'git rev-parse origin/{integration_branches[-1]}').rstrip()
+        sha1_w_10 = self.gitrepo.cmd(
+            f'git rev-parse origin/{integration_branches[-1]}').rstrip()
         self.set_build_status(sha1=sha1_w_10, state='INPROGRESS')
         if self.args.git_host == 'github':
             pr.add_comment('@%s approve' % (self.args.robot_username))
@@ -4421,7 +4422,7 @@ def test_stabilization_and_dev_branch_addition(self):
                          'development/5.1 stabilization/5.1.4')
 
         if not self.args.disable_queues:
-            self.gitrepo.cmd('git push origin :q/4.3 :q/4 :q/5 :q/10.0 :q/10 ')
+            self.gitrepo.cmd('git push origin :q/4.3 :q/4 :q/5 :q/10.0 :q/10')
 
         with self.assertRaises(exns.BranchHistoryMismatch):
             self.handle(pr.id, options=self.bypass_all, backtrace=True)
@@ -4877,13 +4878,14 @@ def test_set_bot_status(self):
         self.handle(pr.id, settings=settings, options=self.bypass_all)
 
     def test_dev_major_only(self):
-        """Test Bert-E's capability to handle a gitwaterflow with a development/x branch."""
+        """Test Bert-E's capability to handle a development/x branch."""
         # create a development/4 branch
         pr = self.create_pr('bugfix/TEST-01', 'development/4.3')
         self.handle(pr.id, options=self.bypass_all)
         pr = self.create_pr('bugfix/TEST-02', 'stabilization/4.3.18')
         self.handle(pr.id, options=self.bypass_all)
 
+
 class TestQueueing(RepositoryTests):
     """Tests which validate all things related to the merge queue.
 
@@ -5656,9 +5658,8 @@ def test_system_nominal_case(self):
         self.gitrepo.cmd('git add abc')
         self.gitrepo.cmd('git commit -m "add new file"')
         self.gitrepo.cmd('git push origin')
-        sha1_w_10_0 = self.gitrepo \
-                         .cmd('git rev-parse w/10.0/bugfix/TEST-00001') \
-                         .rstrip()
+        sha1_w_10_0 = self.gitrepo.cmd(
+            'git rev-parse w/10.0/bugfix/TEST-00001').rstrip()
 
         with self.assertRaises(exns.Queued):
             self.handle(pr.id, options=self.bypass_all, backtrace=True)
@@ -5668,9 +5669,8 @@ def test_system_nominal_case(self):
         self.gitrepo.cmd('git fetch')
         self.gitrepo.cmd('git checkout w/10/bugfix/TEST-00001')
         self.gitrepo.cmd('git pull')
-        sha1_w_10 = self.gitrepo \
-                          .cmd('git rev-parse w/10/bugfix/TEST-00001') \
-                          .rstrip()
+        sha1_w_10 = self.gitrepo.cmd(
+            'git rev-parse w/10/bugfix/TEST-00001').rstrip()
 
         # check expected branches exist
         self.gitrepo.cmd('git fetch --prune')
@@ -7390,7 +7390,7 @@ def test_job_force_merge_queues(self):
         self.assertEqual(sha1_q_10_0, sha1_dev_10_0)
 
     def test_job_force_merge_queues_with_hotfix(self):
-        self.init_berte(options=self.bypass_all, skip_queue_when_not_needed=True)
+        self.init_berte(options=self.bypass_all)
 
         # When queues are disabled, Bert-E should respond with 'NotMyJob'
         self.process_job(
@@ -7485,7 +7485,7 @@ def test_job_delete_queues(self):
         self.assertTrue(self.berte.task_queue.empty())
 
     def test_job_delete_queues_with_hotfix(self):
-        self.init_berte(options=self.bypass_all, skip_queue_when_not_needed=True)
+        self.init_berte(options=self.bypass_all)
 
         # When queues are disabled, Bert-E should respond with 'NotMyJob'
         self.process_job(
diff --git a/bert_e/tests/unit/test_sorted.py b/bert_e/tests/unit/test_sorted.py
index 6b424681..0c2dca46 100644
--- a/bert_e/tests/unit/test_sorted.py
+++ b/bert_e/tests/unit/test_sorted.py
@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
 
 from functools import cmp_to_key
 from collections import OrderedDict
-from bert_e.workflow.gitwaterflow.branches import DevelopmentBranch, StabilizationBranch, HotfixBranch, compare_branches
+from bert_e.workflow.gitwaterflow.branches import (
+    DevelopmentBranch,
+    StabilizationBranch,
+    HotfixBranch,
+    compare_branches
+)
 
 
 def test_sorted_with_branches():
@@ -27,5 +32,6 @@ def test_sorted_with_branches():
         HotfixBranch: None,
     }
 
-    sorted_branches = OrderedDict(sorted(branches.items(), key=cmp_to_key(compare_branches)))
+    sorted_branches = OrderedDict(
+        sorted(branches.items(), key=cmp_to_key(compare_branches)))
     assert list(sorted_branches.keys()) == [(1, 0), (1, 1), (1, None), (2, 0)]
diff --git a/bert_e/workflow/gitwaterflow/branches.py b/bert_e/workflow/gitwaterflow/branches.py
index 183d7465..ea3333dd 100644
--- a/bert_e/workflow/gitwaterflow/branches.py
+++ b/bert_e/workflow/gitwaterflow/branches.py
@@ -28,14 +28,13 @@
 
 LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
+
 def compare_branches(branch1, branch2):
-    """This function will compare branches based on their major and minor version.
+    """Compare GitWaterflow branches for sorting.
 
-    Important to note that when a branch has a minor version as None, it will be considered
-    as the latest version.
+    Important to note that when a branch has a minor version as None,
+    it will be considered as the latest version.
     """
-    # need to set the major and minor version
-    # branch1[0] and branch2[0] is a tuple which can be (major, minor) or (major, minor, micro)
 
     major1, minor1 = branch1[0][:2]
     major2, minor2 = branch2[0][:2]
@@ -187,9 +186,11 @@ def __lt__(self, other):
         if self.major != other.major:
             return self.major < other.major
         if self.minor is None:
-            return False  # development/<major> is greater than development/<major>.<minor>
+            # development/<major> is greater than development/<major>.<minor>
+            return False
         if other.minor is None:
-            return True  # development/<major>.<minor> is less than development/<major>
+            # development/<major>.<minor> is less than development/<major>
+            return True
         return self.minor < other.minor
 
     @property
@@ -317,7 +318,8 @@ def __eq__(self, other):
 @total_ordering
 class QueueIntegrationBranch(GWFBranch):
     # TODO: review if pattern needs to be changed as having a
-    # pr id may conflict with the major branch pattern and result in a failure to create.
+    # pr id may conflict with the major branch pattern
+    # and result in a failure to create.
     pattern = r'^q/w/(?P<pr_id>\d+)/' + IntegrationBranch.pattern[3:]
 
     def __eq__(self, other):
@@ -884,7 +886,8 @@ def add_branch(self, branch, dst_branch=None):
             else:
                 return
 
-        # TODO: ensure it's ok to have a -1 minor version included in the cascade
+        # TODO: ensure it's ok to have a -1 minor version
+        # included in the cascade
         (major, minor) = branch.major, branch.minor
         if (major, minor) not in self._cascade.keys():
             self._cascade[(major, minor)] = {
@@ -893,7 +896,9 @@ def add_branch(self, branch, dst_branch=None):
                 HotfixBranch: None,
             }
             # Sort the cascade again
-            self._cascade = OrderedDict(sorted(self._cascade.items(), key=cmp_to_key(compare_branches)))
+            self._cascade = OrderedDict(
+                sorted(self._cascade.items(), key=cmp_to_key(compare_branches))
+            )
 
         cur_branch = self._cascade[(major, minor)][branch.__class__]
 
@@ -987,10 +992,14 @@ def validate(self):
 
             previous_dev_branch = dev_branch
 
-    # not used right now but might come useful to handle a case with dev/1 and stab/1.0.0
+    # not used right now but might come useful
+    # to handle a case with dev/1 and stab/1.0.0
     def _find_latest_minor(self, major) -> int | None:
         """For a given major version, find in the cascade the latest minor."""
-        minors = [minor for (m, minor) in self._cascade.keys() if m == major and minor is not None]
+        minors = [
+            minor for (m, minor) in self._cascade.keys()
+            if m == major and minor is not None
+        ]
         if not minors:
             return None
         return max(minors)
@@ -1020,10 +1029,16 @@ def _set_target_versions(self, dst_branch):
                 self.target_versions.append('%d.%d.%d' % (
                     major, minor, dev_branch.micro + offset))
             elif dev_branch and dev_branch.has_minor is False:
-                # TODO: handle case with stab/x.y.z with no dev/x.y -> no need as stab/x.y.z cannot exist without a dev/x.y
-                # TODO: handle case where dev/1 and dev/1.0 exists (but no 1.0.0 tag) -> Should return 1.0.0 only
-                self.target_versions.append(f"{major}.{dev_branch.latest_minor + 1}.{dev_branch.micro + 1}")
-
+                # TODO: handle case with stab/x.y.z with no dev/x.y
+                # -> no need as stab/x.y.z cannot exist without a dev/x.y
+                # TODO: handle case where dev/1 and dev/1.0 exists
+                # but no 1.0.0 tag
+                # -> Should return 1.0.0 only
+                self.target_versions.append(
+                    f"{major}."
+                    f"{dev_branch.latest_minor + 1}."
+                    f"{dev_branch.micro + 1}"
+                )
 
     def finalize(self, dst_branch):
         """Finalize cascade considering given destination.