diff --git a/sickbeard/helpers.py b/sickbeard/helpers.py
index 6e3cbac62d1307a908ff57aba567752a79e38e71..d0b0ed9878200ee76b76de1116ffb9202ee42df6 100644
--- a/sickbeard/helpers.py
+++ b/sickbeard/helpers.py
@@ -948,8 +948,8 @@ def create_https_certificates(ssl_cert, ssl_key):
     :return: True on success, False on failure
     """
 
-    assert isinstance(ssl_key, unicode)
-    assert isinstance(ssl_cert, unicode)
+    # assert isinstance(ssl_key, unicode)
+    # assert isinstance(ssl_cert, unicode)
 
     try:
         from OpenSSL import crypto  # @UnresolvedImport
@@ -1094,7 +1094,7 @@ def md5_for_file(filename, block_size=2 ** 16):
     :return MD5 hexdigest on success, or None on failure
     """
 
-    assert isinstance(filename, unicode)
+    # assert isinstance(filename, unicode)
 
     try:
         with io.open(filename, 'rb') as f:
@@ -1559,6 +1559,8 @@ def _setUpSession(session, headers):
     session = CacheControl(sess=session, cache=caches.FileCache(os.path.join(cache_dir, 'sessions'), use_dir_lock=True), cache_etags=False)
 
     # request session clear residual referer
+    # pylint: disable=C0325
+    # These extra parens are necessary!
     if 'Referer' in session.headers and 'Referer' not in (headers or {}):
         session.headers.pop('Referer')
 
@@ -1871,10 +1873,9 @@ def isFileLocked(checkfile, writeLockCheck=False):
     :param writeLockCheck: when true will check if the file is locked for writing (prevents move operations)
     """
 
-    checkfile = os.path.abspath(checkfile)
-    assert isinstance(checkfile, unicode)
+    checkfile = ek(os.path.abspath, checkfile)
 
-    if not os.path.exists(checkfile):
+    if not ek(os.path.exists, checkfile):
         return True
     try:
         f = io.open(checkfile, 'rb')