diff --git a/tools/todo_tool.py b/tools/todo_tool.py
index f6c972d29c..560c956461 100644
--- a/tools/todo_tool.py
+++ b/tools/todo_tool.py
@@ -82,14 +82,13 @@ class TodoStore:
         self._items = self._normalize_order(rebuilt)
 
     def read(self) -> List[Dict[str, str]]:
-        """Return a copy of the current list."""
         return [item.copy() for item in self._items]
 
     def has_items(self) -> bool:
         return bool(self._items)
 
     def snapshot(self) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-        """Return the full state clients can reconcile atomically."""
+        """Full state clients can reconcile atomically."""
         return {"todos": self.read(), "revision": self._revision}
 
     def restore(self, todos: List[Dict[str, Any]], *, revision: Any = 0) -> List[Dict[str, str]]:
@@ -148,11 +147,10 @@ class TodoStore:
             return {"id": "?", "content": "(invalid item)", "status": "pending"}
         item_id = str(item.get("id", "")).strip() or "?"
         content = str(item.get("content", "")).strip()
-        content = TodoStore._cap_content(content) if content else "(no description)"
         status = str(item.get("status", "pending")).strip().lower()
-        if status not in VALID_STATUSES:
-            status = "pending"
-        result = {"id": item_id, "content": content, "status": status}
+        result = {"id": item_id,
+                  "content": TodoStore._cap_content(content) if content else "(no description)",
+                  "status": status if status in VALID_STATUSES else "pending"}
         parent = str(item.get("parent") or "").strip()
         if parent and parent != item_id:
             result["parent"] = parent
@@ -166,8 +164,7 @@ class TodoStore:
             if item.get("parent") and item["parent"] not in by_id:
                 item.pop("parent", None)
         for item in items:
-            seen = {item["id"]}
-            node = item
+            seen, node = {item["id"]}, item
             while node.get("parent"):
                 if node["parent"] in seen:
                     item.pop("parent", None)
@@ -179,21 +176,17 @@ class TodoStore:
     def _dedupe_by_id(todos: List[Dict[str, Any]]) -> List[Dict[str, Any]]:
         """Collapse duplicate ids, keeping the last occurrence in its position."""
         last_index: Dict[str, int] = {}
-        for i, item in enumerate(todos):
-            if not isinstance(item, dict):  # synthetic key so _validate can handle them
-                last_index[f"__invalid_{i}"] = i
-                continue
-            last_index[str(item.get("id", "")).strip() or "?"] = i
+        for i, item in enumerate(todos):  # non-dicts get a synthetic key; _validate handles them
+            key = str(item.get("id", "")).strip() if isinstance(item, dict) else f"__invalid_{i}"
+            last_index[key or "?"] = i
         return [todos[i] for i in sorted(last_index.values())]
 
     @staticmethod
     def _normalize_order(items: List[Dict[str, str]]) -> List[Dict[str, str]]:
         """Lift the in_progress step ahead of any earlier pending placeholder. Nested lists
         keep authored order — reordering would tear a subtask from its siblings."""
-        if any(item.get("parent") for item in items):
-            return items
         statuses = [item["status"] for item in items]
-        if "in_progress" not in statuses:
+        if any(item.get("parent") for item in items) or "in_progress" not in statuses:
             return items
         active_index = statuses.index("in_progress")
         if "pending" not in statuses[:active_index]:
diff --git a/tools/tool_search.py b/tools/tool_search.py
index ade6fcbb10..c5e493681b 100644
--- a/tools/tool_search.py
+++ b/tools/tool_search.py
@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@ _TRI_STATE_ALIASES = {"true": "on", "1": "on", "yes": "on", "false": "off", "0":
 
 def _tri_state(value: Any) -> str:
     """Normalize an ``auto``/``on``/``off`` setting (bool-ish aliases accepted)."""
-    text = _TRI_STATE_ALIASES.get(str(value).strip().lower(), str(value).strip().lower())
-    return text if text in ("auto", "on", "off") else "auto"
+    text = str(value).strip().lower()
+    return _TRI_STATE_ALIASES.get(text, text if text in ("auto", "on", "off") else "auto")
 
 
 def _clamped_int(value: Any, fallback: int, lo: int, hi: int) -> int:
@@ -109,8 +109,7 @@ def load_config() -> ToolSearchConfig:
     return _config_from_loader("load_config")
 
 
-def load_config_readonly() -> ToolSearchConfig:
-    """Same as ``load_config`` without copying the cached full config."""
+def load_config_readonly() -> ToolSearchConfig:  # no copy of the cached full config
     return _config_from_loader("load_config_readonly")
 
 
@@ -497,13 +496,12 @@ def resolve_underlying_call(args: Dict[str, Any]) -> Tuple[Optional[str], Dict[s
     if name in BRIDGE_TOOL_NAMES:
         return None, {}, f"tool_call cannot invoke '{name}' (it is itself a bridge tool)"
     raw_args = args.get("arguments")
-    if raw_args is None:
-        raw_args = {}
     if isinstance(raw_args, str):
         try:
             raw_args = json.loads(raw_args)
         except json.JSONDecodeError as e:
             return None, {}, f"tool_call 'arguments' is not valid JSON: {e}"
+    raw_args = {} if raw_args is None else raw_args
     if not isinstance(raw_args, dict):
         return None, {}, "tool_call 'arguments' must be an object"
     if not is_deferrable_tool_name(name, load_config_readonly().effective_defer_tools):