diff --git a/src/aind_behavior_services/aind_services/data_mapper.py b/src/aind_behavior_services/aind_services/data_mapper.py
index b46b9a27..fc90d9d9 100644
--- a/src/aind_behavior_services/aind_services/data_mapper.py
+++ b/src/aind_behavior_services/aind_services/data_mapper.py
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ def mapper(
                 daq_names=devices,
                 stream_modalities=modalities,
                 stream_start_time=session_model.date,
-                stream_end_time=session_end_time or session_model.date,
+                stream_end_time=session_end_time if session_end_time else session_model.date,
                 camera_names=list(cameras.keys()),
             ),
         ],
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ def mapper(
                 ],
                 script=Software(
                     name=Path(script_path).stem,
-                    version=session_model.commit_hash or repository_sha,
+                    version=session_model.commit_hash if session_model.commit_hash else repository_sha,
                     url=f"{repository_remote_url}/blob/{repository_sha}/{repository_relative_script_path}",
                     parameters=task_logic_model.model_dump(),
                 ),
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ def _mapper_calibration(
         device_name=calibration.device_name,
         input=calibration.input.model_dump() if calibration.input else {},
         output=calibration.output.model_dump() if calibration.output else {},
-        calibration_date=calibration.date or default_date,
+        calibration_date=calibration.date if calibration.date else default_date,
         description=calibration.description if calibration.description else "",
         notes=calibration.notes,
     )
diff --git a/src/aind_behavior_services/aind_services/watchdog.py b/src/aind_behavior_services/aind_services/watchdog.py
index 12f7c60d..0d39ff58 100644
--- a/src/aind_behavior_services/aind_services/watchdog.py
+++ b/src/aind_behavior_services/aind_services/watchdog.py
@@ -90,16 +90,16 @@ def create_manifest_config(
         **kwargs,
     ) -> ManifestConfig:
         """Create a ManifestConfig object"""
-        project_name = kwargs.pop("project_name", None) or self.project_name
-        schedule_time = kwargs.pop("schedule_time", None) or self.schedule_time
-        platform = kwargs.pop("platform", None) or self.platform
-        capsule_id = kwargs.pop("capsule_id", None) or self.capsule_id
-        script = kwargs.pop("script", None) or self.script
-        s3_bucket = kwargs.pop("s3_bucket", None) or self.s3_bucket
-        mount = kwargs.pop("mount", None) or self.mount
-        force_cloud_sync = kwargs.pop("force_cloud_sync", None) or self.force_cloud_sync
-        transfer_endpoint = kwargs.pop("transfer_endpoint", None) or self.transfer_endpoint
-        validate_project_name = kwargs.pop("validate_project_name", None) or self._validate_project_name
+        project_name = kwargs.pop("project_name", self.project_name)
+        schedule_time = kwargs.pop("schedule_time", self.schedule_time)
+        platform = kwargs.pop("platform", self.platform)
+        capsule_id = kwargs.pop("capsule_id", self.capsule_id)
+        script = kwargs.pop("script", self.script)
+        s3_bucket = kwargs.pop("s3_bucket", self.s3_bucket)
+        mount = kwargs.pop("mount", self.mount)
+        force_cloud_sync = kwargs.pop("force_cloud_sync", self.force_cloud_sync)
+        transfer_endpoint = kwargs.pop("transfer_endpoint", self.transfer_endpoint)
+        validate_project_name = kwargs.pop("validate_project_name", self._validate_project_name)
         processor_full_name = (
             kwargs.pop("processor_full_name", None)
             or ",".join(ads_session.experimenter_full_name)
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ def force_restart(self, kill_if_running: bool = True) -> subprocess.Popen[bytes]
     def dump_manifest_config(
         self, manifest_config: ManifestConfig, path: Optional[os.PathLike] = None, make_dir: bool = True
     ) -> Path:
-        path = Path(path or self.watched_dir / f"manifest_{manifest_config.name}.yaml").resolve()
+        path = Path(path if path else self.watched_dir / f"manifest_{manifest_config.name}.yaml").resolve()
         if "manifest" not in path.name:
             raise ValueError("The file name must contain the string 'manifest' for the watchdog to work.")
         if make_dir and not path.parent.exists():
diff --git a/src/aind_behavior_services/launcher/__init__.py b/src/aind_behavior_services/launcher/__init__.py
index f4015be4..0e40ec46 100644
--- a/src/aind_behavior_services/launcher/__init__.py
+++ b/src/aind_behavior_services/launcher/__init__.py
@@ -568,9 +568,7 @@ def post_run_hook(self, *args, **kwargs):
                         session_name=self.session_schema.session_name,
                     )
 
-                    _manifest_name = (
-                        f"manifest_{self.session_schema.session_name or format_datetime(self.session_schema.date)}.yaml"
-                    )
+                    _manifest_name = f"manifest_{self.session_schema.session_name if self.session_schema.session_name else format_datetime(self.session_schema.date)}.yaml"
                     _manifest_path = self.watchdog.dump_manifest_config(
                         watchdog_manifest_config, path=Path(self.watchdog.watched_dir) / _manifest_name
                     )