diff --git a/nucypher/blockchain/eth/interfaces.py b/nucypher/blockchain/eth/interfaces.py
index 7f8099bb7..18f3a66fe 100644
--- a/nucypher/blockchain/eth/interfaces.py
+++ b/nucypher/blockchain/eth/interfaces.py
@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ class BlockchainInterface:
 
         # Primary check
         deployment_status = receipt.get('status', UNKNOWN_TX_STATUS)
-        if deployment_status is 0:
+        if deployment_status == 0:
             failure = f"Transaction transmitted, but receipt returned status code 0. " \
                       f"Full receipt: \n {pprint.pformat(receipt, indent=2)}"
             raise self.InterfaceError(failure)
diff --git a/nucypher/characters/chaotic.py b/nucypher/characters/chaotic.py
index 6a7bd7c3e..395d2f669 100644
--- a/nucypher/characters/chaotic.py
+++ b/nucypher/characters/chaotic.py
@@ -437,7 +437,7 @@ class Felix(Character, NucypherTokenActor):
         message = f"{population} registered faucet recipients; " \
                   f"Distributed {str(NU(self.__distributed, 'NuNit'))} since {self.start_time.slang_time()}."
         self.log.debug(message)
-        if population is 0:
+        if population == 0:
             return  # Abort - no recipients are registered.
 
         # For filtration