diff --git a/utils/assets.py b/utils/assets.py
index dc53b8b3..b9291c74 100644
--- a/utils/assets.py
+++ b/utils/assets.py
@@ -180,9 +180,9 @@ def updateTranslationSources(args: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
         else:  # Create an empty new language file
             langCode = item.name[3:-3]
             writeFile(item, (
-                "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\"?>\n"
+                '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>\n'
                 "<!DOCTYPE TS>\n"
-                f"<TS version=\"2.0\" language=\"{langCode}\" sourcelanguage=\"en_GB\"/>\n"
+                f'<TS version="2.0" language="{langCode}" sourcelanguage="en_GB"/>\n'
             ))
             translations.append(item)
             print(f"Created: {item}")
diff --git a/utils/build_debian.py b/utils/build_debian.py
index b962e620..ea08e705 100644
--- a/utils/build_debian.py
+++ b/utils/build_debian.py
@@ -134,10 +134,10 @@ def makeDebianPackage(
         signArgs = [f"-k{signKey}"]
 
     if sourceBuild:
-        subprocess.call(["debuild", "-S"] + signArgs, cwd=outDir)
+        subprocess.call(["debuild", "-S", *signArgs], cwd=outDir)
         toUpload(bldDir / f"{bldPkg}.tar.xz")
     else:
-        subprocess.call(["dpkg-buildpackage"] + signArgs, cwd=outDir)
+        subprocess.call(["dpkg-buildpackage", *signArgs], cwd=outDir)
         shutil.copyfile(bldDir / f"{bldPkg}.tar.xz", bldDir / f"{bldPkg}.debian.tar.xz")
         toUpload(bldDir / f"{bldPkg}.debian.tar.xz")
         toUpload(bldDir / f"{bldPkg}_all.deb")
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ def launchpad(args: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
 
     signKey = SIGN_KEY if args.sign else None
 
-    print(f"Sign Key: {str(signKey)}")
+    print(f"Sign Key: {signKey!s}")
     print("")
 
     dputCmd = []
diff --git a/utils/build_windows.py b/utils/build_windows.py
index 89766be0..a4f0e866 100644
--- a/utils/build_windows.py
+++ b/utils/build_windows.py
@@ -218,9 +218,9 @@ def main(args: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
         "import sys\n"
         "\n"
         "os.curdir = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__))\n"
-        "sys.path.insert(0, os.path.join(os.curdir, \"lib\"))\n"
+        'sys.path.insert(0, os.path.join(os.curdir, "lib"))\n'
         "\n"
-        "if __name__ == \"__main__\":\n"
+        'if __name__ == "__main__":\n'
         "    import novelwriter\n"
         "    novelwriter.main(sys.argv[1:])\n"
     ))
diff --git a/utils/common.py b/utils/common.py
index c5d88469..6eda3841 100644
--- a/utils/common.py
+++ b/utils/common.py
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ def makeCheckSum(sumFile: str, cwd: Path | None = None) -> str:
             shaFile = f"{sumFile}.sha256"
         else:
             shaFile = cwd / f"{sumFile}.sha256"
-        with open(shaFile, mode="w") as fOut:
+        with open(shaFile, mode="w", encoding="utf-8") as fOut:
             subprocess.call(["shasum", "-a", "256", sumFile], stdout=fOut, cwd=cwd)
         print(f"SHA256 Sum: {shaFile}")
     except Exception as exc: