diff --git a/tools/update-dbus-docs.py b/tools/update-dbus-docs.py
index 473469e4574..d6438a5daf9 100755
--- a/tools/update-dbus-docs.py
+++ b/tools/update-dbus-docs.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later
+# pylint: disable=superfluous-parens,consider-using-with
 
 import argparse
 import collections
@@ -36,6 +37,8 @@ GREEN = '\x1b[32m'
 YELLOW = '\x1b[33m'
 RESET = '\x1b[39m'
 
+arguments = None
+
 def xml_parser():
     return etree.XMLParser(no_network=True,
                            remove_comments=False,
@@ -62,38 +65,38 @@ def print_method(declarations, elem, *, prefix, file, is_signal=False):
         argname = arg.get('name')
 
         if argname is None:
-            if opts.print_errors:
+            if arguments.print_errors:
                 print(f'method {name}: argument {num+1} has no name', file=sys.stderr)
             argname = 'UNNAMED'
 
-        type = arg.get('type')
+        argtype = arg.get('type')
         if not is_signal:
             direction = arg.get('direction')
-            print(f'''{lead if num > 0 else ''}{direction:3} {type} {argname}''', file=file, end='')
+            print(f'''{lead if num > 0 else ''}{direction:3} {argtype} {argname}''', file=file, end='')
         else:
-            print(f'''{lead if num > 0 else ''}{type} {argname}''', file=file, end='')
+            print(f'''{lead if num > 0 else ''}{argtype} {argname}''', file=file, end='')
 
-    print(f');', file=file)
+    print(');', file=file)
 
 ACCESS_MAP = {
     'read' : 'readonly',
     'write' : 'readwrite',
 }
 
-def value_ellipsis(type):
-    if type == 's':
-        return "'...'";
-    if type[0] == 'a':
-        inner = value_ellipsis(type[1:])
-        return f"[{inner}{', ...' if inner != '...' else ''}]";
+def value_ellipsis(prop_type):
+    if prop_type == 's':
+        return "'...'"
+    if prop_type[0] == 'a':
+        inner = value_ellipsis(prop_type[1:])
+        return f"[{inner}{', ...' if inner != '...' else ''}]"
     return '...'
 
 def print_property(declarations, elem, *, prefix, file):
-    name = elem.get('name')
-    type = elem.get('type')
-    access = elem.get('access')
+    prop_name = elem.get('name')
+    prop_type = elem.get('type')
+    prop_access = elem.get('access')
 
-    declarations['property'].append(name)
+    declarations['property'].append(prop_name)
 
     # @org.freedesktop.DBus.Property.EmitsChangedSignal("false")
     # @org.freedesktop.systemd1.Privileged("true")
@@ -104,8 +107,8 @@ def print_property(declarations, elem, *, prefix, file):
         anno_value = anno.get('value')
         print(f'''{prefix}@{anno_name}("{anno_value}")''', file=file)
 
-    access = ACCESS_MAP.get(access, access)
-    print(f'''{prefix}{access} {type} {name} = {value_ellipsis(type)};''', file=file)
+    prop_access = ACCESS_MAP.get(prop_access, prop_access)
+    print(f'''{prefix}{prop_access} {prop_type} {prop_name} = {value_ellipsis(prop_type)};''', file=file)
 
 def print_interface(iface, *, prefix, file, print_boring, only_interface, declarations):
     name = iface.get('name')
@@ -163,7 +166,7 @@ def check_documented(document, declarations, stats):
                 assert False, (klass, item)
 
             if not document_has_elem_with_text(document, elem, item_repr):
-                if opts.print_errors:
+                if arguments.print_errors:
                     print(f'{klass} {item} is not documented :(')
                 missing.append((klass, item))
 
@@ -189,7 +192,7 @@ def xml_to_text(destination, xml, *, only_interface=None):
             if not name in BORING_INTERFACES:
                 interfaces.append(name)
 
-    print(f'''}};''', file=file)
+    print('''};''', file=file)
 
     return file.getvalue(), declarations, interfaces
 
@@ -202,7 +205,7 @@ def subst_output(document, programlisting, stats):
     node = programlisting.get('node')
     interface = programlisting.get('interface')
 
-    argv = [f'{opts.build_dir}/{executable}', f'--bus-introspect={interface}']
+    argv = [f'{arguments.build_dir}/{executable}', f'--bus-introspect={interface}']
     if isinstance(shlex_join, Exception):
         print(f'COMMAND: {" ".join(shlex_quote(arg) for arg in argv)}')
     else:
@@ -225,14 +228,11 @@ def subst_output(document, programlisting, stats):
 
         # delete old comments
         for child in parent:
-            if (child.tag == etree.Comment
-                and 'Autogenerated' in child.text):
+            if child.tag is etree.Comment and 'Autogenerated' in child.text:
                 parent.remove(child)
-            if (child.tag == etree.Comment
-                and 'not documented' in child.text):
+            if child.tag is etree.Comment and 'not documented' in child.text:
                 parent.remove(child)
-            if (child.tag == "variablelist"
-                and child.attrib.get("generated",False) == "True"):
+            if child.tag == "variablelist" and child.attrib.get("generated", False) == "True":
                 parent.remove(child)
 
         # insert pointer for systemd-directives generation
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ def process(page):
 
     # print('parsing {}'.format(name), file=sys.stderr)
     if xml.tag != 'refentry':
-        return
+        return None
 
     stats = collections.Counter()
 
@@ -297,11 +297,11 @@ def process(page):
                 out_text[out_text.find('<refentryinfo'):] +
                 '\n')
 
-    if not opts.test:
+    if not arguments.test:
         with open(page, 'w') as out:
             out.write(out_text)
 
-    return dict(stats=stats, modified=(out_text != src))
+    return { "stats" : stats, "modified" : out_text != src }
 
 def parse_args():
     p = argparse.ArgumentParser()
@@ -313,25 +313,27 @@ def parse_args():
     opts.print_errors = not opts.test
     return opts
 
-if __name__ == '__main__':
-    opts = parse_args()
+def main():
+    # pylint: disable=global-statement
+    global arguments
+    arguments = parse_args()
 
     for item in (etree, shlex_quote):
         if isinstance(item, Exception):
             print(item, file=sys.stderr)
-            exit(77 if opts.test else 1)
+            sys.exit(77 if arguments.test else 1)
 
-    if not os.path.exists(f'{opts.build_dir}/systemd'):
-        exit(f"{opts.build_dir}/systemd doesn't exist. Use --build-dir=.")
+    if not os.path.exists(f'{arguments.build_dir}/systemd'):
+        sys.exit(f"{arguments.build_dir}/systemd doesn't exist. Use --build-dir=.")
 
-    stats = {page.split('/')[-1] : process(page) for page in opts.pages}
+    stats = {page.split('/')[-1] : process(page) for page in arguments.pages}
 
     # Let's print all statistics at the end
     mlen = max(len(page) for page in stats)
     total = sum((item['stats'] for item in stats.values()), collections.Counter())
-    total = 'total', dict(stats=total, modified=False)
+    total = 'total', { "stats" : total, "modified" : False }
     modified = []
-    classification = 'OUTDATED' if opts.test else 'MODIFIED'
+    classification = 'OUTDATED' if arguments.test else 'MODIFIED'
     for page, info in sorted(stats.items()) + [total]:
         m = info['stats']['missing']
         t = info['stats']['total']
@@ -342,6 +344,9 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
         color = RED if m > t/2 else (YELLOW if m else GREEN)
         print(f'{color}{p:{mlen + 1}} {t - m}/{t} {c}{RESET}')
 
-    if opts.test and modified:
-        exit(f'Outdated pages: {", ".join(modified)}\n'
-             f'Hint: ninja -C {opts.build_dir} update-dbus-docs')
+    if arguments.test and modified:
+        sys.exit(f'Outdated pages: {", ".join(modified)}\n'
+                 f'Hint: ninja -C {arguments.build_dir} update-dbus-docs')
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    main()