diff --git a/examples/example_fastapi/main.py b/examples/example_fastapi/main.py
index 9801dfb41..b676e661b 100644
--- a/examples/example_fastapi/main.py
+++ b/examples/example_fastapi/main.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
 from os import listdir
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Any, Optional
+from typing import Any
 
 import aiohttp
 from aleph_message.models import (
@@ -128,8 +128,8 @@ async def read_aleph_messages() -> dict[str, MessagesResponse]:
 async def resolve_dns_hostname():
     """Check if DNS resolution is working."""
     hostname = "example.org"
-    ipv4: Optional[str] = None
-    ipv6: Optional[str] = None
+    ipv4: str | None = None
+    ipv6: str | None = None
 
     info = socket.getaddrinfo(hostname, 80, proto=socket.IPPROTO_TCP)
     if not info:
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ async def connect_ipv4():
         sock.settimeout(5)
         sock.connect((ipv4_host, 53))
         return {"result": True}
-    except socket.timeout:
+    except TimeoutError:
         logger.warning(f"Socket connection for host {ipv4_host} failed")
         return {"result": False}
 
diff --git a/examples/example_fastapi_1.py b/examples/example_fastapi_1.py
index 863d0232a..4e6c1c3f2 100644
--- a/examples/example_fastapi_1.py
+++ b/examples/example_fastapi_1.py
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-from typing import Optional
-
 from fastapi import FastAPI
 
 app = FastAPI()
@@ -11,10 +9,10 @@ def read_root():
 
 
 @app.get("/run/{item_id}")
-def read_item(item_id: str, q: Optional[str] = None):
+def read_item(item_id: str, q: str | None = None):
     return {"item_id": item_id, "q": q}
 
 
 @app.post("/run/{item_id}")
-def read_item_post(item_id: str, q: Optional[str] = None):
+def read_item_post(item_id: str, q: str | None = None):
     return {"item_id_post": item_id, "q": q}
diff --git a/runtimes/aleph-debian-12-python/init1.py b/runtimes/aleph-debian-12-python/init1.py
index 80ab0fd84..905e12b3a 100644
--- a/runtimes/aleph-debian-12-python/init1.py
+++ b/runtimes/aleph-debian-12-python/init1.py
@@ -19,13 +19,11 @@
 import sys
 import traceback
 from collections.abc import AsyncIterable
-from contextlib import redirect_stdout
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
 from enum import Enum
-from io import StringIO
 from os import system
 from shutil import make_archive
-from typing import Any, Literal, NewType, Optional, Union, cast
+from typing import Any, Literal, NewType, cast
 
 import aiohttp
 import msgpack
@@ -66,14 +64,14 @@ class ConfigurationPayload:
     code: bytes
     encoding: Encoding
     entrypoint: str
-    ip: Optional[str] = None
-    ipv6: Optional[str] = None
-    route: Optional[str] = None
-    ipv6_gateway: Optional[str] = None
+    ip: str | None = None
+    ipv6: str | None = None
+    route: str | None = None
+    ipv6_gateway: str | None = None
     dns_servers: list[str] = field(default_factory=list)
     volumes: list[Volume] = field(default_factory=list)
-    variables: Optional[dict[str, str]] = None
-    authorized_keys: Optional[list[str]] = None
+    variables: dict[str, str] | None = None
+    authorized_keys: list[str] | None = None
 
 
 @dataclass
@@ -107,7 +105,7 @@ def setup_hostname(hostname: str):
     system(f"hostname {hostname}")
 
 
-def setup_variables(variables: Optional[dict[str, str]]):
+def setup_variables(variables: dict[str, str] | None):
     if variables is None:
         return
     for key, value in variables.items():
@@ -115,11 +113,11 @@ def setup_variables(variables: Optional[dict[str, str]]):
 
 
 def setup_network(
-    ipv4: Optional[str],
-    ipv6: Optional[str],
-    ipv4_gateway: Optional[str],
-    ipv6_gateway: Optional[str],
-    dns_servers: Optional[list[str]] = None,
+    ipv4: str | None,
+    ipv6: str | None,
+    ipv4_gateway: str | None,
+    ipv6_gateway: str | None,
+    dns_servers: list[str] | None = None,
 ):
     """Setup the system with info from the host."""
     dns_servers = dns_servers or []
@@ -188,9 +186,7 @@ def setup_volumes(volumes: list[Volume]):
     system("mount")
 
 
-async def wait_for_lifespan_event_completion(
-    application: ASGIApplication, event: Union[Literal["startup", "shutdown"]]
-):
+async def wait_for_lifespan_event_completion(application: ASGIApplication, event: Literal["startup", "shutdown"]):
     """
     Send the startup lifespan signal to the ASGI app.
     Specification: https://asgi.readthedocs.io/en/latest/specs/lifespan.html
@@ -295,7 +291,7 @@ async def setup_code(
     encoding: Encoding,
     entrypoint: str,
     interface: Interface,
-) -> Union[ASGIApplication, subprocess.Popen]:
+) -> ASGIApplication | subprocess.Popen:
     if interface == Interface.asgi:
         return await setup_code_asgi(code=code, encoding=encoding, entrypoint=entrypoint)
     elif interface == Interface.executable:
@@ -304,7 +300,7 @@ async def setup_code(
         raise ValueError("Invalid interface. This should never happen.")
 
 
-async def run_python_code_http(application: ASGIApplication, scope: dict) -> tuple[dict, dict, str, Optional[bytes]]:
+async def run_python_code_http(application: ASGIApplication, scope: dict) -> tuple[dict, dict, str, bytes | None]:
     logger.debug("Running code")
     # Execute in the same process, saves ~20ms than a subprocess
 
@@ -386,7 +382,7 @@ def show_loading():
     return headers, body
 
 
-async def run_executable_http(scope: dict) -> tuple[dict, dict, str, Optional[bytes]]:
+async def run_executable_http(scope: dict) -> tuple[dict, dict, str, bytes | None]:
     logger.debug("Calling localhost")
 
     tries = 0
@@ -413,7 +409,7 @@ async def run_executable_http(scope: dict) -> tuple[dict, dict, str, Optional[by
 async def process_instruction(
     instruction: bytes,
     interface: Interface,
-    application: Union[ASGIApplication, subprocess.Popen],
+    application: ASGIApplication | subprocess.Popen,
 ) -> AsyncIterable[bytes]:
     if instruction == b"halt":
         logger.info("Received halt command")
@@ -443,11 +439,11 @@ async def process_instruction(
         logger.debug("msgpack.loads )")
         payload = RunCodePayload(**msg_)
 
-        output: Optional[str] = None
+        output: str | None = None
         try:
             headers: dict
             body: dict
-            output_data: Optional[bytes]
+            output_data: bytes | None
 
             if interface == Interface.asgi:
                 application = cast(ASGIApplication, application)
@@ -540,7 +536,7 @@ async def main() -> None:
     setup_system(config)
 
     try:
-        app: Union[ASGIApplication, subprocess.Popen] = await setup_code(
+        app: ASGIApplication | subprocess.Popen = await setup_code(
             config.code, config.encoding, config.entrypoint, config.interface
         )
         client.send(msgpack.dumps({"success": True}))
diff --git a/src/aleph/vm/conf.py b/src/aleph/vm/conf.py
index 0c6d9cbec..f1f8d75f6 100644
--- a/src/aleph/vm/conf.py
+++ b/src/aleph/vm/conf.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 from os.path import abspath, exists, isdir, isfile, join
 from pathlib import Path
 from subprocess import CalledProcessError, check_output
-from typing import Any, List, Literal, NewType, Optional
+from typing import Any, Literal, NewType
 
 from aleph_message.models import Chain
 from aleph_message.models.execution.environment import HypervisorType
@@ -188,21 +188,21 @@ class Settings(BaseSettings):
     CONNECTOR_URL = Url("http://localhost:4021")
 
     CACHE_ROOT: Path = Path("/var/cache/aleph/vm")
-    MESSAGE_CACHE: Optional[Path] = Field(
+    MESSAGE_CACHE: Path | None = Field(
         None,
         description="Default to CACHE_ROOT/message",
     )
-    CODE_CACHE: Optional[Path] = Field(None, description="Default to CACHE_ROOT/code")
-    RUNTIME_CACHE: Optional[Path] = Field(None, description="Default to CACHE_ROOT/runtime")
-    DATA_CACHE: Optional[Path] = Field(None, description="Default to CACHE_ROOT/data")
+    CODE_CACHE: Path | None = Field(None, description="Default to CACHE_ROOT/code")
+    RUNTIME_CACHE: Path | None = Field(None, description="Default to CACHE_ROOT/runtime")
+    DATA_CACHE: Path | None = Field(None, description="Default to CACHE_ROOT/data")
 
     EXECUTION_ROOT: Path = Path("/var/lib/aleph/vm")
-    JAILER_BASE_DIRECTORY: Optional[Path] = Field(None, description="Default to EXECUTION_ROOT/jailer")
-    EXECUTION_DATABASE: Optional[Path] = Field(
+    JAILER_BASE_DIRECTORY: Path | None = Field(None, description="Default to EXECUTION_ROOT/jailer")
+    EXECUTION_DATABASE: Path | None = Field(
         None, description="Location of database file. Default to EXECUTION_ROOT/executions.sqlite3"
     )
     EXECUTION_LOG_ENABLED: bool = False
-    EXECUTION_LOG_DIRECTORY: Optional[Path] = Field(
+    EXECUTION_LOG_DIRECTORY: Path | None = Field(
         None, description="Location of executions log. Default to EXECUTION_ROOT/executions/"
     )
 
@@ -267,12 +267,12 @@ class Settings(BaseSettings):
         "with SEV and SEV-ES",
     )
 
-    CONFIDENTIAL_DIRECTORY: Optional[Path] = Field(
+    CONFIDENTIAL_DIRECTORY: Path | None = Field(
         None,
         description="Confidential Computing default directory. Default to EXECUTION_ROOT/confidential",
     )
 
-    CONFIDENTIAL_SESSION_DIRECTORY: Optional[Path] = Field(None, description="Default to EXECUTION_ROOT/sessions")
+    CONFIDENTIAL_SESSION_DIRECTORY: Path | None = Field(None, description="Default to EXECUTION_ROOT/sessions")
 
     ENABLE_GPU_SUPPORT: bool = Field(
         default=False,
diff --git a/src/aleph/vm/controllers/qemu/instance.py b/src/aleph/vm/controllers/qemu/instance.py
index 259f84744..8252e5f0f 100644
--- a/src/aleph/vm/controllers/qemu/instance.py
+++ b/src/aleph/vm/controllers/qemu/instance.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 from asyncio import Task
 from asyncio.subprocess import Process
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Generic, List, TypeVar
+from typing import Generic, TypeVar
 
 import psutil
 from aleph_message.models import ItemHash
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
 
 
 class AlephQemuResources(AlephFirecrackerResources):
-    gpus: List[HostGPU] = []
+    gpus: list[HostGPU] = []
 
     async def download_runtime(self) -> None:
         volume = self.message_content.rootfs
diff --git a/src/aleph/vm/garbage_collector.py b/src/aleph/vm/garbage_collector.py
index 54d182775..1586a7a83 100644
--- a/src/aleph/vm/garbage_collector.py
+++ b/src/aleph/vm/garbage_collector.py
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ def check_api(item_hash):
         f"systemctl status aleph-vm-controller@{item_hash}.service --no-pager",
         shell=True,
         capture_output=True,
+        check=False,
     )
     exit_code = proc_ret.returncode
     if exit_code == 0:
diff --git a/src/aleph/vm/models.py b/src/aleph/vm/models.py
index 7dd59091b..140228dc1 100644
--- a/src/aleph/vm/models.py
+++ b/src/aleph/vm/models.py
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 from collections.abc import Callable, Coroutine
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
-from typing import List
 
 from aleph_message.models import (
     ExecutableContent,
@@ -76,7 +75,7 @@ class VmExecution:
         AlephProgramResources | AlephInstanceResources | AlephQemuResources | AlephQemuConfidentialInstance | None
     ) = None
     vm: AlephFirecrackerExecutable | AlephQemuInstance | AlephQemuConfidentialInstance | None = None
-    gpus: List[HostGPU] = []
+    gpus: list[HostGPU] = []
 
     times: VmExecutionTimes
 
@@ -223,7 +222,7 @@ async def prepare(self) -> None:
             self.times.prepared_at = datetime.now(tz=timezone.utc)
             self.resources = resources
 
-    def prepare_gpus(self, available_gpus: List[GpuDevice]) -> None:
+    def prepare_gpus(self, available_gpus: list[GpuDevice]) -> None:
         gpus = []
         if self.message.requirements and self.message.requirements.gpu:
             for gpu in self.message.requirements.gpu:
diff --git a/src/aleph/vm/orchestrator/resources.py b/src/aleph/vm/orchestrator/resources.py
index b6d34a9f0..95704b79b 100644
--- a/src/aleph/vm/orchestrator/resources.py
+++ b/src/aleph/vm/orchestrator/resources.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import math
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
 from functools import lru_cache
-from typing import List, Optional
 
 import cpuinfo
 import psutil
@@ -77,8 +76,8 @@ class MachineProperties(BaseModel):
 
 
 class GpuProperties(BaseModel):
-    devices: Optional[List[GpuDevice]]
-    available_devices: Optional[List[GpuDevice]]
+    devices: list[GpuDevice] | None
+    available_devices: list[GpuDevice] | None
 
 
 class MachineUsage(BaseModel):
diff --git a/src/aleph/vm/pool.py b/src/aleph/vm/pool.py
index edcccd43a..3b7d20eda 100644
--- a/src/aleph/vm/pool.py
+++ b/src/aleph/vm/pool.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 import logging
 from collections.abc import Iterable
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
-from typing import List
 
 from aleph_message.models import (
     Chain,
@@ -45,7 +44,7 @@ class VmPool:
     snapshot_manager: SnapshotManager | None = None
     systemd_manager: SystemDManager
     creation_lock: asyncio.Lock
-    gpus: List[GpuDevice] = []
+    gpus: list[GpuDevice] = []
 
     def __init__(self, loop: asyncio.AbstractEventLoop):
         self.executions = {}
@@ -249,7 +248,7 @@ async def load_persistent_executions(self):
             if execution.is_running:
                 # TODO: Improve the way that we re-create running execution
                 # Load existing GPUs assigned to VMs
-                execution.gpus = parse_raw_as(List[HostGPU], saved_execution.gpus) if saved_execution.gpus else []
+                execution.gpus = parse_raw_as(list[HostGPU], saved_execution.gpus) if saved_execution.gpus else []
                 # Load and instantiate the rest of resources and already assigned GPUs
                 await execution.prepare()
                 if self.network:
@@ -303,7 +302,7 @@ def get_instance_executions(self) -> Iterable[VmExecution]:
         )
         return executions or []
 
-    def get_available_gpus(self) -> List[GpuDevice]:
+    def get_available_gpus(self) -> list[GpuDevice]:
         available_gpus = []
         for gpu in self.gpus:
             used = False
diff --git a/src/aleph/vm/resources.py b/src/aleph/vm/resources.py
index 4776c254c..caa8393a9 100644
--- a/src/aleph/vm/resources.py
+++ b/src/aleph/vm/resources.py
@@ -1,11 +1,9 @@
 import subprocess
 from enum import Enum
-from typing import List, Optional
 
 from aleph_message.models import HashableModel
 from pydantic import BaseModel, Extra, Field
 
-from aleph.vm.conf import settings
 from aleph.vm.orchestrator.utils import get_compatible_gpus
 
 
@@ -97,7 +95,7 @@ def is_kernel_enabled_gpu(pci_host: str) -> bool:
     return False
 
 
-def parse_gpu_device_info(line: str) -> Optional[GpuDevice]:
+def parse_gpu_device_info(line: str) -> GpuDevice | None:
     """Parse GPU device info from a line of lspci output."""
 
     pci_host, device = line.split(' "', maxsplit=1)
@@ -134,7 +132,7 @@ def parse_gpu_device_info(line: str) -> Optional[GpuDevice]:
     )
 
 
-def get_gpu_devices() -> Optional[List[GpuDevice]]:
+def get_gpu_devices() -> list[GpuDevice] | None:
     """Get GPU info using lspci command."""
 
     result = subprocess.run(["lspci", "-mmnnn"], capture_output=True, text=True, check=True)
diff --git a/src/aleph/vm/storage.py b/src/aleph/vm/storage.py
index 58d6f78c2..5d0ed3cd8 100644
--- a/src/aleph/vm/storage.py
+++ b/src/aleph/vm/storage.py
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 import logging
 import re
 import sys
-import uuid
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
 from pathlib import Path
 from shutil import copy2, make_archive
@@ -382,7 +381,7 @@ async def get_volume_path(volume: MachineVolume, namespace: str) -> Path:
             raise NotImplementedError(msg)
         if not re.match(r"^[\w\-_/]+$", volume_name):
             # Sanitize volume names
-            logger.debug(f"Invalid values for volume name: {repr(volume_name)} detected, sanitizing")
+            logger.debug(f"Invalid values for volume name: {volume_name!r} detected, sanitizing")
             volume_name = re.sub(r"[^\w\-_]", "_", volume_name)
         (Path(settings.PERSISTENT_VOLUMES_DIR) / namespace).mkdir(exist_ok=True)
         if volume.parent:
diff --git a/tests/supervisor/test_execution.py b/tests/supervisor/test_execution.py
index b064a084a..26f1ca9c3 100644
--- a/tests/supervisor/test_execution.py
+++ b/tests/supervisor/test_execution.py
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import asyncio
-import json
 import logging
 from typing import Any
 
diff --git a/vm_connector/main.py b/vm_connector/main.py
index 86494dd53..a24854ed6 100644
--- a/vm_connector/main.py
+++ b/vm_connector/main.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import json
 import logging
-from typing import Optional
 
 import aiohttp
 from aleph_client.asynchronous import create_post
@@ -24,7 +23,7 @@ def read_root():
     return {"Server": "Aleph.im VM Connector"}
 
 
-async def get_latest_message_amend(ref: str, sender: str) -> Optional[dict]:
+async def get_latest_message_amend(ref: str, sender: str) -> dict | None:
     async with aiohttp.ClientSession() as session:
         url = f"{settings.API_SERVER}/api/v0/messages.json?msgType=STORE&sort_order=-1&refs={ref}&addresses={sender}"
         resp = await session.get(url)
@@ -36,7 +35,7 @@ async def get_latest_message_amend(ref: str, sender: str) -> Optional[dict]:
             return None
 
 
-async def get_message(hash_: str) -> Optional[dict]:
+async def get_message(hash_: str) -> dict | None:
     async with aiohttp.ClientSession() as session:
         url = f"{settings.API_SERVER}/api/v0/messages.json?hashes={hash_}"
         resp = await session.get(url)