diff --git a/irrd/scripts/irr_rpsl_submit.py b/irrd/scripts/irr_rpsl_submit.py
index 298326433..bee192ca7 100755
--- a/irrd/scripts/irr_rpsl_submit.py
+++ b/irrd/scripts/irr_rpsl_submit.py
@@ -639,7 +639,8 @@ def format_as_text(response):
     Format an IRRd HTTP response into a human-friendly text.
     """
     summary = response["summary"]
-    user_report = textwrap.dedent(f"""
+    user_report = textwrap.dedent(
+        f"""
     SUMMARY OF UPDATE:
 
     Number of objects found:                  {summary["objects_found"]:3}
@@ -655,7 +656,8 @@ def format_as_text(response):
     DETAILED EXPLANATION:
 
     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-    """)
+    """
+    )
     for object_result in response["objects"]:
         user_report += "---\n"
         user_report += format_report_object(object_result)
@@ -722,7 +724,8 @@ def process_args(options):
         # output something.
         if "--help" in options:
             raise XHelp("") from error
-        raise XArgumentError("Error processing command-line arguments: {error.message}") from error
+        message = error.message if hasattr(error, "message") else ""
+        raise XArgumentError(f"Error processing command-line arguments: {message}") from error
 
     if args.debug:
         logger.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
@@ -770,7 +773,8 @@ def metadata(metadata_values):
         except IndexError as error:
             raise ValueError() from error
 
-    description = textwrap.dedent("""\
+    description = textwrap.dedent(
+        """\
         Read RPSL submissions from stdin and return a response on stdout.
         Errors or debug info are printed to stderr. This program accepts
         the arguments for irrdv3's version of irr_rpsl_submit but ignores
@@ -797,7 +801,8 @@ def metadata(metadata_values):
             16 - unexpected response
             32 - an unidentified error
 
-    """)
+    """
+    )
 
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
         add_help=False,