diff --git a/src/caosdb/common/administration.py b/src/caosdb/common/administration.py
index 50f5a34ac9128bb1acedee1c1c6e5063f6ee5576..157518f82294257d7267b881e96d225ecce4304f 100644
--- a/src/caosdb/common/administration.py
+++ b/src/caosdb/common/administration.py
@@ -25,10 +25,11 @@
 """missing docstring."""
 
 from lxml import etree
-from caosdb.exceptions import (ClientErrorException, AuthorizationException,
-                               EntityDoesNotExistError)
-from caosdb.connection.connection import get_connection
+
 from caosdb.common.utils import xml2str
+from caosdb.connection.connection import get_connection
+from caosdb.exceptions import (AuthorizationException, ClientErrorException,
+                               EntityDoesNotExistError)
 
 
 def set_server_property(key, value):
@@ -68,8 +69,10 @@ def get_server_properties():
     body = con._http_request(method="GET", path="_server_properties").response
     xml = etree.parse(body)
     props = dict()
+
     for elem in xml.getroot():
         props[elem.tag] = elem.text
+
     return props
 
 
@@ -93,6 +96,7 @@ def get_server_property(key):
     KeyError
         If the server property is no defined.
     """
+
     return get_server_properties()[key]
 
 
@@ -124,12 +128,16 @@ def _update_user(name, realm=None, password=None, status=None,
                  email=None, entity=None, **kwargs):
     con = get_connection()
     params = {}
+
     if password is not None:
         params["password"] = password
+
     if status is not None:
         params["status"] = status
+
     if email is not None:
         params["email"] = email
+
     if entity is not None:
         params["entity"] = str(entity)
     try:
@@ -149,12 +157,16 @@ def _update_user(name, realm=None, password=None, status=None,
 def _insert_user(name, password=None, status=None, email=None, entity=None, **kwargs):
     con = get_connection()
     params = {"username": name}
+
     if password is not None:
         params["password"] = password
+
     if status is not None:
         params["status"] = status
+
     if email is not None:
         params["email"] = email
+
     if entity is not None:
         params["entity"] = entity
     try:
@@ -165,6 +177,7 @@ def _insert_user(name, password=None, status=None, email=None, entity=None, **kw
     except ClientErrorException as e:
         if e.status == 409:
             e.msg = "User name is already in use."
+
         if e.status == 422:
             e.msg = "Maybe the password does not match the required standard?"
         raise e
@@ -221,6 +234,7 @@ def _delete_role(name, **kwargs):
 
 def _set_roles(username, roles, realm=None, **kwargs):
     xml = etree.Element("Roles")
+
     for r in roles:
         xml.append(etree.Element("Role", name=r))
 
@@ -239,9 +253,11 @@ def _set_roles(username, roles, realm=None, **kwargs):
             e.msg = "Role does not exist."
         raise
     ret = set()
+
     for r in etree.fromstring(body)[0]:
         if r.tag == "Role":
             ret.add(r.get("name"))
+
     return ret
 
 
@@ -256,9 +272,11 @@ def _get_roles(username, realm=None, **kwargs):
         e.msg = "User does not exist."
         raise
     ret = set()
+
     for r in etree.fromstring(body).xpath('/Response/Roles')[0]:
         if r.tag == "Role":
             ret.add(r.get("name"))
+
     return ret
 
 
@@ -282,6 +300,7 @@ Returns
     None
     """
     xml = etree.Element("PermissionRules")
+
     for p in permission_rules:
         xml.append(p._to_xml())
 
@@ -336,8 +355,10 @@ priority : bool, optional
     def _to_xml(self):
         xml = etree.Element(self._action)
         xml.set("permission", self._permission)
+
         if self._priority is True:
             xml.set("priority", "true")
+
         return xml
 
     @staticmethod
@@ -349,9 +370,11 @@ priority : bool, optional
     def _parse_body(body):
         xml = etree.fromstring(body)
         ret = set()
+
         for c in xml:
             if c.tag in ["Grant", "Deny"]:
                 ret.add(PermissionRule._parse_element(c))
+
         return ret
 
     def __str__(self):
diff --git a/src/caosdb/utils/caosdb_admin.py b/src/caosdb/utils/caosdb_admin.py
index b3145390fc9de36da57fe3dd88996199f50a3ce7..e1253d30212f124fa07bf3dbcd2365a1e05abfdd 100755
--- a/src/caosdb/utils/caosdb_admin.py
+++ b/src/caosdb/utils/caosdb_admin.py
@@ -26,14 +26,14 @@
 """A small caosdb client with a focus on administration of the server."""
 
 from __future__ import print_function, unicode_literals
+
 import getpass
 import sys
+from argparse import ArgumentParser, RawDescriptionHelpFormatter
+
 import caosdb as db
 from caosdb import administration as admin
 
-from argparse import ArgumentParser
-from argparse import RawDescriptionHelpFormatter
-
 __all__ = []
 __version__ = 0.3
 __date__ = '2016-09-19'
@@ -58,12 +58,14 @@ def do_delete_role(args):
 
 def do_retrieve(args):
     c = None
+
     if args.query:
         if len(args.entities) > 1:
             raise Exception("Only one query at a time can be retrieved.")
         c = db.execute_query(args.entities[0], flags=eval(args.flags))
     else:
         c = db.Container()
+
         for i in args.entities:
             try:
                 eid = int(i)
@@ -84,6 +86,7 @@ def do_update(args):
 
 def do_delete(args):
     c = db.Container()
+
     for i in args.entities:
         c.append(db.Entity(id=i))
 
@@ -104,13 +107,16 @@ def do_insert(args):
 def _promt_for_pw():
     password = getpass.getpass(prompt="Please type password: ")
     password2 = getpass.getpass(prompt="Please type password again: ")
+
     if password != password2:
         raise Exception("Password strings didn't match")
+
     return password
 
 
 def do_create_user(args):
     password = None
+
     if args.ask_password is True:
         password = _promt_for_pw()
     admin._insert_user(name=args.user_name,
@@ -132,6 +138,7 @@ def do_set_user_password(args):
 
 def do_add_user_roles(args):
     roles = admin._get_roles(user=args.user_name, realm=None)
+
     for r in args.user_roles:
         roles.add(r)
     admin._set_roles(user=args.user_name, roles=roles)
@@ -139,6 +146,7 @@ def do_add_user_roles(args):
 
 def do_remove_user_roles(args):
     roles = admin._get_roles(user=args.user_name, realm=None)
+
     for r in args.user_roles:
         if r in roles:
             roles.remove(r)
@@ -175,13 +183,16 @@ def do_retrieve_role_permissions(args):
 
 def do_grant_role_permissions(args):
     perms = admin._get_permissions(args.role_name)
+
     for p in args.role_permissions:
         g = admin.PermissionRule(
             action="Grant", permission=p, priority=args.permissions_priority)
         d = admin.PermissionRule(
             action="Deny", permission=p, priority=args.permissions_priority)
+
         if g in perms:
             perms.remove(g)
+
         if d in perms:
             perms.remove(d)
         perms.add(g)
@@ -190,13 +201,16 @@ def do_grant_role_permissions(args):
 
 def do_revoke_role_permissions(args):
     perms = admin._get_permissions(args.role_name)
+
     for p in args.role_permissions:
         g = admin.PermissionRule(
             action="Grant", permission=p, priority=args.permissions_priority)
         d = admin.PermissionRule(
             action="Deny", permission=p, priority=args.permissions_priority)
+
         if g in perms:
             perms.remove(g)
+
         if d in perms:
             perms.remove(d)
     admin._set_permissions(role=args.role_name, permission_rules=perms)
@@ -204,13 +218,16 @@ def do_revoke_role_permissions(args):
 
 def do_deny_role_permissions(args):
     perms = admin._get_permissions(args.role_name)
+
     for p in args.role_permissions:
         g = admin.PermissionRule(
             action="Grant", permission=p, priority=args.permissions_priority)
         d = admin.PermissionRule(
             action="Deny", permission=p, priority=args.permissions_priority)
+
         if g in perms:
             perms.remove(g)
+
         if d in perms:
             perms.remove(d)
         perms.add(d)
@@ -219,6 +236,7 @@ def do_deny_role_permissions(args):
 
 def do_retrieve_entity_acl(args):
     entities = db.execute_query(q=args.query, flags={"ACL": None})
+
     for entity in entities:
         print(entity.id)
         print(entity.acl)
@@ -226,11 +244,13 @@ def do_retrieve_entity_acl(args):
 
 def do_action_entity_permissions(args):
     entities = db.execute_query(q=args.query, flags={"ACL": None})
+
     for entity in entities:
         for p in args.permissions:
             getattr(entity, args.action)(role=args.role, priority=args.priority,
                                          permission=p)
     entities.update(flags={"ACL": None})
+
     for entity in entities:
         print(entity.id)
         print(entity.acl)