diff --git a/build_files/utils/make_test.py b/build_files/utils/make_test.py
index 7d61cfd1aca..a8a66ede316 100755
--- a/build_files/utils/make_test.py
+++ b/build_files/utils/make_test.py
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ if not (lib_tests_dirpath / ".git").exists():
         sys.exit(1)
 
     # Ensure the test data files sub-module is configured and present.
-    make_utils.git_enable_submodule(git_command, "tests/data")
+    make_utils.git_enable_submodule(git_command, Path("tests") / "data")
     make_utils.git_update_submodule(args.git_command, lib_tests_dirpath)
 
     # Run cmake again to detect tests files.
diff --git a/build_files/utils/make_update.py b/build_files/utils/make_update.py
index 152f30ef270..4840cf1a1bd 100755
--- a/build_files/utils/make_update.py
+++ b/build_files/utils/make_update.py
@@ -106,10 +106,10 @@ def get_effective_architecture(args: argparse.Namespace) -> str:
 
     assert (architecture in ("x64", "arm64"))
 
-    return architecture
+    return str(architecture)
 
 
-def get_submodule_directories(args: argparse.Namespace):
+def get_submodule_directories(args: argparse.Namespace) -> list[Path]:
     """
     Get list of all configured submodule directories.
     """
@@ -118,10 +118,10 @@ def get_submodule_directories(args: argparse.Namespace):
     dot_modules = blender_git_root / ".gitmodules"
 
     if not dot_modules.exists():
-        return ()
+        return []
 
     submodule_directories_output = check_output(
-        [args.git_command, "config", "--file", dot_modules, "--get-regexp", "path"])
+        [args.git_command, "config", "--file", str(dot_modules), "--get-regexp", "path"])
     return [Path(line.split(' ', 1)[1]) for line in submodule_directories_output.strip().splitlines()]
 
 
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ def external_script_copy_old_submodule_over(
 def floating_checkout_initialize_if_needed(args: argparse.Namespace,
                                            repo_name: str,
                                            directory: Path,
-                                           old_submodules_dir: Path = None) -> None:
+                                           old_submodules_dir: Optional[Path] = None) -> None:
     """Initialize checkout of an external repository"""
 
     blender_git_root = get_blender_git_root()
@@ -397,8 +397,8 @@ def floating_checkout_update(args: argparse.Namespace,
                              repo_name: str,
                              directory: Path,
                              branch: Optional[str],
-                             old_submodules_dir: Path = None,
-                             only_update=False) -> str:
+                             old_submodules_dir: Optional[Path] = None,
+                             only_update: bool = False) -> str:
     """Update a single external checkout with the given name in the scripts folder"""
 
     blender_git_root = get_blender_git_root()
@@ -499,7 +499,7 @@ def floating_libraries_update(args: argparse.Namespace, branch: Optional[str]) -
     return msg
 
 
-def add_submodule_push_url(args: argparse.Namespace):
+def add_submodule_push_url(args: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
     """
     Add pushURL configuration for all locally activated submodules, pointing to SSH protocol.
     """
diff --git a/build_files/utils/make_utils.py b/build_files/utils/make_utils.py
index 7b3b17619fc..0c284ca8574 100755
--- a/build_files/utils/make_utils.py
+++ b/build_files/utils/make_utils.py
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ from typing import (
 )
 
 
-def call(cmd: Sequence[str], exit_on_error: bool = True, silent: bool = False, env=None) -> int:
+def call(cmd: Sequence[str], exit_on_error: bool = True,
+         silent: bool = False, env: Optional[dict[str, str]] = None) -> int:
     if not silent:
         cmd_str = ""
         if env:
@@ -135,7 +136,7 @@ def _git_submodule_config_key(submodule_dir: Path, key: str) -> str:
     return f"submodule.{submodule_dir_str}.{key}"
 
 
-def is_git_submodule_enabled(git_command: str, submodule_dir: Path):
+def is_git_submodule_enabled(git_command: str, submodule_dir: Path) -> bool:
     """Check whether submodule denoted by its directory within the repository is enabled"""
 
     git_root = Path(check_output([git_command, "rev-parse", "--show-toplevel"]))
@@ -158,7 +159,7 @@ def is_git_submodule_enabled(git_command: str, submodule_dir: Path):
     return update.lower() != "none"
 
 
-def git_enable_submodule(git_command: str, submodule_dir: Path):
+def git_enable_submodule(git_command: str, submodule_dir: Path) -> None:
     """Enable submodule denoted by its directory within the repository"""
 
     command = (git_command,
@@ -200,11 +201,11 @@ def git_update_submodule(git_command: str, submodule_dir: Path) -> bool:
 
     env = {"GIT_LFS_SKIP_SMUDGE": "1"}
 
-    if call((git_command, "submodule", "update", "--init", "--progress", submodule_dir),
+    if call((git_command, "submodule", "update", "--init", "--progress", str(submodule_dir)),
             exit_on_error=False, env=env) != 0:
         return False
 
-    return call((git_command, "-C", submodule_dir, "lfs", "pull"),
+    return call((git_command, "-C", str(submodule_dir), "lfs", "pull"),
                 exit_on_error=False) == 0