diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index d0a7da8..2da04dd 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -5,12 +5,10 @@ jobs:
     docker:
       - image: circleci/python:3.7-buster
     steps:
-      - checkout
       - run:
           name: Install Debian packaging dependencies
           command: |
             sudo apt install rpm git-lfs
-            git-lfs install
 
       - run:
           name: workaround for git-lfs in circle with deploy key
@@ -23,6 +21,7 @@ jobs:
           name: Verify the signatures of all rpm artifacts
           command: |
             cd securedrop-workstation-dev-rpm-packages-lfs
+            git-lfs install
             ./scripts/check.py --dev --verify --all
 
 workflows:
diff --git a/scripts/check.py b/scripts/check.py
index a79aa51..d099ead 100755
--- a/scripts/check.py
+++ b/scripts/check.py
@@ -5,17 +5,18 @@
 import sys
 import json
 
-PROD_SIGNING_KEY_FPR="pubkeys/prod.key"
-DEV_SIGNING_KEY_FPR="pubkeys/test.key"
-RPM_DIR="workstation"
+PROD_SIGNING_KEY_PATH = "pubkeys/prod.key"
+DEV_SIGNING_KEY_PATH = "pubkeys/test.key"
+RPM_DIR = "workstation"
+
 
 def verify_sig_rpm(path, dev=False):
 
     key_path = ""
     if dev:
-        key_path = DEV_SIGNING_KEY_FPR
+        key_path = DEV_SIGNING_KEY_PATH
     else:
-        key_path = PROD_SIGNING_KEY_FPR
+        key_path = PROD_SIGNING_KEY_PATH
     try:
         subprocess.check_call(["rpmkeys", "--import", key_path])
     except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
@@ -26,9 +27,11 @@ def verify_sig_rpm(path, dev=False):
         output = subprocess.check_output(["rpm", "--checksig", path])
         # rpm --checksig returns 0 if there is *no* signature. I couldn't
         # find a way other than parsing stdout
-        print(str(output))
-        if "digests signatures OK" not in str(output):
-            fail("Signture verification failed for {}:{}".format(path, output))
+        line = output.decode("utf-8").rstrip()
+        print(line)
+        expected_output = "{}: digests signatures OK".format(path)
+        if line != expected_output:
+            fail("Signture verification failed for {}:{}".format(expected_output, line))
     except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
         fail("Error checking signature: {}".format(str(e)))
 
@@ -36,28 +39,42 @@ def verify_sig_rpm(path, dev=False):
 def verify_all_rpms(dev=False):
     for root, dirs, files in os.walk(RPM_DIR):
         for name in files:
-            verify_sig_rpm(os.path.join(root,name), dev)
+            verify_sig_rpm(os.path.join(root, name), dev)
+
 
 def remove_keys_in_rpm_keyring():
+    rpm_keys_exist = False
     try:
-        subprocess.check_call(["rpm", "--erase", "--allmatches", "gpg-pubkey"])
+        # Returns non-zero if no keys are installed
+        subprocess.check_call(["rpm", "-q", "gpg-pubkey"])
+        rpm_keys_exist = True
     except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
-        pass
+        rpm_keys_exist = False
+
+    # If a key is in the keyring, delete it
+    if rpm_keys_exist:
+        try:
+            subprocess.check_call(["rpm", "--erase", "--allmatches", "gpg-pubkey"])
+        except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
+            fail("Failed to delete key: {}".format(str(e)))
+
 
 def fail(msg):
     print(msg, file=sys.stderr)
     sys.exit(1)
 
+
 def main():
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__)
-    parser.add_argument('--dev', action='store_true', default=False)
-    parser.add_argument('--verify', action='store_true', default=True)
-    parser.add_argument('--all', action='store_true', default=False)
-    parser.add_argument('packages', type=str, nargs='*', help='Files to sign/verify')
+    parser.add_argument("--dev", action="store_true", default=False)
+    parser.add_argument("--verify", action="store_true", default=True)
+    parser.add_argument("--all", action="store_true", default=False)
+    parser.add_argument("packages", type=str, nargs="*", help="Files to sign/verify")
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
-    print(args)
-
+    # Fail if no package is specified or not using '--all'
+    if not args.all and not args.packages:
+        fail("Please specify a rpm package or --all")
     # Since we can't specify with which key to check sigs, we should clear the keyring
     remove_keys_in_rpm_keyring()
 
@@ -71,5 +88,6 @@ def main():
 
     sys.exit(0)
 
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     main()