diff --git a/src/rod/sdf/element.py b/src/rod/sdf/element.py
index 97744c3..3b8c3da 100644
--- a/src/rod/sdf/element.py
+++ b/src/rod/sdf/element.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ def deserialize_bool(data: str) -> bool:
         false_vals = {"0", "False", "false"}
         assert data in true_vals.union(false_vals)
 
-        return True if data in true_vals else False
+        return data in true_vals
 
     @staticmethod
     def serialize_float(data: float) -> str:
diff --git a/src/rod/sdf/sdf.py b/src/rod/sdf/sdf.py
index d14d7ff..02436a0 100644
--- a/src/rod/sdf/sdf.py
+++ b/src/rod/sdf/sdf.py
@@ -101,8 +101,8 @@ def load(sdf: Union[pathlib.Path, str], is_urdf: Optional[bool] = None) -> Sdf:
         # Parse the SDF to dict
         try:
             xml_dict = xmltodict.parse(xml_input=sdf_string)
-        except Exception:
-            raise ValueError("Failed to parse 'sdf' argument")
+        except Exception as exc:
+            raise exc("Failed to parse 'sdf' argument")
 
         # Look for the top-level <sdf> element
         try:
diff --git a/src/rod/tree/tree_elements.py b/src/rod/tree/tree_elements.py
index 2f0a026..0762c89 100644
--- a/src/rod/tree/tree_elements.py
+++ b/src/rod/tree/tree_elements.py
@@ -34,16 +34,16 @@ class DirectedTreeNode(TreeElement):
     parent: Optional[DirectedTreeNode] = None
     children: List[DirectedTreeNode] = dataclasses.field(default_factory=list)
 
-    _source: Optional["rod.Link"] = dataclasses.field(default=None, repr=False)
+    _source: Optional[rod.Link] = dataclasses.field(default=None, repr=False)
 
     def name(self) -> str:
         return self._source.name
 
-    def pose(self) -> "rod.Pose":
+    def pose(self) -> rod.Pose:
         if self._source is not None and self._source.pose is not None:
             return self._source.pose
-        else:
-            return rod.Pose(relative_to="world")
+
+        return rod.Pose(relative_to="world")
 
     @property
     def tree_label(self) -> str:
diff --git a/src/rod/utils/gazebo.py b/src/rod/utils/gazebo.py
index ed6b9a1..e92e2d2 100644
--- a/src/rod/utils/gazebo.py
+++ b/src/rod/utils/gazebo.py
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ def process_model_description_with_sdformat(
                 text=True,
                 stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
                 stderr=subprocess.STDOUT,
+                check=True,
             )
 
         if cp.returncode != 0: