diff --git a/pygmt/src/nearneighbor.py b/pygmt/src/nearneighbor.py
index 641b5861703..a1cb2d7bb3b 100644
--- a/pygmt/src/nearneighbor.py
+++ b/pygmt/src/nearneighbor.py
@@ -139,9 +139,8 @@ def nearneighbor(data=None, x=None, y=None, z=None, **kwargs):
                 check_kind="vector", data=data, x=x, y=y, z=z, required_z=True
             )
             with table_context as infile:
-                if "G" not in kwargs:  # if outgrid is unset, output to tmpfile
-                    kwargs.update({"G": tmpfile.name})
-                outgrid = kwargs["G"]
+                if (outgrid := kwargs.get("G")) is None:
+                    kwargs["G"] = outgrid = tmpfile.name  # output to tmpfile
                 lib.call_module(
                     module="nearneighbor", args=build_arg_string(kwargs, infile=infile)
                 )
diff --git a/pygmt/src/sphdistance.py b/pygmt/src/sphdistance.py
index c8ac83035b5..3d083b0a6a4 100644
--- a/pygmt/src/sphdistance.py
+++ b/pygmt/src/sphdistance.py
@@ -108,9 +108,8 @@ def sphdistance(data=None, x=None, y=None, **kwargs):
                 check_kind="vector", data=data, x=x, y=y
             )
             with file_context as infile:
-                if "G" not in kwargs:  # if outgrid is unset, output to tempfile
-                    kwargs.update({"G": tmpfile.name})
-                outgrid = kwargs["G"]
+                if (outgrid := kwargs.get("G")) is None:
+                    kwargs["G"] = outgrid = tmpfile.name  # output to tmpfile
                 lib.call_module("sphdistance", build_arg_string(kwargs, infile=infile))
 
         return load_dataarray(outgrid) if outgrid == tmpfile.name else None
diff --git a/pygmt/src/sphinterpolate.py b/pygmt/src/sphinterpolate.py
index bf585440a02..bcdbdd1bff0 100644
--- a/pygmt/src/sphinterpolate.py
+++ b/pygmt/src/sphinterpolate.py
@@ -60,9 +60,8 @@ def sphinterpolate(data, **kwargs):
         with Session() as lib:
             file_context = lib.virtualfile_from_data(check_kind="vector", data=data)
             with file_context as infile:
-                if "G" not in kwargs:  # if outgrid is unset, output to tempfile
-                    kwargs.update({"G": tmpfile.name})
-                outgrid = kwargs["G"]
+                if (outgrid := kwargs.get("G")) is None:
+                    kwargs["G"] = outgrid = tmpfile.name  # output to tmpfile
                 lib.call_module(
                     "sphinterpolate", build_arg_string(kwargs, infile=infile)
                 )
diff --git a/pygmt/src/surface.py b/pygmt/src/surface.py
index 25273e1f2b7..f871081f3ef 100644
--- a/pygmt/src/surface.py
+++ b/pygmt/src/surface.py
@@ -98,9 +98,8 @@ def surface(data=None, x=None, y=None, z=None, **kwargs):
                 check_kind="vector", data=data, x=x, y=y, z=z, required_z=True
             )
             with file_context as infile:
-                if "G" not in kwargs:  # if outgrid is unset, output to tmpfile
-                    kwargs.update({"G": tmpfile.name})
-                outgrid = kwargs["G"]
+                if (outgrid := kwargs.get("G")) is None:
+                    kwargs["G"] = outgrid = tmpfile.name  # output to tmpfile
                 lib.call_module(
                     module="surface", args=build_arg_string(kwargs, infile=infile)
                 )
diff --git a/pygmt/src/text.py b/pygmt/src/text.py
index d12ffcd9696..66413758ebc 100644
--- a/pygmt/src/text.py
+++ b/pygmt/src/text.py
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ def text_(
         raise GMTInvalidInput("Must provide text with x/y pairs or position")
 
     # Build the -F option in gmt text.
-    if "F" not in kwargs and (
+    if kwargs.get("F") is None and (
         (
             position is not None
             or angle is not None
diff --git a/pygmt/src/xyz2grd.py b/pygmt/src/xyz2grd.py
index 4e0d9b7a220..cf31e3a8be7 100644
--- a/pygmt/src/xyz2grd.py
+++ b/pygmt/src/xyz2grd.py
@@ -157,9 +157,8 @@ def xyz2grd(data=None, x=None, y=None, z=None, **kwargs):
                 check_kind="vector", data=data, x=x, y=y, z=z, required_z=True
             )
             with file_context as infile:
-                if "G" not in kwargs:  # if outgrid is unset, output to tempfile
-                    kwargs.update({"G": tmpfile.name})
-                outgrid = kwargs["G"]
+                if (outgrid := kwargs.get("G")) is None:
+                    kwargs["G"] = outgrid = tmpfile.name  # output to tmpfile
                 lib.call_module("xyz2grd", build_arg_string(kwargs, infile=infile))
 
         return load_dataarray(outgrid) if outgrid == tmpfile.name else None