diff --git a/api/src/opentrons/system/time.py b/api/src/opentrons/system/time.py
index b2e83135d89..282fe683ba5 100644
--- a/api/src/opentrons/system/time.py
+++ b/api/src/opentrons/system/time.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import asyncio
 import logging
-from typing import Dict, Tuple, Any
+from typing import Dict, Tuple
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
 from dateutil.parser import parse
 
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@ def _str_to_dict(res_str):
 async def _time_status(loop: asyncio.AbstractEventLoop = None
                        ) -> Dict[str, str]:
     """
-    Get details of robot's date & system, with specifics of RTC (if present)
+    Get details of robot's date & time, with specifics of RTC (if present)
     & status of NTP synchronization.
-    :return: Dict with the above specified fields
+    :return: Dictionary of status params
     """
     proc = await asyncio.create_subprocess_shell(
         'timedatectl show',
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@ async def _set_time(time: str,
         stderr=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE,
         loop=loop or asyncio.get_event_loop()
     )
-    out_b, err_b = await proc.communicate()
-    return out_b.decode(), err_b.decode()
+    out, err = await proc.communicate()
+    return out.decode(), err.decode()
 
 
 async def get_system_time(loop: asyncio.AbstractEventLoop = None) -> datetime:
diff --git a/api/tests/opentrons/system/test_time.py b/api/tests/opentrons/system/test_time.py
index d396f341c4b..bc69cc81cb4 100644
--- a/api/tests/opentrons/system/test_time.py
+++ b/api/tests/opentrons/system/test_time.py
@@ -30,14 +30,14 @@ async def async_mock_time_status(*args, **kwargs):
     datetime_val = await time.get_system_time()
     assert datetime_val == mock_time
 
+    # Test conversion from non-utc to utc
     async def async_mock_time_status(*args, **kwargs):
         _stat = mock_status
-        _stat.update(TimeUSec='Fri 2020-08-14 17:44:16 EST')
+        _stat.update(TimeUSec='Fri 2020-08-14 17:44:16 EDT')
         return _stat
 
     time._time_status = MagicMock(side_effect=async_mock_time_status)
     datetime_val = await time.get_system_time()
-    print(f'got datetime: {datetime_val}')
     assert datetime_val == mock_time