diff --git a/files/runScanner.sh b/files/runScanner.sh
index 7cabf45..04383b0 100755
--- a/files/runScanner.sh
+++ b/files/runScanner.sh
@@ -104,6 +104,8 @@ echo "capabilities:"
 scanimage -A
 
 echo "startup successful"
+rm -f /var/log/scanner.log
+touch /var/log/scanner.log
 while true; do
   tail -f /var/log/scanner.log
 done
diff --git a/script/scanner.py b/script/scanner.py
index 8afabd5..5dba2e7 100755
--- a/script/scanner.py
+++ b/script/scanner.py
@@ -158,9 +158,7 @@ def remove_blank_pages(
         return
     page_count = int(pages_line.group(1))
 
-    print(
-        f"  Analyzing {page_count} pages in {input_file} with threshold {remove_blank_threshold}%"
-    )
+    print(f"  Analyzing {page_count} pages in {input_file} with threshold {remove_blank_threshold}%")
     os.chdir(dirname)
 
     def non_blank_pages() -> List[str]:
@@ -186,22 +184,14 @@ def non_blank_pages() -> List[str]:
                 output.decode(),
                 re.MULTILINE,
             )
-            if ink_coverage_line is None:
-                ink_coverage = None
-            else:
+            if ink_coverage_line is not None:
                 ink_coverage = sum(map(float, ink_coverage_line.groups()))
 
-            if ink_coverage is not None and ink_coverage < remove_blank_threshold:
-                print(
-                    f"    Page {
-                        page}: delete (ink coverage: {ink_coverage:.2f}%)"
-                )
-            else:
-                picked_pages += str(page)
-                print(
-                    f"    Page {
-                        page}: keep (ink coverage: {ink_coverage:.2f}%)"
-                )
+                if ink_coverage < remove_blank_threshold:
+                    print(f"    Page {page}: delete (ink coverage: {ink_coverage:.2f}%)")
+                else:
+                    picked_pages += str(page)
+                    print(f"    Page {page}: keep (ink coverage: {ink_coverage:.2f}%)")
 
         return picked_pages
 
@@ -224,20 +214,11 @@ def non_blank_pages() -> List[str]:
             print(f"  No blank pages detected in {input_file}")
         else:
             os.replace(output_file, input_file)
-            print(
-                f"  Removed {
-                    removed_pages} blank pages and saved as {input_file}"
-            )
+            print(f"  Removed {removed_pages} blank pages and saved as {input_file}")
     except FileNotFoundError:
-        print(
-            f"  WARNING: '{
-                command[0]}' executable not found. Skipping PDF manipulation."
-        )
+        print(f"  WARNING: '{command[0]}' executable not found. Skipping PDF manipulation.")
     except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
-        print(
-            f"  ERROR: manipulating  {
-                input_file}. Skipping PDF manipulation."
-        )
+        print(f"  ERROR: manipulating {input_file}. Skipping PDF manipulation.")
 
 
 #
@@ -334,10 +315,7 @@ def convert_and_post_process(
 
 def wait_for_rear_pages_or_convert(job_name: str) -> None:
     # Wait for 2 minutes in case there is a rear side scan
-    print(
-        f"  front side: Waiting for 2 minutes before starting file conversion for {
-            job_name}"
-    )
+    print(f"  front side: Waiting for 2 minutes before starting file conversion for {job_name}")
     time.sleep(120)
 
     convert_and_post_process(job_name, "front", None)
@@ -391,10 +369,7 @@ def kill_front_processing_from_pid(job_dir: str) -> Optional[int]:
     try:
         with open(path, "r") as scan_pid_file:
             pid = int(scan_pid_file.read().strip())
-            print(
-                f"  rear side: Read pid from {
-                    path}, killing front processing job {pid}"
-            )
+            print(f"  rear side: Read pid from {path}, killing front processing job {pid}")
             os.kill(pid, signal.SIGKILL)
     except FileNotFoundError:
         print("  rear side: ERROR: scan_pid file {path} not found.")
@@ -439,10 +414,7 @@ def scan_front(log: TextIO, device: Optional[str], scanimage_args=[]) -> None:
         os._exit(0)  # Exit child process cleanly
     elif pid > 0:
         save_front_processing_pid(job_dir, pid)
-        print(
-            f"  front side: INFO: Waiting to start conversion process for {
-                job_name} in process with PID {pid}"
-        )
+        print(f"  front side: INFO: Waiting to start conversion process for {job_name} in process with PID {pid}")
     else:
         print(f"  front side: ERROR: Fork failed ({pid}).")
 
@@ -488,10 +460,7 @@ def scan_rear(log: TextIO, device: Optional[str], scanimage_args=None) -> None:
         cnt += 1
         cnt_formatted = f"{cnt:03d}"
         os.rename(filename, f"index{cnt_formatted}-1-{filename}")
-        print(
-            f"  rear side: DEBUG: renamed {filename} to index{
-                cnt_formatted}-1-{filename}"
-        )
+        print(f"  rear side: DEBUG: renamed {filename} to index{cnt_formatted}-1-{filename}")
 
     cnt = 0
     for filename in glob.glob("*back*.pnm"):
@@ -499,15 +468,12 @@ def scan_rear(log: TextIO, device: Optional[str], scanimage_args=None) -> None:
         rear_index = number_of_pages - cnt + 1
         rear_index_formatted = f"{rear_index:03d}"
         os.rename(filename, f"index{rear_index_formatted}-2-{filename}")
-        print(
-            f"  rear side: DEBUG: renamed {filename} to index{
-                rear_index_formatted}-2-{filename}"
-        )
+        print(f"  rear side: DEBUG: renamed {filename} to index{rear_index_formatted}-2-{filename}")
 
     # Convert to PDF
     remove_blank_threshold_str = os.getenv("REMOVE_BLANK_THRESHOLD")
     remove_blank_threshold = None
-    if remove_blank_threshold_str is not None:
+    if remove_blank_threshold_str is not None and remove_blank_threshold_str != "":
         remove_blank_threshold = float(remove_blank_threshold_str)
 
     pid = os.fork()