diff --git a/mesonbuild/cmake/client.py b/mesonbuild/cmake/client.py
index 4375eb9ee..4581d6d5d 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/cmake/client.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/cmake/client.py
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ CMAKE_REPLY_TYPES = {
 # Base CMake server message classes
 
 class MessageBase:
-    def __init__(self, type: str, cookie: str):
-        self.type = type
+    def __init__(self, msg_type: str, cookie: str):
+        self.type = msg_type
         self.cookie = cookie
 
     def to_dict(self) -> dict:
@@ -61,8 +61,8 @@ class MessageBase:
 class RequestBase(MessageBase):
     cookie_counter = 0
 
-    def __init__(self, type: str):
-        super().__init__(type, self.gen_cookie())
+    def __init__(self, msg_type: str):
+        super().__init__(msg_type, self.gen_cookie())
 
     @staticmethod
     def gen_cookie():
@@ -404,13 +404,13 @@ class CMakeClient:
         raw_data = self.readMessageRaw()
         if 'type' not in raw_data:
             raise CMakeException('The "type" attribute is missing from the message')
-        type = raw_data['type']
-        func = self.type_map.get(type, None)
+        msg_type = raw_data['type']
+        func = self.type_map.get(msg_type, None)
         if not func:
-            raise CMakeException('Recieved unknown message type "{}"'.format(type))
-        for i in CMAKE_MESSAGE_TYPES[type]:
+            raise CMakeException('Recieved unknown message type "{}"'.format(msg_type))
+        for i in CMAKE_MESSAGE_TYPES[msg_type]:
             if i not in raw_data:
-                raise CMakeException('Key "{}" is missing from CMake server message type {}'.format(i, type))
+                raise CMakeException('Key "{}" is missing from CMake server message type {}'.format(i, msg_type))
         return func(raw_data)
 
     def writeMessage(self, msg: MessageBase) -> None:
diff --git a/mesonbuild/cmake/interpreter.py b/mesonbuild/cmake/interpreter.py
index 488c99c9e..7782555fb 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/cmake/interpreter.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/cmake/interpreter.py
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ class CMakeInterpreter:
         def string(value: str) -> StringNode:
             return StringNode(token(val=value))
 
-        def id(value: str) -> IdNode:
+        def id_node(value: str) -> IdNode:
             return IdNode(token(val=value))
 
         def nodeify(value):
@@ -433,7 +433,11 @@ class CMakeInterpreter:
             args.arguments += [nodeify(x) for x in elements]
             return ArrayNode(args, 0, 0, 0, 0)
 
-        def function(name: str, args=[], kwargs={}) -> FunctionNode:
+        def function(name: str, args=None, kwargs=None) -> FunctionNode:
+            if args is None:
+                args = []
+            if kwargs is None:
+                kwargs = {}
             args_n = ArgumentNode(token())
             if not isinstance(args, list):
                 args = [args]
@@ -442,7 +446,11 @@ class CMakeInterpreter:
             func_n = FunctionNode(self.subdir, 0, 0, 0, 0, name, args_n)
             return func_n
 
-        def method(obj: BaseNode, name: str, args=[], kwargs={}) -> MethodNode:
+        def method(obj: BaseNode, name: str, args=None, kwargs=None) -> MethodNode:
+            if args is None:
+                args = []
+            if kwargs is None:
+                kwargs = {}
             args_n = ArgumentNode(token())
             if not isinstance(args, list):
                 args = [args]
@@ -466,7 +474,7 @@ class CMakeInterpreter:
                 assert(isinstance(i, ConverterTarget))
                 if i.name not in processed:
                     process_target(i)
-                link_with += [id(processed[i.name]['tgt'])]
+                link_with += [id_node(processed[i.name]['tgt'])]
             for i in tgt.object_libs:
                 assert(isinstance(i, ConverterTarget))
                 if i.name not in processed:
@@ -490,11 +498,11 @@ class CMakeInterpreter:
             tgt_kwargs = {
                 'link_args': tgt.link_flags + tgt.link_libraries,
                 'link_with': link_with,
-                'include_directories': id(inc_var),
+                'include_directories': id_node(inc_var),
                 'install': tgt.install,
                 'install_dir': tgt.install_dir,
                 'override_options': tgt.override_options,
-                'objects': [method(id(x), 'extract_all_objects') for x in objec_libs],
+                'objects': [method(id_node(x), 'extract_all_objects') for x in objec_libs],
             }
 
             # Handle compiler args
@@ -510,14 +518,14 @@ class CMakeInterpreter:
             # declare_dependency kwargs
             dep_kwargs = {
                 'link_args': tgt.link_flags + tgt.link_libraries,
-                'link_with': id(tgt_var),
-                'include_directories': id(inc_var),
+                'link_with': id_node(tgt_var),
+                'include_directories': id_node(inc_var),
             }
 
             # Generate the function nodes
             inc_node = assign(inc_var, function('include_directories', tgt.includes))
             src_node = assign(src_var, function('files', tgt.sources + tgt.generated))
-            tgt_node = assign(tgt_var, function(tgt_func, [base_name, id(src_var)], tgt_kwargs))
+            tgt_node = assign(tgt_var, function(tgt_func, [base_name, id_node(src_var)], tgt_kwargs))
             dep_node = assign(dep_var, function('declare_dependency', kwargs=dep_kwargs))
 
             # Add the nodes to the ast