diff --git a/pyiron_workflow/storage.py b/pyiron_workflow/storage.py
index 9e7a93ca..7f1b7b6f 100644
--- a/pyiron_workflow/storage.py
+++ b/pyiron_workflow/storage.py
@@ -297,11 +297,15 @@ def available_backends(
     """
 
     standard_backends = {"pickle": PickleStorage}
-    backend = standard_backends.get(backend, PickleStorage)() if isinstance(backend, str) else backend
-
-    if backend is not None:
-        yield backend
+    backend_instance = (
+        standard_backends.get(backend, PickleStorage)()
+        if isinstance(backend, str)
+        else backend
+    )
+
+    if backend_instance is not None:
+        yield backend_instance
         if only_requested:
             return
 
-    yield from (v() for v in standard_backends.values() if not isinstance(backend, v))
+    yield from (v() for k, v in standard_backends.items() if k != backend)
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_node.py b/tests/unit/test_node.py
index 25119400..4a34435d 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_node.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_node.py
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ def test_failure_recovery(self):
                 msg="Expect a recovery file to be saved on failure",
             )
 
-            reloaded = ANode(label="failing", autoload=True)
+            reloaded = ANode(label="failing")
             self.assertIs(
                 reloaded.inputs.x.value,
                 NOT_DATA,
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_storage.py b/tests/unit/test_storage.py
index 8587c4ba..0883bd3e 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_storage.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_storage.py
@@ -30,15 +30,24 @@ def test_specific_backend(self):
         self.assertIsInstance(backends[0], PickleStorage)
 
     def test_extra_backend(self):
-        my_interface = PickleStorage()
-        backends = list(available_backends(my_interface))
-        self.assertEqual(
-            len(backends), 2, msg="We expect both the one we passed, and all defaults"
-        )
-        self.assertIs(backends[0], my_interface)
-        self.assertIsNot(
-            backends[0], backends[1], msg="They should be separate instances"
-        )
+        with self.subTest("String backend"):
+            backends = list(available_backends("pickle"))
+            print(backends)
+            self.assertEqual(len(backends), 1, msg="We expect only the defaults")
+            self.assertIsInstance(backends[0], PickleStorage)
+
+        with self.subTest("Object backend"):
+            my_interface = PickleStorage()
+            backends = list(available_backends(my_interface))
+            self.assertEqual(
+                len(backends),
+                2,
+                msg="We expect both the one we passed, and all defaults",
+            )
+            self.assertIs(backends[0], my_interface)
+            self.assertIsNot(
+                backends[0], backends[1], msg="They should be separate instances"
+            )
 
     def test_exclusive_backend(self):
         my_interface = PickleStorage()
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_type_hinting.py b/tests/unit/test_type_hinting.py
index e4e3454d..d4058ef1 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_type_hinting.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_type_hinting.py
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ def test_hint_comparisons(self):
 
     def test_get_type_hints(self):
         for hint, origin in [
-            (int | float, type(int| float)),
+            (int | float, type(int | float)),
             (typing.Annotated[int | float, "foo"], type(int | float)),
             (int, None),
             (typing.Annotated[int, "foo"], None),
@@ -129,6 +129,5 @@ def test_get_type_hints(self):
                 self.assertEqual(_get_type_hints(hint)[0], origin)
 
 
-
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()