diff --git a/parsl/curvezmq.py b/parsl/curvezmq.py
index e90e13a5bd..f1de25b05f 100644
--- a/parsl/curvezmq.py
+++ b/parsl/curvezmq.py
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ def _start_auth_thread(self) -> ThreadAuthenticator:
         auth_thread.start()
         # Only allow certs that are in the cert dir
         assert self.cert_dir  # For mypy
-        auth_thread.configure_curve(domain="*", location=self.cert_dir)
+        auth_thread.configure_curve(domain="*", location=str(self.cert_dir))
         return auth_thread
 
     def socket(self, socket_type: int, *args, **kwargs) -> zmq.Socket:
diff --git a/parsl/data_provider/files.py b/parsl/data_provider/files.py
index 286212e783..9d37d41813 100644
--- a/parsl/data_provider/files.py
+++ b/parsl/data_provider/files.py
@@ -49,8 +49,8 @@ def __init__(self, url: Union[os.PathLike, str], uu_id: Optional[uuid.UUID] = No
         self.path = parsed_url.path
         self.filename = os.path.basename(self.path)
         # let the DFK set these values, if needed
-        self.size = None
-        self.md5sum = None
+        self.size: Optional[int] = None
+        self.md5sum: Optional[str] = None
         self.timestamp = timestamp
 
         self.local_path: Optional[str] = None
diff --git a/parsl/dataflow/dflow.py b/parsl/dataflow/dflow.py
index fff183062e..d0bfdd80f4 100644
--- a/parsl/dataflow/dflow.py
+++ b/parsl/dataflow/dflow.py
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ def std_spec_to_name(name, spec):
     def _send_file_log_info(self, file: Union[File, DataFuture],
                             task_record: TaskRecord, is_output: bool) -> None:
         """ Generate a message for the monitoring db about a file. """
-        if self.file_provenance:
+        if self.monitoring and self.file_provenance:
             file_log_info = self._create_file_log_info(file, task_record)
             # make sure the task_id is None for inputs
             if not is_output:
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ def _create_file_log_info(self, file: Union[File, DataFuture],
     def register_as_input(self, f: Union[File, DataFuture],
                           task_record: TaskRecord):
         """ Register a file as an input to a task. """
-        if self.file_provenance:
+        if self.monitoring and self.file_provenance:
             self._send_file_log_info(f, task_record, False)
             file_input_info = self._create_file_io_info(f, task_record)
             self.monitoring.send((MessageType.INPUT_FILE, file_input_info))
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ def register_as_input(self, f: Union[File, DataFuture],
     def register_as_output(self, f: Union[File, DataFuture],
                            task_record: TaskRecord):
         """ Register a file as an output of a task. """
-        if self.file_provenance:
+        if self.monitoring and self.file_provenance:
             self._send_file_log_info(f, task_record, True)
             file_output_info = self._create_file_io_info(f, task_record)
             self.monitoring.send((MessageType.OUTPUT_FILE, file_output_info))
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ def _create_file_io_info(self, file: Union[File, DataFuture],
 
     def _register_env(self, environ: ParslExecutor) -> None:
         """ Capture the environment information for the monitoring db. """
-        if self.file_provenance:
+        if self.monitoring and self.file_provenance:
             environ_info = self._create_env_log_info(environ)
             self.monitoring.send((MessageType.ENVIRONMENT_INFO, environ_info))
 
@@ -387,7 +387,7 @@ def _create_env_log_info(self, environ: ParslExecutor) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         provider = getattr(environ, 'provider', None)
         if provider is not None:
             env_log_info['provider'] = provider.label
-            env_log_info['launcher'] = type(getattr(provider, 'launcher', None))
+            env_log_info['launcher'] = str(type(getattr(provider, 'launcher', None)))
             env_log_info['worker_init'] = getattr(provider, 'worker_init', None)
         return env_log_info
 
diff --git a/parsl/dataflow/taskrecord.py b/parsl/dataflow/taskrecord.py
index f48aecceb9..1d3961a023 100644
--- a/parsl/dataflow/taskrecord.py
+++ b/parsl/dataflow/taskrecord.py
@@ -103,3 +103,6 @@ class TaskRecord(TypedDict, total=False):
     """Restricts access to end-of-join behavior to ensure that joins
     only complete once, even if several joining Futures complete close
     together in time."""
+
+    environment: str
+    """The environment in which the task is being executed."""
diff --git a/parsl/monitoring/db_manager.py b/parsl/monitoring/db_manager.py
index bb6b3e1cef..9e71c1b18c 100644
--- a/parsl/monitoring/db_manager.py
+++ b/parsl/monitoring/db_manager.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 import queue
 import threading
 import time
-from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Set, Tuple, TypeVar, cast
+from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Set, Tuple, TypeVar, Union, cast
 
 import typeguard
 
@@ -395,10 +395,10 @@ def start(self,
         """
         like inserted_tasks but for Files
         """
-        inserted_files = dict()  # type: Dict[str, Dict[str, Union[None, datetime.datetime, str, int]]]
-        input_inserted_files = dict()  # type: Dict[str, List[str]]
-        output_inserted_files = dict()  # type: Dict[str, List[str]]
-        inserted_envs = set()  # type: Set[object]
+        inserted_files: Dict[str, Dict[str, Union[None, datetime.datetime, str, int]]] = dict()
+        input_inserted_files: Dict[str, List[str]] = dict()
+        output_inserted_files: Dict[str, List[str]] = dict()
+        inserted_envs: Set[object] = set()
 
         # for any task ID, we can defer exactly one message, which is the
         # assumed-to-be-unique first message (with first message flag set).