diff --git a/yocto/cli.py b/yocto/cli.py
index 0f1e3ae5..739a9e87 100644
--- a/yocto/cli.py
+++ b/yocto/cli.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ def main() -> int:
 
     should_deploy = maybe_build(configs)
     if not should_deploy:
-        return
+        return 0
 
     assert configs.deploy  # should never happen
 
diff --git a/yocto/cloud/gcp/api.py b/yocto/cloud/gcp/api.py
index 422b5a1f..86f15ebd 100644
--- a/yocto/cloud/gcp/api.py
+++ b/yocto/cloud/gcp/api.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 import time
 from pathlib import Path
 
+from google.api_core.extended_operation import ExtendedOperation
 from google.cloud import compute_v1, resourcemanager_v3, storage
 
 from yocto.cloud.azure.api import AzureApi
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@
 
 # Disk Operations
 def wait_for_extended_operation(
-    operation: compute_v1.Operation,
+    operation: ExtendedOperation,
     operation_name: str,
     timeout: int = 600,
 ) -> None:
@@ -46,19 +47,14 @@ def wait_for_extended_operation(
         operation_name: Human-readable name for logging
         timeout: Maximum time to wait in seconds
     """
-    start_time = time.time()
-
-    while not operation.done():
-        if time.time() - start_time > timeout:
+    try:
+        operation.result(timeout=timeout)
+    except Exception as e:
+        if "timeout" in str(e).lower():
             raise TimeoutError(
                 f"{operation_name} timed out after {timeout} seconds"
             )
-
-        time.sleep(5)
-        logger.info(f"Waiting for {operation_name}...")
-
-    if operation.error:
-        raise RuntimeError(f"{operation_name} failed: {operation.error}")
+        raise RuntimeError(f"{operation_name} failed: {e}")
 
 
 class GcpApi(CloudApi):
diff --git a/yocto/config/mode.py b/yocto/config/mode.py
index 2817734f..4c294bbd 100644
--- a/yocto/config/mode.py
+++ b/yocto/config/mode.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ def deploy_only() -> "Mode":
             delete_artifact=None,
         )
 
-    def to_dict(self) -> dict[str, str | bool]:
+    def to_dict(self) -> dict[str, bool | dict[str, str]]:
         delete_kwargs = {}
         if self.delete_vm:
             delete_kwargs["vm"] = self.delete_vm
diff --git a/yocto/deployment/deploy_bob.py b/yocto/deployment/deploy_bob.py
index b59c39d9..0657bd11 100755
--- a/yocto/deployment/deploy_bob.py
+++ b/yocto/deployment/deploy_bob.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 
 from yocto.cloud.azure.api import AzureApi
+from yocto.cloud.cloud_config import CloudProvider
 
 # Import defaults here to avoid circular imports
 from yocto.cloud.azure.defaults import (
@@ -133,6 +134,8 @@ def deploy_bob_vm(
 
     # Convert to Configs object to access vm/deploy attributes
     cfg = config.to_configs()
+    if cfg.deploy is None:
+        raise ValueError("Deploy config is None")
     deploy_cfg = cfg.deploy
 
     logger.info(f"Config:\n{json.dumps(cfg.to_dict(), indent=2)}")
@@ -357,6 +360,7 @@ def main():
     try:
         # Create config (similar to genesis but without domain/DNS)
         config = DeploymentConfig(
+            cloud=CloudProvider.AZURE,
             vm_name=args.name,
             region=args.region or DEFAULT_REGION,
             vm_size=args.vm_size or DEFAULT_VM_SIZE,
diff --git a/yocto/deployment/validators.py b/yocto/deployment/validators.py
index 88ba0e84..ef201ce1 100644
--- a/yocto/deployment/validators.py
+++ b/yocto/deployment/validators.py
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ def _post_shares(
     node_to_pubkey: dict[int, str],
 ):
     genesis_file = f"{tmpdir}/genesis.toml"
-    genesis_toml = SummitClient.load_genesis_toml(genesis_file)
+    genesis_toml = SummitClient.load_genesis_toml(Path(genesis_file))
     validators = genesis_toml["validators"]
 
     for node, client in node_clients:
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ def main():
 
     _post_shares(tmpdir, node_clients, node_to_pubkey)
     for _, client in node_clients:
-        client.post_genesis_filepath(f"{tmpdir}/genesis.toml")
+        client.post_genesis_filepath(Path(f"{tmpdir}/genesis.toml"))
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
diff --git a/yocto/genesis_deploy.py b/yocto/genesis_deploy.py
index 741fc0dc..594b337b 100755
--- a/yocto/genesis_deploy.py
+++ b/yocto/genesis_deploy.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 class GenesisIPManager:
     """Manages persistent IP addresses for genesis nodes."""
 
-    def __init__(self, cloud_api: CloudApi, ip_rg: str):
+    def __init__(self, cloud_api: type[CloudApi], ip_rg: str):
         self.cloud_api = cloud_api
         self.ip_rg = ip_rg
 
@@ -68,8 +68,11 @@ def deploy_genesis_vm(args: DeploymentConfig) -> None:
     node = args.node
     cfg = args.to_configs()
     deploy_cfg = cfg.deploy
+    if deploy_cfg is None:
+        raise ValueError("Deploy config is None")
     print(f"Config:\n{json.dumps(cfg.to_dict(), indent=2)}")
 
+
     cloud_api = get_cloud_api(deploy_cfg.vm.cloud)
     genesis_ip_manager = GenesisIPManager(cloud_api, args.resource_group)
 
@@ -98,9 +101,12 @@ def deploy_genesis_vm(args: DeploymentConfig) -> None:
         logger.info("Not creating machines (used --ip-only flag)")
         return
 
-    image_path, measurements = maybe_build(cfg)
+    build_result = maybe_build(cfg)
+    if build_result is None:
+        raise ValueError("Build result is None")
+    image_path, measurements = build_result
     deployer = Deployer(
-        configs=cfg.deploy,
+        configs=deploy_cfg,
         image_path=image_path,
         measurements=measurements,
         home=cfg.home,
diff --git a/yocto/image/__init__.py b/yocto/image/__init__.py
index 2aa30e3b..8a2a7196 100644
--- a/yocto/image/__init__.py
+++ b/yocto/image/__init__.py
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@
   - from yocto.image.measurements import ...
 """
 
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from yocto.image import build, git, measurements
+
 # Only export module names, not individual functions
 __all__ = [
     "build",
diff --git a/yocto/utils/__init__.py b/yocto/utils/__init__.py
index a487ba63..f29357ce 100644
--- a/yocto/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/yocto/utils/__init__.py
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@
   - etc.
 """
 
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from yocto.utils import artifact, logging_setup, metadata, parser, paths, summit_client
+
 # Only export module names, not individual functions
 __all__ = [
     "artifact",
diff --git a/yocto/utils/metadata.py b/yocto/utils/metadata.py
index 67874b06..5671765f 100644
--- a/yocto/utils/metadata.py
+++ b/yocto/utils/metadata.py
@@ -57,13 +57,24 @@ def load_artifact_measurements(
         msg = f"Could not find artifact {artifact} in {metadata_path}"
         raise ValueError(msg)
     image_path = BuildPaths(home).artifacts / artifact
-    artifact = artifacts[artifact]
+    artifact_data = artifacts[artifact]
     if not image_path.exists():
         raise FileNotFoundError(
             f"Artifact {artifact} is defined in the deploy metadata, "
             "but the corresponding file was not found on the machine"
         )
-    return image_path, artifact["image"]
+    
+    if not isinstance(artifact_data, dict):
+        raise TypeError(f"Artifact data for {artifact} is not a dict")
+    if "image" not in artifact_data:
+        raise ValueError(f"Artifact {artifact} missing 'image' key")
+    
+    measurements = artifact_data["image"]
+    if not isinstance(measurements, dict):
+        raise TypeError(f"Measurements for {artifact} is not a dict")
+    
+    return image_path, measurements
+
 
 
 def get_cloud_resources(home: str, cloud: str) -> dict[str, dict]: