diff --git a/CIME/case/case_run.py b/CIME/case/case_run.py
index 94c053b5c35..48b1112d855 100644
--- a/CIME/case/case_run.py
+++ b/CIME/case/case_run.py
@@ -501,8 +501,7 @@ def case_run(self, skip_pnl=False, set_continue_run=False, submit_resubmits=Fals
         rundir = self.get_value("RUNDIR")
         if drv_restart_pointer:
             pattern = os.path.join(rundir, "rpointer.cpl*")
-            files = glob.glob(pattern)
-            files.sort(key=(os.path.getmtime(x) for x in files))
+            files = sorted(glob.glob(pattern), key=os.path.getmtime)
             drv_ptr = os.path.basename(files[-1])
             self.set_value("DRV_RESTART_POINTER", drv_ptr)
         model_log(
diff --git a/CIME/case/case_submit.py b/CIME/case/case_submit.py
index d4115c7df7c..8977cabe1dd 100644
--- a/CIME/case/case_submit.py
+++ b/CIME/case/case_submit.py
@@ -71,7 +71,6 @@ def _submit(
             rpointer = "rpointer.drv"
             if case.get_value("MULTI_DRIVER"):
                 rpointer = rpointer + "_0001"
-
         expect(
             os.path.exists(os.path.join(rundir, rpointer)),
             "CONTINUE_RUN is true but this case does not appear to have restart files staged in {} {}".format(