diff --git a/luigi/contrib/bigquery.py b/luigi/contrib/bigquery.py
index 79fa180a26..f3ca73c506 100644
--- a/luigi/contrib/bigquery.py
+++ b/luigi/contrib/bigquery.py
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ def table_exists(self, table):
 
         return True
 
-    def make_dataset(self, dataset, raise_if_exists=False, body={}):
+    def make_dataset(self, dataset, raise_if_exists=False, body=dict()):
         """Creates a new dataset with the default permissions.
 
            :param dataset:
diff --git a/luigi/contrib/dataproc.py b/luigi/contrib/dataproc.py
index e003a122f7..af2e41c592 100644
--- a/luigi/contrib/dataproc.py
+++ b/luigi/contrib/dataproc.py
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ def submit_job(self, job_config):
         self._job_id = self._job['reference']['jobId']
         return self._job
 
-    def submit_spark_job(self, jars, main_class, job_args=[]):
+    def submit_spark_job(self, jars, main_class, job_args=list()):
         job_config = {"job": {
             "placement": {
                 "clusterName": self.dataproc_cluster_name
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ def submit_spark_job(self, jars, main_class, job_args=[]):
         logger.info("Submitted new dataproc job:{} id:{}".format(self._job_name, self._job_id))
         return self._job
 
-    def submit_pyspark_job(self, job_file, extra_files=[], job_args=[]):
+    def submit_pyspark_job(self, job_file, extra_files=list(), job_args=list()):
         job_config = {"job": {
             "placement": {
                 "clusterName": self.dataproc_cluster_name
diff --git a/luigi/contrib/esindex.py b/luigi/contrib/esindex.py
index ede6429f61..8d18529ac2 100644
--- a/luigi/contrib/esindex.py
+++ b/luigi/contrib/esindex.py
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ class ElasticsearchTarget(luigi.Target):
 
     def __init__(self, host, port, index, doc_type, update_id,
                  marker_index_hist_size=0, http_auth=None, timeout=10,
-                 extra_elasticsearch_args={}):
+                 extra_elasticsearch_args=dict()):
         """
         :param host: Elasticsearch server host
         :type host: str
diff --git a/luigi/contrib/opener.py b/luigi/contrib/opener.py
index 9640c55164..4ef9fcdffd 100644
--- a/luigi/contrib/opener.py
+++ b/luigi/contrib/opener.py
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ class InvalidQuery(OpenerError):
 
 class OpenerRegistry(object):
 
-    def __init__(self, openers=[]):
+    def __init__(self, openers=list()):
         """An opener registry that  stores a number of opener objects used
         to parse Target URIs
 
diff --git a/luigi/contrib/sqla.py b/luigi/contrib/sqla.py
index 72e35d3c16..3ed065e4d8 100644
--- a/luigi/contrib/sqla.py
+++ b/luigi/contrib/sqla.py
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ class SQLAlchemyTarget(luigi.Target):
     _engine_dict = {}  # dict of sqlalchemy engine instances
     Connection = collections.namedtuple("Connection", "engine pid")
 
-    def __init__(self, connection_string, target_table, update_id, echo=False, connect_args={}):
+    def __init__(self, connection_string, target_table, update_id, echo=False, connect_args=dict()):
         """
         Constructor for the SQLAlchemyTarget.
 
diff --git a/luigi/scheduler.py b/luigi/scheduler.py
index 47e53856ea..a94bd22d83 100644
--- a/luigi/scheduler.py
+++ b/luigi/scheduler.py
@@ -772,7 +772,7 @@ def add_task(self, task_id=None, status=PENDING, runnable=True,
                  deps=None, new_deps=None, expl=None, resources=None,
                  priority=0, family='', module=None, params=None,
                  assistant=False, tracking_url=None, worker=None, batchable=None,
-                 batch_id=None, retry_policy_dict={}, owners=None, **kwargs):
+                 batch_id=None, retry_policy_dict=dict(), owners=None, **kwargs):
         """
         * add task identified by task_id if it doesn't exist
         * if deps is not None, update dependency list