diff --git a/plugin/syntastic.vim b/plugin/syntastic.vim
index 5871306e..d0d19d7c 100644
--- a/plugin/syntastic.vim
+++ b/plugin/syntastic.vim
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ if has('reltime')
     lockvar! g:_SYNTASTIC_START
 endif
 
-let g:_SYNTASTIC_VERSION = '3.6.0-174'
+let g:_SYNTASTIC_VERSION = '3.6.0-175'
 lockvar g:_SYNTASTIC_VERSION
 
 " Sanity checks {{{1
diff --git a/syntax_checkers/rst/sphinx.vim b/syntax_checkers/rst/sphinx.vim
index 96843876..3c211f4a 100644
--- a/syntax_checkers/rst/sphinx.vim
+++ b/syntax_checkers/rst/sphinx.vim
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@ function! SyntaxCheckers_rst_sphinx_GetLocList() dict
 
     let srcdir = syntastic#util#var('rst_sphinx_source_dir')
     call self.log('g:syntastic_rst_sphinx_source_dir =', srcdir)
-    if srcdir == ''
+    if srcdir ==# ''
         let config = syntastic#util#findFileInParent('conf.py',  expand('%:p:h', 1))
-        if config == '' || !filereadable(config)
+        if config ==# '' || !filereadable(config)
             call self.log('conf.py file not found')
             return []
         endif
@@ -40,9 +40,9 @@ function! SyntaxCheckers_rst_sphinx_GetLocList() dict
 
     let confdir = syntastic#util#var('rst_sphinx_config_dir')
     call self.log('g:syntastic_rst_sphinx_config_dir =', confdir)
-    if confdir == ''
+    if confdir ==# ''
         let config = syntastic#util#findFileInParent('conf.py',  expand('%:p:h', 1))
-        let confdir = (config != '' && filereadable(config)) ? fnamemodify(config, ':p:h') : srcdir
+        let confdir = (config !=# '' && filereadable(config)) ? fnamemodify(config, ':p:h') : srcdir
     endif
 
     let makeprg = self.makeprgBuild({