diff --git a/hed/tools/analysis/hed_tag_counts.py b/hed/tools/analysis/hed_tag_counts.py
index 1dd86d89..1265ab75 100644
--- a/hed/tools/analysis/hed_tag_counts.py
+++ b/hed/tools/analysis/hed_tag_counts.py
@@ -86,6 +86,8 @@ def update_event_counts(self, hed_string_obj, file_name):
         """
         if file_name not in self.files:
             self.files[file_name] = ""
+        if not hed_string_obj:
+            return
         tag_list = hed_string_obj.get_all_tags()
         tag_dict = {}
         for tag in tag_list:
diff --git a/hed/tools/remodeling/cli/run_remodel.py b/hed/tools/remodeling/cli/run_remodel.py
index eb29576f..45fce71a 100644
--- a/hed/tools/remodeling/cli/run_remodel.py
+++ b/hed/tools/remodeling/cli/run_remodel.py
@@ -197,14 +197,15 @@ def main(arg_list=None):
     if not os.path.isdir(args.data_dir):
         raise HedFileError("DataDirectoryDoesNotExist", f"The root data directory {args.data_dir} does not exist", "")
     backup_name = handle_backup(args)
-    dispatch = Dispatcher(operations, data_root=args.data_dir, backup_name=backup_name, hed_versions=args.hed_versions)
     save_dir = None
     if args.work_dir:
         save_dir = os.path.realpath(os.path.join(args.work_dir, Dispatcher.REMODELING_SUMMARY_PATH))
-    files = get_file_list(dispatch.data_root, name_suffix=args.file_suffix, extensions=args.extensions,
+    files = get_file_list(args.data_dir, name_suffix=args.file_suffix, extensions=args.extensions,
                           exclude_dirs=args.exclude_dirs)
     task_dict = parse_tasks(files, args.task_names)
     for task, files in task_dict.items():
+        dispatch = Dispatcher(operations, data_root=args.data_dir, backup_name=backup_name,
+                              hed_versions=args.hed_versions)
         if args.use_bids:
             run_bids_ops(dispatch, args, files)
         else:
diff --git a/hed/tools/remodeling/operations/base_summary.py b/hed/tools/remodeling/operations/base_summary.py
index 725e854a..9075bdb6 100644
--- a/hed/tools/remodeling/operations/base_summary.py
+++ b/hed/tools/remodeling/operations/base_summary.py
@@ -143,11 +143,11 @@ def _save_summary_files(self, save_dir, file_format, summary, individual_summari
             time_stamp = '_' + get_timestamp()
         else:
             time_stamp = ''
-        if task_name: 
+        if task_name:
             task_name = "_" + task_name
         this_save = os.path.join(save_dir, self.op.summary_name + '/')
         os.makedirs(os.path.realpath(this_save), exist_ok=True)
-        filename = os.path.realpath(os.path.join(this_save, 
+        filename = os.path.realpath(os.path.join(this_save,
                                                  self.op.summary_filename + task_name + time_stamp + file_format))
         individual = summary.get("Individual files", {})
         if individual_summaries == "none" or not individual:
diff --git a/hed/tools/remodeling/operations/summarize_column_values_op.py b/hed/tools/remodeling/operations/summarize_column_values_op.py
index 577d6302..4c440188 100644
--- a/hed/tools/remodeling/operations/summarize_column_values_op.py
+++ b/hed/tools/remodeling/operations/summarize_column_values_op.py
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ def do_op(self, dispatcher, df, name, sidecar=None):
         Returns:
             DataFrame: A copy of df.
 
-        Side-effect:
+        Side effect:
             Updates the relevant summary.
 
         """