diff --git a/meta-isar/recipes-app/hello/hello.bb b/meta-isar/recipes-app/hello/hello.bb
index acf8ed73..6efb50de 100644
--- a/meta-isar/recipes-app/hello/hello.bb
+++ b/meta-isar/recipes-app/hello/hello.bb
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ SRC_URI = "apt://${PN}"
 MAINTAINER = "isar-users <isar-users@googlegroups.com>"
 CHANGELOG_V = "<orig-version>+isar"
 
-DEB_BUILD_OPTIONS += "${@ 'nocheck' if d.getVar('ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE') == '1' else '' }"
+DEB_BUILD_OPTIONS += "${@ 'nocheck' if bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE')) else '' }"
 
 do_prepare_build() {
 	deb_add_changelog
diff --git a/meta/classes/base.bbclass b/meta/classes/base.bbclass
index 88004120..529811af 100644
--- a/meta/classes/base.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/base.bbclass
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ def isar_export_proxies(d):
     variables = ['http_proxy', 'HTTP_PROXY', 'https_proxy', 'HTTPS_PROXY',
                     'ftp_proxy', 'FTP_PROXY' ]
 
-    if d.getVar('BB_NO_NETWORK') == "1":
+    if bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('BB_NO_NETWORK')):
         for v in variables:
             d.setVar(v, deadend_proxy)
         for v in [ 'no_proxy', 'NO_PROXY' ]:
@@ -190,10 +190,10 @@ def isar_export_proxies(d):
     return bb.utils.export_proxies(d)
 
 def isar_export_ccache(d):
-    if d.getVar('USE_CCACHE') == '1':
+    if bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('USE_CCACHE')):
         os.environ['CCACHE_DIR'] = '/ccache'
         os.environ['PATH_PREPEND'] = '/usr/lib/ccache'
-        if d.getVar('CCACHE_DEBUG') == '1':
+        if bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('CCACHE_DEBUG')):
             os.environ['CCACHE_DEBUG'] = '1'
             os.environ['CCACHE_DEBUGDIR'] = '/ccache/debug'
     else:
diff --git a/meta/classes/compat.bbclass b/meta/classes/compat.bbclass
index f0a23b6b..907c3ce2 100644
--- a/meta/classes/compat.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/compat.bbclass
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ python() {
 
 def isar_can_build_compat(d):
     return (d.getVar('COMPAT_DISTRO_ARCH') is not None and
-        d.getVar('ISAR_ENABLE_COMPAT_ARCH') == '1')
+        bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('ISAR_ENABLE_COMPAT_ARCH')))
 
 ################################################################################
 # package recipe modifications when building *-compat:
diff --git a/meta/classes/crossvars.bbclass b/meta/classes/crossvars.bbclass
index 828afe46..00326c9a 100644
--- a/meta/classes/crossvars.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/crossvars.bbclass
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ python __anonymous() {
     import pwd
     d.setVar('SCHROOT_USER', pwd.getpwuid(os.geteuid()).pw_name)
 
-    mode = d.getVar('ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE')
+    mode = bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE'))
 
     # support derived schroots
     flavor = d.getVar('SBUILD_FLAVOR')
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ python __anonymous() {
 
     if distro_arch != host_arch and \
         (package_arch == host_arch or \
-         (package_arch in [distro_arch, compat_arch, '${BUILD_ARCH}'] and mode == "1")):
+         (package_arch in [distro_arch, compat_arch, '${BUILD_ARCH}'] and mode)):
         d.setVar('BUILD_ARCH', host_arch)
         schroot_dir = d.getVar('SCHROOT_HOST_DIR', False)
         sbuild_dep = "sbuild-chroot-host" + flavor_suffix + ":do_build"
diff --git a/meta/classes/dpkg-base.bbclass b/meta/classes/dpkg-base.bbclass
index a8263046..43ff0d85 100644
--- a/meta/classes/dpkg-base.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/dpkg-base.bbclass
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ inherit essential
 DEPENDS ?= ""
 RPROVIDES ?= "${PROVIDES}"
 
-DEPENDS:append:riscv64 = "${@' crossbuild-essential-riscv64' if d.getVar('ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE') == '1' and d.getVar('PN') != 'crossbuild-essential-riscv64' else ''}"
+DEPENDS:append:riscv64 = "${@' crossbuild-essential-riscv64' if bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE')) and d.getVar('PN') != 'crossbuild-essential-riscv64' else ''}"
 DEB_BUILD_PROFILES ?= ""
 DEB_BUILD_OPTIONS ?= ""
 
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ dpkg_runbuild() {
 
 def isar_deb_build_profiles(d):
     deb_build_profiles = d.getVar('DEB_BUILD_PROFILES')
-    if d.getVar('ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE') == "1":
+    if bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE')):
         deb_build_profiles += ' cross'
     return deb_build_profiles.strip()
 
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ python do_devshell() {
     isar_export_proxies(d)
     isar_export_ccache(d)
     isar_export_build_settings(d)
-    if d.getVar('USE_CCACHE') == '1':
+    if bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('USE_CCACHE')):
         bb.build.exec_func('schroot_configure_ccache', d)
 
     schroot = d.getVar('SBUILD_CHROOT')
diff --git a/meta/classes/imagetypes_container.bbclass b/meta/classes/imagetypes_container.bbclass
index c2e84809..7c44350c 100644
--- a/meta/classes/imagetypes_container.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/imagetypes_container.bbclass
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ CONTAINER_IMAGE_NAME ?= "${PN}-${DISTRO}-${DISTRO_ARCH}"
 CONTAINER_IMAGE_TAG ?= "${PV}-${PR}"
 
 python() {
-    if not d.getVar('USING_CONTAINER') == '1':
+    if not bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('USING_CONTAINER')):
         return
     for t in d.getVar('CONTAINER_TYPES').split():
         t_clean = t.replace('-', '_').replace('.', '_')
diff --git a/meta/classes/imagetypes_wic.bbclass b/meta/classes/imagetypes_wic.bbclass
index 4c74f166..bce881ed 100644
--- a/meta/classes/imagetypes_wic.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/imagetypes_wic.bbclass
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 #
 
 USING_WIC = "${@bb.utils.contains('IMAGE_BASETYPES', 'wic', '1', '0', d)}"
-WKS_FILE_CHECKSUM = "${@'${WKS_FULL_PATH}:%s' % os.path.exists('${WKS_FULL_PATH}') if d.getVar('USING_WIC') == '1' else ''}"
+WKS_FILE_CHECKSUM = "${@'${WKS_FULL_PATH}:%s' % os.path.exists('${WKS_FULL_PATH}') if bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('USING_WIC')) else ''}"
 
 WKS_FILE ??= "sdimage-efi"
 
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ do_copy_wks_template () {
 }
 
 python () {
-    if not d.getVar('USING_WIC') == '1':
+    if not bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('USING_WIC')):
         return
 
     if d.getVar('WIC_IMAGER_INSTALL'):
diff --git a/meta/classes/multiarch.bbclass b/meta/classes/multiarch.bbclass
index 48cec9ab..f82e2502 100644
--- a/meta/classes/multiarch.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/multiarch.bbclass
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ python() {
     # and not for the builder architecture
     depends = d.getVar('DEPENDS')
     if depends is not None and d.getVar('HOST_ARCH') != d.getVar('DISTRO_ARCH') \
-       and d.getVar('ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE') != '1':
+       and not bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE')):
         new_deps = []
         for dep in depends.split():
             if dep.endswith('-native'):
diff --git a/meta/classes/patch.bbclass b/meta/classes/patch.bbclass
index 2337693d..1fa9b1aa 100644
--- a/meta/classes/patch.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/patch.bbclass
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ PATCH_GIT_USER_EMAIL ?= "isar.patch@isar"
 inherit terminal
 
 python () {
-    if d.getVar('PATCHTOOL') == 'git' and d.getVar('PATCH_COMMIT_FUNCTIONS') == '1':
+    if d.getVar('PATCHTOOL') == 'git' and bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('PATCH_COMMIT_FUNCTIONS')):
         extratasks = bb.build.tasksbetween('do_unpack', 'do_patch', d)
         try:
             extratasks.remove('do_unpack')
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ python patch_task_postfunc() {
 
     if os.path.exists(srcsubdir):
         if func == 'do_patch':
-            haspatches = (d.getVar('PATCH_HAS_PATCHES_DIR') == '1')
+            haspatches = bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('PATCH_HAS_PATCHES_DIR'))
             patchdir = os.path.join(srcsubdir, 'patches')
             if os.path.exists(patchdir):
                 shutil.rmtree(patchdir)
diff --git a/meta/classes/sdk.bbclass b/meta/classes/sdk.bbclass
index 52c3bec5..74c0acb9 100644
--- a/meta/classes/sdk.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/sdk.bbclass
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ TAR_TRANSFORM:class-sdk = " --transform='s|rootfs|${IMAGE_FULLNAME}|'"
 
 # bitbake dependencies
 SDKDEPENDS += "sdk-files ${SDK_INSTALL}"
-SDKDEPENDS:append:riscv64 = "${@' crossbuild-essential-riscv64' if d.getVar('ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE') == '1' and d.getVar('PN') != 'crossbuild-essential-riscv64' else ''}"
+SDKDEPENDS:append:riscv64 = "${@' crossbuild-essential-riscv64' if bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('ISAR_CROSS_COMPILE')) and d.getVar('PN') != 'crossbuild-essential-riscv64' else ''}"
 DEPENDS:class-sdk = "${SDKDEPENDS}"
 
 SDKROOTFSDEPENDS = ""
@@ -68,10 +68,10 @@ SDKROOTFSVARDEPS = ""
 SDKROOTFSVARDEPS:class-sdk = "SDK_INCLUDE_ISAR_APT"
 do_rootfs_install[vardeps] += "${SDKROOTFSVARDEPS}"
 
-ROOTFS_POSTPROCESS_COMMAND:remove = "${@'rootfs_cleanup_isar_apt' if d.getVar('SDK_INCLUDE_ISAR_APT') == '1' else ''}"
+ROOTFS_POSTPROCESS_COMMAND:remove = "${@'rootfs_cleanup_isar_apt' if bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('SDK_INCLUDE_ISAR_APT')) else ''}"
 
 # additional SDK steps
-ROOTFS_CONFIGURE_COMMAND:append:class-sdk = " ${@'rootfs_configure_isar_apt_dir' if d.getVar('SDK_INCLUDE_ISAR_APT') == '1' else ''}"
+ROOTFS_CONFIGURE_COMMAND:append:class-sdk = " ${@'rootfs_configure_isar_apt_dir' if bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('SDK_INCLUDE_ISAR_APT')) else ''}"
 rootfs_configure_isar_apt_dir() {
     # Copy isar-apt instead of mounting:
     sudo cp -Trpfx --reflink=auto ${REPO_ISAR_DIR}/${DISTRO} ${ROOTFSDIR}/isar-apt
diff --git a/meta/conf/bitbake.conf b/meta/conf/bitbake.conf
index 80dc01c7..91c5c815 100644
--- a/meta/conf/bitbake.conf
+++ b/meta/conf/bitbake.conf
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ INHERIT += "isar-events sstate"
 
 # Buildstats requires IMAGE_ROOTFS to be always defined
 IMAGE_ROOTFS ??= "${WORKDIR}/rootfs"
-INHERIT += "${@'buildstats' if d.getVar('USE_BUILDSTATS') == '1' else ''}"
+INHERIT += "${@'buildstats' if bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('USE_BUILDSTATS')) else ''}"
 
 # Default values for ccache
 USE_CCACHE ??= "0"
diff --git a/meta/recipes-bsp/u-boot/u-boot-custom.inc b/meta/recipes-bsp/u-boot/u-boot-custom.inc
index f16906ce..25f0e1ef 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-bsp/u-boot/u-boot-custom.inc
+++ b/meta/recipes-bsp/u-boot/u-boot-custom.inc
@@ -10,9 +10,9 @@ FILESPATH:append := ":${FILE_DIRNAME}/files"
 DESCRIPTION ?= "Custom U-Boot"
 
 PROVIDES += "u-boot-${MACHINE} u-boot-${MACHINE}-dev"
-PROVIDES += "${@'u-boot-tools' if d.getVar('U_BOOT_TOOLS_PACKAGE') == '1' else ''}"
+PROVIDES += "${@'u-boot-tools' if bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('U_BOOT_TOOLS_PACKAGE')) else ''}"
 PROVIDES += "${@('u-boot-config u-boot-' + d.getVar('MACHINE') + '-config') \
-    if d.getVar('U_BOOT_CONFIG_PACKAGE') == '1' else ''}"
+    if bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('U_BOOT_CONFIG_PACKAGE')) else ''}"
 
 inherit dpkg
 
diff --git a/meta/recipes-core/isar-bootstrap/isar-bootstrap.inc b/meta/recipes-core/isar-bootstrap/isar-bootstrap.inc
index 3477c2fb..4b69332e 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-core/isar-bootstrap/isar-bootstrap.inc
+++ b/meta/recipes-core/isar-bootstrap/isar-bootstrap.inc
@@ -26,9 +26,9 @@ DEPLOY_ISAR_BOOTSTRAP ?= ""
 DISTRO_BOOTSTRAP_BASE_PACKAGES = "locales"
 DISTRO_BOOTSTRAP_BASE_PACKAGES:append:gnupg = ",gnupg"
 DISTRO_BOOTSTRAP_BASE_PACKAGES:append:https-support = ",ca-certificates"
-DISTRO_VARS_PREFIX ?= "${@'HOST_' if d.getVar('BOOTSTRAP_FOR_HOST') == '1' else ''}"
-BOOTSTRAP_DISTRO = "${@d.getVar('HOST_DISTRO' if d.getVar('BOOTSTRAP_FOR_HOST') == '1' else 'DISTRO')}"
-BOOTSTRAP_BASE_DISTRO = "${@d.getVar('HOST_BASE_DISTRO' if d.getVar('BOOTSTRAP_FOR_HOST') == '1' else 'BASE_DISTRO')}"
+DISTRO_VARS_PREFIX ?= "${@'HOST_' if bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('BOOTSTRAP_FOR_HOST')) else ''}"
+BOOTSTRAP_DISTRO = "${@d.getVar('HOST_DISTRO' if bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('BOOTSTRAP_FOR_HOST')) else 'DISTRO')}"
+BOOTSTRAP_BASE_DISTRO = "${@d.getVar('HOST_BASE_DISTRO' if bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('BOOTSTRAP_FOR_HOST')) else 'BASE_DISTRO')}"
 FILESEXTRAPATHS:append = ":${BBPATH}"
 
 inherit deb-dl-dir
diff --git a/meta/recipes-devtools/sbuild-chroot/sbuild-chroot-target.bb b/meta/recipes-devtools/sbuild-chroot/sbuild-chroot-target.bb
index ce985df2..1d1bcc5f 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-devtools/sbuild-chroot/sbuild-chroot-target.bb
+++ b/meta/recipes-devtools/sbuild-chroot/sbuild-chroot-target.bb
@@ -11,5 +11,5 @@ require sbuild-chroot.inc
 
 SBUILD_CHROOT_PREINSTALL ?= " \
     ${SBUILD_CHROOT_PREINSTALL_COMMON} \
-    ${@' apt-utils' if d.getVar('ISAR_ENABLE_COMPAT_ARCH') == '1' else ''} \
+    ${@' apt-utils' if bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('ISAR_ENABLE_COMPAT_ARCH')) else ''} \
     "
diff --git a/meta/recipes-devtools/sbuild-chroot/sbuild-chroot.inc b/meta/recipes-devtools/sbuild-chroot/sbuild-chroot.inc
index 2f07de82..d794c6fd 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-devtools/sbuild-chroot/sbuild-chroot.inc
+++ b/meta/recipes-devtools/sbuild-chroot/sbuild-chroot.inc
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ python() {
         d.appendVar('SBUILD_CHROOT_PREINSTALL_COMMON',
                     ' libstdc++-{}-dev:{}'.format(distro_gcc, distro_arch))
 
-    if d.getVar('ISAR_ENABLE_COMPAT_ARCH') == '1':
+    if bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('ISAR_ENABLE_COMPAT_ARCH')):
         compat_arch = d.getVar('COMPAT_DISTRO_ARCH')
         d.appendVar('SBUILD_CHROOT_COMPAT_PREINSTALL',
                     ' libc6-dev:{}'.format(compat_arch))
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ SBUILD_CHROOT_PREINSTALL_COMMON = " \
     fakeroot \
     build-essential \
     debhelper \
-    ${@ 'ccache' if d.getVar('USE_CCACHE') == '1' else ''} \
+    ${@ 'ccache' if bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('USE_CCACHE')) else ''} \
     devscripts \
     equivs \
 "
diff --git a/meta/recipes-kernel/kselftest/kselftest.inc b/meta/recipes-kernel/kselftest/kselftest.inc
index 8e961e72..6196f825 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-kernel/kselftest/kselftest.inc
+++ b/meta/recipes-kernel/kselftest/kselftest.inc
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ KSELFTEST_SKIP_TARGETS ?= ""
 KSELFTEST_FORCE_TARGETS ?= "0"
 
 KSELFTEST_ARGS = "${@ "TARGETS=\"${KSELFTEST_TARGETS}\"" if d.getVar('KSELFTEST_TARGETS') else ''}"
-KSELFTEST_ARGS .= "${@ " FORCE_TARGETS=1" if d.getVar('KSELFTEST_FORCE_TARGETS') == '1' else ''}"
+KSELFTEST_ARGS .= "${@ " FORCE_TARGETS=1" if bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('KSELFTEST_FORCE_TARGETS')) else ''}"
 KSELFTEST_ARGS .= "${@ " SKIP_TARGETS=\"${KSELFTEST_SKIP_TARGETS}\"" if d.getVar('KSELFTEST_SKIP_TARGETS') else ''}"
 
 do_prepare_build[cleandirs] += "${S}/debian"
diff --git a/meta/recipes-kernel/linux/linux-custom.inc b/meta/recipes-kernel/linux/linux-custom.inc
index 876397c3..91e9b5ff 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-kernel/linux/linux-custom.inc
+++ b/meta/recipes-kernel/linux/linux-custom.inc
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ def config_fragments(d):
 
 def get_additional_build_profiles(d):
     profiles = d.getVar('BASE_DISTRO')
-    if d.getVar('KERNEL_LIBC_DEV_DEPLOY') != '1':
+    if not bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('KERNEL_LIBC_DEV_DEPLOY')):
         profiles += ' nolibcdev'
     return profiles