diff --git a/rethinkdb/asyncio_net/net_asyncio.py b/rethinkdb/asyncio_net/net_asyncio.py
index 781081e5..73cbcdd7 100644
--- a/rethinkdb/asyncio_net/net_asyncio.py
+++ b/rethinkdb/asyncio_net/net_asyncio.py
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ def wait(future):
             new_timeout = max(deadline - loop.time(), 0)
         else:
             new_timeout = None
-        return (yield from asyncio.wait_for(future, new_timeout, loop=loop))
+        return (yield from asyncio.wait_for(future, new_timeout))
 
     return wait
 
@@ -202,7 +202,6 @@ def connect(self, timeout):
             self._streamreader, self._streamwriter = yield from asyncio.open_connection(
                 self._parent.host,
                 self._parent.port,
-                loop=self._io_loop,
                 ssl=ssl_context,
             )
             self._streamwriter.get_extra_info("socket").setsockopt(
@@ -227,13 +226,12 @@ def connect(self, timeout):
                         break
                     # This may happen in the `V1_0` protocol where we send two requests as
                     # an optimization, then need to read each separately
-                    if request is not "":
+                    if request != "":
                         self._streamwriter.write(request)
 
                     response = yield from asyncio.wait_for(
                         _read_until(self._streamreader, b"\0"),
                         timeout,
-                        loop=self._io_loop,
                     )
                     response = response[:-1]
         except ReqlAuthError: