diff --git a/vdirsyncer/cli/discover.py b/vdirsyncer/cli/discover.py
index e18aa20..2ddb0a3 100644
--- a/vdirsyncer/cli/discover.py
+++ b/vdirsyncer/cli/discover.py
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ async def collections_for_pair(
     cache_key = _get_collections_cache_key(pair)
     if from_cache:
         rv = load_status(status_path, pair.name, data_type="collections")
-        if rv and rv.get("cache_key", None) == cache_key:
+        if rv.get("cache_key", None) == cache_key:
             return list(
                 _expand_collections_cache(
                     rv["collections"], pair.config_a, pair.config_b
diff --git a/vdirsyncer/cli/tasks.py b/vdirsyncer/cli/tasks.py
index 8aa2b43..84f8290 100644
--- a/vdirsyncer/cli/tasks.py
+++ b/vdirsyncer/cli/tasks.py
@@ -142,11 +142,11 @@ async def metasync_collection(collection, general, *, connector: aiohttp.TCPConn
     try:
         cli_logger.info(f"Metasyncing {status_name}")
 
-        status = (
-            load_status(
-                general["status_path"], pair.name, collection.name, data_type="metadata"
-            )
-            or {}
+        status = load_status(
+            general["status_path"],
+            pair.name,
+            collection.name,
+            data_type="metadata",
         )
 
         a = await storage_instance_from_config(collection.config_a, connector=connector)
diff --git a/vdirsyncer/cli/utils.py b/vdirsyncer/cli/utils.py
index 3a1bc98..9f5992f 100644
--- a/vdirsyncer/cli/utils.py
+++ b/vdirsyncer/cli/utils.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import importlib
 import json
 import os
 import sys
+from typing import Any
 
 import aiohttp
 import click
@@ -186,11 +187,11 @@ def load_status(
     base_path: str,
     pair: str,
     collection: str | None = None,
-    data_type: str | None = None
-) -> dict | None:
+    data_type: str | None = None,
+) -> dict[str, Any]:
     path = get_status_path(base_path, pair, collection, data_type)
     if not os.path.exists(path):
-        return None
+        return {}
     assert_permissions(path, STATUS_PERMISSIONS)
 
     with open(path) as f: