diff --git a/rope/base/ast.py b/rope/base/ast.py
index afdeb95f5..a2923fb9f 100644
--- a/rope/base/ast.py
+++ b/rope/base/ast.py
@@ -22,17 +22,12 @@ def parse(source, filename="<string>"):
         raise error
 
 
-def walk(node, walker) -> None:
+def walk(node, walker):
     """Walk the syntax tree"""
     method_name = "_" + node.__class__.__name__
     method = getattr(walker, method_name, None)
     if method is not None:
-        if isinstance(node, ast.ImportFrom) and node.module is None:
-            # In python < 2.7 ``node.module == ''`` for relative imports
-            # but for python 2.7 it is None. Generalizing it to ''.
-            node.module = ""
-        method(node)
-        return
+        return method(node)
     for child in get_child_nodes(node):
         walk(child, walker)
 
diff --git a/rope/base/pynames.py b/rope/base/pynames.py
index e15af4714..45fb2d030 100644
--- a/rope/base/pynames.py
+++ b/rope/base/pynames.py
@@ -114,7 +114,8 @@ def _get_pymodule(self):
             pycore = self.importing_module.pycore
             if self.resource is not None:
                 self.pymodule.set(pycore.project.get_pymodule(self.resource))
-            elif self.module_name is not None:
+            else:
+                assert isinstance(self.module_name, str)
                 try:
                     if self.level == 0:
                         pymodule = pycore.project.get_module(
diff --git a/rope/base/pyobjectsdef.py b/rope/base/pyobjectsdef.py
index 9069dab0c..abab073ed 100644
--- a/rope/base/pyobjectsdef.py
+++ b/rope/base/pyobjectsdef.py
@@ -531,7 +531,11 @@ def _ImportFrom(self, node):
         level = 0
         if node.level:
             level = node.level
-        imported_module = pynames.ImportedModule(self.get_module(), node.module, level)
+        imported_module = pynames.ImportedModule(
+            self.get_module(),
+            node.module or "",
+            level,
+        )
         if self._is_ignored_import(imported_module):
             return
         if len(node.names) == 1 and node.names[0].name == "*":
diff --git a/rope/refactor/patchedast.py b/rope/refactor/patchedast.py
index cfcdc56a3..7ffa8de87 100644
--- a/rope/refactor/patchedast.py
+++ b/rope/refactor/patchedast.py
@@ -522,7 +522,6 @@ def _ImportFrom(self, node):
         children = ["from"]
         if node.level:
             children.append("." * node.level)
-        # see comment at rope.base.ast.walk
         children.extend([node.module or "", "import"])
         children.extend(self._child_nodes(node.names, ","))
         self._handle(node, children)