diff --git a/python/ray/_raylet.pyx b/python/ray/_raylet.pyx
index 359cf208a..842dca315 100644
--- a/python/ray/_raylet.pyx
+++ b/python/ray/_raylet.pyx
@@ -425,49 +425,50 @@ cdef deserialize_args(
         const c_vector[shared_ptr[CRayObject]] &c_args,
         const c_vector[CObjectID] &arg_reference_ids):
     cdef:
-        c_vector[shared_ptr[CRayObject]] by_reference_objects
+        c_vector[shared_ptr[CRayObject]] objects_to_deserialize
 
     if c_args.size() == 0:
         return [], {}
 
     args = []
-    by_reference_ids = []
-    by_reference_indices = []
+    ids_to_deserialize = []
+    id_indices = []
     for i in range(c_args.size()):
         # Passed by value.
         if arg_reference_ids[i].IsNil():
-            data = Buffer.make(c_args[i].get().GetData())
             if (c_args[i].get().HasMetadata()
                 and Buffer.make(
                     c_args[i].get().GetMetadata()).to_pybytes()
                     == RAW_BUFFER_METADATA):
+                data = Buffer.make(c_args[i].get().GetData())
                 args.append(data)
             elif (c_args[i].get().HasMetadata() and Buffer.make(
                     c_args[i].get().GetMetadata()).to_pybytes()
                     == PICKLE_BUFFER_METADATA):
                 # This is a pickled "simple python value" argument.
+                data = Buffer.make(c_args[i].get().GetData())
                 args.append(pickle.loads(data.to_pybytes()))
             else:
                 # This is a Ray object inlined by the direct task submitter.
-                by_reference_ids.append(
+                ids_to_deserialize.append(
                     ObjectID(arg_reference_ids[i].Binary()))
-                by_reference_indices.append(i)
-                by_reference_objects.push_back(c_args[i])
+                id_indices.append(i)
+                objects_to_deserialize.push_back(c_args[i])
                 args.append(None)
         # Passed by reference.
         else:
-            by_reference_ids.append(
+            ids_to_deserialize.append(
                 ObjectID(arg_reference_ids[i].Binary()))
-            by_reference_indices.append(i)
-            by_reference_objects.push_back(c_args[i])
+            id_indices.append(i)
+            objects_to_deserialize.push_back(c_args[i])
             args.append(None)
 
     data_metadata_pairs = RayObjectsToDataMetadataPairs(
-        by_reference_objects)
+        objects_to_deserialize)
     for i, arg in enumerate(
         ray.worker.global_worker.deserialize_objects(
-            data_metadata_pairs, by_reference_ids)):
-        args[by_reference_indices[i]] = arg
+            data_metadata_pairs, ids_to_deserialize)):
+        args[id_indices[i]] = arg
 
     for arg in args:
         if isinstance(arg, RayError):