diff --git a/openlibrary/plugins/openlibrary/connection.py b/openlibrary/plugins/openlibrary/connection.py
index 4c9deb15643..79204258f14 100644
--- a/openlibrary/plugins/openlibrary/connection.py
+++ b/openlibrary/plugins/openlibrary/connection.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import datetime
 import json
 import logging
+from typing import cast
 
 import web
 
@@ -17,7 +18,7 @@
 class ConnectionMiddleware:
     response_type = "json"
 
-    def __init__(self, conn):
+    def __init__(self, conn: 'client.Connection | ConnectionMiddleware'):
         self.conn = conn
 
     def get_auth_token(self):
@@ -545,7 +546,7 @@ class HybridConnection(client.Connection):
     down the overhead of http calls present in case of remote connections.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, reader, writer):
+    def __init__(self, reader: client.Connection, writer: client.Connection):
         client.Connection.__init__(self)
         self.reader = reader
         self.writer = writer
@@ -579,40 +580,39 @@ def _update_infobase_config():
     server.update_config(config.infobase)
 
 
-def create_local_connection():
-    _update_infobase_config()
-    return client.connect(type='local', **web.config.db_parameters)
-
-
-def create_remote_connection():
-    return client.connect(type='remote', base_url=config.infobase_server)
-
-
-def create_hybrid_connection():
-    local = create_local_connection()
-    remote = create_remote_connection()
-    return HybridConnection(local, remote)
+def OLConnection() -> client.Connection | ConnectionMiddleware:
+    """Create a connection to Open Library infobase server."""
 
+    def create_local_connection():
+        _update_infobase_config()
+        return cast(
+            client.LocalConnection,
+            client.connect(type='local', **web.config.db_parameters),
+        )
 
-def OLConnection():
-    """Create a connection to Open Library infobase server."""
+    def create_remote_connection():
+        return cast(
+            client.RemoteConnection,
+            client.connect(type='remote', base_url=config.infobase_server),
+        )
 
-    def create_connection():
-        if config.get("connection_type") == "hybrid":
-            return create_hybrid_connection()
-        elif config.get('infobase_server'):
-            return create_remote_connection()
-        elif config.get("infobase", {}).get('db_parameters'):
-            return create_local_connection()
-        else:
-            raise Exception("db_parameters are not specified in the configuration")
+    conn: client.Connection | ConnectionMiddleware
+    if config.get("connection_type") == "hybrid":
+        conn = HybridConnection(
+            reader=create_local_connection(),
+            writer=create_remote_connection(),
+        )
+    elif config.get('infobase_server'):
+        conn = create_remote_connection()
+    elif config.get("infobase", {}).get('db_parameters'):
+        conn = create_local_connection()
+    else:
+        raise Exception("db_parameters are not specified in the configuration")
 
-    conn = create_connection()
     if config.get('memcache_servers'):
         conn = MemcacheMiddleware(conn, config.get('memcache_servers'))
 
     if config.get('upstream_to_www_migration'):
         conn = MigrationMiddleware(conn)
 
-    conn = IAMiddleware(conn)
-    return conn
+    return IAMiddleware(conn)