diff --git a/swh/lister/bitbucket/tasks.py b/swh/lister/bitbucket/tasks.py
--- a/swh/lister/bitbucket/tasks.py
+++ b/swh/lister/bitbucket/tasks.py
@@ -17,33 +17,33 @@
 
 
 @app.task(name=__name__ + '.IncrementalBitBucketLister')
-def list_bitbucket_incremental(**lister_args):
+def list_bitbucket_incremental(*args, **kwargs):
     '''Incremental update of the BitBucket forge'''
-    lister = new_lister(**lister_args)
+    lister = new_lister(*args, **kwargs)
     lister.run(min_bound=lister.db_last_index(), max_bound=None)
 
 
 @app.task(name=__name__ + '.RangeBitBucketLister')
-def _range_bitbucket_lister(start, end, **lister_args):
-    lister = new_lister(**lister_args)
+def _range_bitbucket_lister(start, end, *args, **kwargs):
+    lister = new_lister(*args, **kwargs)
     lister.run(min_bound=start, max_bound=end)
 
 
 @app.task(name=__name__ + '.FullBitBucketRelister', bind=True)
-def list_bitbucket_full(self, split=None, **lister_args):
+def list_bitbucket_full(self, split=None, *args, **kwargs):
     """Full update of the BitBucket forge
 
     It's not to be called for an initial listing.
 
     """
-    lister = new_lister(**lister_args)
+    lister = new_lister(*args, **kwargs)
     ranges = lister.db_partition_indices(split or GROUP_SPLIT)
     if not ranges:
         self.log.info('Nothing to list')
         return
 
     random.shuffle(ranges)
-    promise = group(_range_bitbucket_lister.s(minv, maxv, **lister_args)
+    promise = group(_range_bitbucket_lister.s(minv, maxv, *args, **kwargs)
                     for minv, maxv in ranges)()
     self.log.debug('%s OK (spawned %s subtasks)', (self.name, len(ranges)))
     try:
diff --git a/swh/lister/cgit/tasks.py b/swh/lister/cgit/tasks.py
--- a/swh/lister/cgit/tasks.py
+++ b/swh/lister/cgit/tasks.py
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@
 
 
 @app.task(name=__name__ + '.CGitListerTask')
-def list_cgit(**lister_args):
+def list_cgit(*args, **kwargs):
     '''Lister task for CGit instances'''
-    CGitLister(**lister_args).run()
+    CGitLister(*args, **kwargs).run()
 
 
 @app.task(name=__name__ + '.ping')
diff --git a/swh/lister/cran/tasks.py b/swh/lister/cran/tasks.py
--- a/swh/lister/cran/tasks.py
+++ b/swh/lister/cran/tasks.py
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@
 
 
 @app.task(name=__name__ + '.CRANListerTask')
-def list_cran(**lister_args):
+def list_cran(*args, **kwargs):
     '''Lister task for the CRAN registry'''
-    CRANLister(**lister_args).run()
+    CRANLister(*args, **kwargs).run()
 
 
 @app.task(name=__name__ + '.ping')
diff --git a/swh/lister/debian/tasks.py b/swh/lister/debian/tasks.py
--- a/swh/lister/debian/tasks.py
+++ b/swh/lister/debian/tasks.py
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@
 
 
 @app.task(name=__name__ + '.DebianListerTask')
-def list_debian_distribution(distribution, **lister_args):
+def list_debian_distribution(distribution, *args, **kwargs):
     '''List a Debian distribution'''
-    DebianLister(**lister_args).run(distribution)
+    DebianLister(*args, **kwargs).run(distribution)
 
 
 @app.task(name=__name__ + '.ping')
diff --git a/swh/lister/github/tasks.py b/swh/lister/github/tasks.py
--- a/swh/lister/github/tasks.py
+++ b/swh/lister/github/tasks.py
@@ -17,32 +17,32 @@
 
 
 @app.task(name=__name__ + '.IncrementalGitHubLister')
-def list_github_incremental(**lister_args):
+def list_github_incremental(*args, **kwargs):
     'Incremental update of GitHub'
-    lister = new_lister(**lister_args)
+    lister = new_lister(*args, **kwargs)
     lister.run(min_bound=lister.db_last_index(), max_bound=None)
 
 
 @app.task(name=__name__ + '.RangeGitHubLister')
-def _range_github_lister(start, end, **lister_args):
-    lister = new_lister(**lister_args)
+def _range_github_lister(start, end, *args, **kwargs):
+    lister = new_lister(*args, **kwargs)
     lister.run(min_bound=start, max_bound=end)
 
 
 @app.task(name=__name__ + '.FullGitHubRelister', bind=True)
-def list_github_full(self, split=None, **lister_args):
+def list_github_full(self, split=None, *args, **kwargs):
     """Full update of GitHub
 
     It's not to be called for an initial listing.
 
     """
-    lister = new_lister(**lister_args)
+    lister = new_lister(*args, **kwargs)
     ranges = lister.db_partition_indices(split or GROUP_SPLIT)
     if not ranges:
         self.log.info('Nothing to list')
         return
     random.shuffle(ranges)
-    promise = group(_range_github_lister.s(minv, maxv, **lister_args)
+    promise = group(_range_github_lister.s(minv, maxv, *args, **kwargs)
                     for minv, maxv in ranges)()
     self.log.debug('%s OK (spawned %s subtasks)' % (self.name, len(ranges)))
     try:
diff --git a/swh/lister/gitlab/tasks.py b/swh/lister/gitlab/tasks.py
--- a/swh/lister/gitlab/tasks.py
+++ b/swh/lister/gitlab/tasks.py
@@ -14,37 +14,34 @@
 NBPAGES = 10
 
 
-def new_lister(api_baseurl='https://gitlab.com/api/v4',
-               instance=None, sort='asc', per_page=20):
-    return GitLabLister(
-        api_baseurl=api_baseurl, instance=instance, sort=sort,
-        per_page=per_page)
+def new_lister(*args, **kwargs):
+    return GitLabLister(*args, **kwargs)
 
 
 @app.task(name=__name__ + '.IncrementalGitLabLister')
-def list_gitlab_incremental(**lister_args):
+def list_gitlab_incremental(*args, **kwargs):
     """Incremental update of a GitLab instance"""
-    lister_args['sort'] = 'desc'
-    lister = new_lister(**lister_args)
+    kwargs['sort'] = 'desc'
+    lister = new_lister(*args, **kwargs)
     total_pages = lister.get_pages_information()[1]
     # stopping as soon as existing origins for that instance are detected
     lister.run(min_bound=1, max_bound=total_pages, check_existence=True)
 
 
 @app.task(name=__name__ + '.RangeGitLabLister')
-def _range_gitlab_lister(start, end, **lister_args):
-    lister = new_lister(**lister_args)
+def _range_gitlab_lister(start, end, *args, **kwargs):
+    lister = new_lister(*args, **kwargs)
     lister.run(min_bound=start, max_bound=end)
 
 
 @app.task(name=__name__ + '.FullGitLabRelister', bind=True)
-def list_gitlab_full(self, **lister_args):
+def list_gitlab_full(self, *args, **kwargs):
     """Full update of a GitLab instance"""
-    lister = new_lister(**lister_args)
+    lister = new_lister(*args, **kwargs)
     _, total_pages, _ = lister.get_pages_information()
     ranges = list(utils.split_range(total_pages, NBPAGES))
     random.shuffle(ranges)
-    promise = group(_range_gitlab_lister.s(minv, maxv, **lister_args)
+    promise = group(_range_gitlab_lister.s(minv, maxv, *args, **kwargs)
                     for minv, maxv in ranges)()
     self.log.debug('%s OK (spawned %s subtasks)' % (self.name, len(ranges)))
     try:
diff --git a/swh/lister/gnu/tasks.py b/swh/lister/gnu/tasks.py
--- a/swh/lister/gnu/tasks.py
+++ b/swh/lister/gnu/tasks.py
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@
 
 
 @app.task(name=__name__ + '.GNUListerTask')
-def list_gnu_full(**lister_args):
+def list_gnu_full(*args, **kwargs):
     'List lister for the GNU source code archive'
-    GNULister(**lister_args).run()
+    GNULister(*args, **kwargs).run()
 
 
 @app.task(name=__name__ + '.ping')
diff --git a/swh/lister/npm/tasks.py b/swh/lister/npm/tasks.py
--- a/swh/lister/npm/tasks.py
+++ b/swh/lister/npm/tasks.py
@@ -41,17 +41,17 @@
 
 
 @app.task(name=__name__ + '.NpmListerTask')
-def list_npm_full(**lister_args):
+def list_npm_full(*args, **kwargs):
     'Full lister for the npm (javascript) registry'
-    lister = NpmLister(**lister_args)
+    lister = NpmLister(*args, **kwargs)
     with save_registry_state(lister):
         lister.run()
 
 
 @app.task(name=__name__ + '.NpmIncrementalListerTask')
-def list_npm_incremental(**lister_args):
+def list_npm_incremental(*args, **kwargs):
     'Incremental lister for the npm (javascript) registry'
-    lister = NpmIncrementalLister(**lister_args)
+    lister = NpmIncrementalLister(*args, **kwargs)
     update_seq_start = get_last_update_seq(lister)
     with save_registry_state(lister):
         lister.run(min_bound=update_seq_start)
diff --git a/swh/lister/packagist/tasks.py b/swh/lister/packagist/tasks.py
--- a/swh/lister/packagist/tasks.py
+++ b/swh/lister/packagist/tasks.py
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@
 
 
 @app.task(name=__name__ + '.PackagistListerTask')
-def list_packagist(**lister_args):
+def list_packagist(*args, **kwargs):
     'List the packagist (php) registry'
-    PackagistLister(**lister_args).run()
+    PackagistLister(*args, **kwargs).run()
 
 
 @app.task(name=__name__ + '.ping')
diff --git a/swh/lister/phabricator/tasks.py b/swh/lister/phabricator/tasks.py
--- a/swh/lister/phabricator/tasks.py
+++ b/swh/lister/phabricator/tasks.py
@@ -7,9 +7,9 @@
 
 
 @app.task(name=__name__ + '.FullPhabricatorLister')
-def list_phabricator_full(**lister_args):
+def list_phabricator_full(*args, **kwargs):
     'Full update of a Phabricator instance'
-    PhabricatorLister(**lister_args).run()
+    PhabricatorLister(*args, **kwargs).run()
 
 
 @app.task(name=__name__ + '.ping')
diff --git a/swh/lister/pypi/tasks.py b/swh/lister/pypi/tasks.py
--- a/swh/lister/pypi/tasks.py
+++ b/swh/lister/pypi/tasks.py
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@
 
 
 @app.task(name=__name__ + '.PyPIListerTask')
-def list_pypi(**lister_args):
+def list_pypi(*args, **kwargs):
     'Full update of the PyPI (python) registry'
-    PyPILister(**lister_args).run()
+    PyPILister(*args, **kwargs).run()
 
 
 @app.task(name=__name__ + '.ping')