diff --git a/src/radical/utils/typeddict.py b/src/radical/utils/typeddict.py
index 25268695..a160f582 100644
--- a/src/radical/utils/typeddict.py
+++ b/src/radical/utils/typeddict.py
@@ -158,13 +158,11 @@ def __init__(self, from_dict=None, **kwargs):
 
 
         if self._deep:
-            self.__dict__['_data'] = copy.deepcopy(self._defaults)
+            self.update(copy.deepcopy(self._defaults))
         else:
-            self.__dict__['_data'] = dict()
-            self.__dict__['_data'].update(self._defaults)
+            self.update(self._defaults)
 
-        if from_dict:
-            self.update(from_dict)
+        self.update(from_dict)
 
         if kwargs:
             self.update(kwargs)
@@ -230,10 +228,7 @@ def __getitem__(self, k):
         return self._data[k]
 
     def __setitem__(self, k, v):
-        if self._check :
-            self._data[k] = self._verify_setter(k, v)
-        else:
-            self._data[k] = v
+        self._data[k] = self._verify_setter(k, v)
 
     def __delitem__(self, k):
         del self._data[k]
@@ -300,6 +295,8 @@ def popitem(self):
     def __getattr__(self, k):
 
         if k == '_data':
+            if '_data' not in self.__dict__:
+                self.__dict__['_data'] = dict()
             return self.__dict__['_data']
 
         if k.startswith('__'):
@@ -317,10 +314,7 @@ def __setattr__(self, k, v):
         if k.startswith('__'):
             return object.__setattr__(self, k, v)
 
-        if self._check :
-            self._data[k] = self._verify_setter(k, v)
-        else:
-            self._data[k] = v
+        self._data[k] = self._verify_setter(k, v)
 
     def __delattr__(self, k):