diff --git a/internal/auth/oidc/repository_managed_group_members.go b/internal/auth/oidc/repository_managed_group_members.go
index 6c65413196..2f7ae1e3c9 100644
--- a/internal/auth/oidc/repository_managed_group_members.go
+++ b/internal/auth/oidc/repository_managed_group_members.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/hashicorp/boundary/internal/errors"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/boundary/internal/kms"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/boundary/internal/oplog"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/boundary/internal/util"
 )
 
 // SetManagedGroupMemberships will set the managed groups for the given account
@@ -207,7 +208,7 @@ func (r *Repository) ListManagedGroupMembershipsByMember(ctx context.Context, wi
 		limit = opts.withLimit
 	}
 	reader := r.reader
-	if opts.withReader != nil {
+	if !util.IsNil(opts.withReader) {
 		reader = opts.withReader
 	}
 	var mgs []*ManagedGroupMemberAccount
@@ -232,7 +233,7 @@ func (r *Repository) ListManagedGroupMembershipsByGroup(ctx context.Context, wit
 		limit = opts.withLimit
 	}
 	reader := r.reader
-	if opts.withReader != nil {
+	if !util.IsNil(opts.withReader) {
 		reader = opts.withReader
 	}
 	var mgs []*ManagedGroupMemberAccount
diff --git a/internal/iam/repository.go b/internal/iam/repository.go
index 33c2d8b69a..52e87283a8 100644
--- a/internal/iam/repository.go
+++ b/internal/iam/repository.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/hashicorp/boundary/internal/kms"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/boundary/internal/oplog"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/boundary/internal/types/scope"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/boundary/internal/util"
 )
 
 var ErrMetadataScopeNotFound = errors.New(context.Background(), errors.RecordNotFound, "iam", "scope not found for metadata", errors.WithoutEvent())
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ func (r *Repository) list(ctx context.Context, resources any, where string, args
 		limit = opts.withLimit
 	}
 	reader := r.reader
-	if opts.withReader != nil {
+	if !util.IsNil(opts.withReader) {
 		reader = opts.withReader
 	}
 	return reader.SearchWhere(ctx, resources, where, args, db.WithLimit(limit))
@@ -150,7 +151,7 @@ func (r *Repository) update(ctx context.Context, resource Resource, version uint
 	reader := r.reader
 	writer := r.writer
 	needFreshReaderWriter := true
-	if opts.withReader != nil && opts.withWriter != nil {
+	if !util.IsNil(opts.withReader) && !util.IsNil(opts.withWriter) {
 		reader = opts.withReader
 		writer = opts.withWriter
 		if !writer.IsTx(ctx) {
diff --git a/internal/iam/repository_grant_scope.go b/internal/iam/repository_grant_scope.go
index db2c3f6f65..efdf52aa28 100644
--- a/internal/iam/repository_grant_scope.go
+++ b/internal/iam/repository_grant_scope.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/hashicorp/boundary/internal/errors"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/boundary/internal/kms"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/boundary/internal/oplog"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/boundary/internal/util"
 )
 
 // AddRoleGrantScopes will add role grant scopes associated with the role ID in
@@ -235,7 +236,7 @@ func (r *Repository) SetRoleGrantScopes(ctx context.Context, roleId string, role
 	writer := r.writer
 	needFreshReaderWriter := true
 	opts := getOpts(opt...)
-	if opts.withReader != nil && opts.withWriter != nil {
+	if !util.IsNil(opts.withReader) && !util.IsNil(opts.withWriter) {
 		reader = opts.withReader
 		writer = opts.withWriter
 		needFreshReaderWriter = false
diff --git a/internal/iam/repository_role.go b/internal/iam/repository_role.go
index e0feb9cd06..9250d420a0 100644
--- a/internal/iam/repository_role.go
+++ b/internal/iam/repository_role.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/hashicorp/boundary/internal/db"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/boundary/internal/db/timestamp"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/boundary/internal/errors"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/boundary/internal/util"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/go-dbw"
 )
 
@@ -193,7 +194,7 @@ func (r *Repository) LookupRole(ctx context.Context, withPublicId string, opt ..
 	}
 
 	var err error
-	if opts.withReader != nil && opts.withWriter != nil {
+	if !util.IsNil(opts.withReader) && !util.IsNil(opts.withWriter) {
 		if !opts.withWriter.IsTx(ctx) {
 			return nil, nil, nil, nil, errors.New(ctx, errors.Internal, op, "writer is not in transaction")
 		}