diff --git a/.rubocop.yml b/.rubocop.yml
index cfd7f14..b6259b4 100644
--- a/.rubocop.yml
+++ b/.rubocop.yml
@@ -196,10 +196,6 @@ Style/DateTime:
     - "lib/diaspora_federation/discovery/xrd_document.rb"
     - "spec/lib/diaspora_federation/discovery/xrd_document_spec.rb"
 
-# broken in 0.52.1
-Layout/EmptyLinesAroundArguments:
-  Enabled: false
-
 ### backward compatibility
 
 # only with ruby >= 2.3
diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index e8822b2..0b9feda 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ group :development do
   # code style
   gem "pronto",         "0.9.5",  require: false
   gem "pronto-rubocop", "0.9.0",  require: false
-  gem "rubocop",        "0.52.1", require: false
+  gem "rubocop",        "0.53.0", require: false
 
   # automatic test runs
   gem "guard-rspec",   require: false
diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index d37d6fc..719de9d 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ GEM
     octokit (4.8.0)
       sawyer (~> 0.8.0, >= 0.5.3)
     parallel (1.12.1)
-    parser (2.5.0.0)
+    parser (2.5.0.2)
       ast (~> 2.4.0)
     powerpack (0.1.1)
     pronto (0.9.5)
@@ -183,9 +183,9 @@ GEM
       rspec-mocks (~> 3.7.0)
       rspec-support (~> 3.7.0)
     rspec-support (3.7.1)
-    rubocop (0.52.1)
+    rubocop (0.53.0)
       parallel (~> 1.10)
-      parser (>= 2.4.0.2, < 3.0)
+      parser (>= 2.5)
       powerpack (~> 0.1)
       rainbow (>= 2.2.2, < 4.0)
       ruby-progressbar (~> 1.7)
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ DEPENDENCIES
   rspec-collection_matchers (~> 1.1.2)
   rspec-json_expectations (~> 2.1)
   rspec-rails (~> 3.7.0)
-  rubocop (= 0.52.1)
+  rubocop (= 0.53.0)
   simplecov (= 0.15.1)
   simplecov-rcov (= 0.2.3)
   spring
diff --git a/Rakefile b/Rakefile
index 4088c01..ad80011 100644
--- a/Rakefile
+++ b/Rakefile
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ RDoc::Task.new(:rdoc) do |rdoc|
 end
 
 if defined?(::Rails)
-  APP_RAKEFILE = File.expand_path("../test/dummy/Rakefile", __FILE__)
+  APP_RAKEFILE = File.expand_path("test/dummy/Rakefile", __dir__)
   load "rails/tasks/engine.rake"
   load "rails/tasks/statistics.rake"
 
diff --git a/diaspora_federation-json_schema.gemspec b/diaspora_federation-json_schema.gemspec
index 3c62b59..d078a28 100644
--- a/diaspora_federation-json_schema.gemspec
+++ b/diaspora_federation-json_schema.gemspec
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-$LOAD_PATH.push File.expand_path("../lib", __FILE__)
+$LOAD_PATH.push File.expand_path("lib", __dir__)
 
 # Maintain your gem's version:
 require "diaspora_federation/version"
diff --git a/diaspora_federation-rails.gemspec b/diaspora_federation-rails.gemspec
index 8023b65..edc4fba 100644
--- a/diaspora_federation-rails.gemspec
+++ b/diaspora_federation-rails.gemspec
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-$LOAD_PATH.push File.expand_path("../lib", __FILE__)
+$LOAD_PATH.push File.expand_path("lib", __dir__)
 
 # Maintain your gem's version:
 require "diaspora_federation/version"
diff --git a/diaspora_federation-test.gemspec b/diaspora_federation-test.gemspec
index 4c7001a..b37a076 100644
--- a/diaspora_federation-test.gemspec
+++ b/diaspora_federation-test.gemspec
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-$LOAD_PATH.push File.expand_path("../lib", __FILE__)
+$LOAD_PATH.push File.expand_path("lib", __dir__)
 
 # Maintain your gem's version:
 require "diaspora_federation/version"
diff --git a/diaspora_federation.gemspec b/diaspora_federation.gemspec
index ddf7a1e..d294ee3 100644
--- a/diaspora_federation.gemspec
+++ b/diaspora_federation.gemspec
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-$LOAD_PATH.push File.expand_path("../lib", __FILE__)
+$LOAD_PATH.push File.expand_path("lib", __dir__)
 
 # Maintain your gem's version:
 require "diaspora_federation/version"
diff --git a/lib/diaspora_federation/salmon/aes.rb b/lib/diaspora_federation/salmon/aes.rb
index 3ccf2ba..9a717c3 100644
--- a/lib/diaspora_federation/salmon/aes.rb
+++ b/lib/diaspora_federation/salmon/aes.rb
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ module DiasporaFederation
       # @param [String] iv AES initialization vector
       # @return [String] base64 encoded ciphertext
       # @raise [ArgumentError] if any of the arguments is missing or not the correct type
-      def self.encrypt(data, key, iv)
+      def self.encrypt(data, key, iv) # rubocop:disable Naming/UncommunicativeMethodParamName
         raise ArgumentError unless data.instance_of?(String) &&
                                    key.instance_of?(String) &&
                                    iv.instance_of?(String)
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ module DiasporaFederation
       # @param [String] iv AES initialization vector
       # @return [String] decrypted plain message
       # @raise [ArgumentError] if any of the arguments is missing or not the correct type
-      def self.decrypt(ciphertext, key, iv)
+      def self.decrypt(ciphertext, key, iv) # rubocop:disable Naming/UncommunicativeMethodParamName
         raise ArgumentError unless ciphertext.instance_of?(String) &&
                                    key.instance_of?(String) &&
                                    iv.instance_of?(String)
diff --git a/test/dummy/Rakefile b/test/dummy/Rakefile
index 1d92159..08cc98f 100644
--- a/test/dummy/Rakefile
+++ b/test/dummy/Rakefile
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Add your own tasks in files placed in lib/tasks ending in .rake,
 # for example lib/tasks/capistrano.rake, and they will automatically be available to Rake.
 
-require File.expand_path("../config/application", __FILE__)
+require File.expand_path("config/application", __dir__)
 
 Rails.application.load_tasks
diff --git a/test/dummy/config/boot.rb b/test/dummy/config/boot.rb
index 239fda6..bb5714c 100644
--- a/test/dummy/config/boot.rb
+++ b/test/dummy/config/boot.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # Set up gems listed in the Gemfile.
-ENV["BUNDLE_GEMFILE"] ||= File.expand_path("../../../../Gemfile", __FILE__)
+ENV["BUNDLE_GEMFILE"] ||= File.expand_path("../../../Gemfile", __dir__)
 require "bundler/setup" if File.exist?(ENV["BUNDLE_GEMFILE"])
 
-$LOAD_PATH.unshift File.expand_path("../../../../lib", __FILE__)
+$LOAD_PATH.unshift File.expand_path("../../../lib", __dir__)