diff --git a/cylc/flow/config.py b/cylc/flow/config.py
index 5eaac921bee..1cd9f91cd4e 100644
--- a/cylc/flow/config.py
+++ b/cylc/flow/config.py
@@ -2075,12 +2075,12 @@ def load_graph(self):
                         traceback.print_exc()
                     msg = (
                         f"Cannot process recurrence {section}"
-                        f" (initial cycle point={icp}"
-                        f" (final cycle point={fcp}"
+                        f" (initial cycle point={icp})"
+                        f" (final cycle point={fcp})"
                     )
                     if isinstance(exc, CylcError):
                         msg += ' %s' % exc.args[0]
-                        raise WorkflowConfigError(msg)
+                    raise WorkflowConfigError(msg)
                 else:
                     self.nocycle_sequences.add(seq)
             else:
diff --git a/cylc/flow/cycling/nocycle.py b/cylc/flow/cycling/nocycle.py
index 05c2b184d96..67fa23f0552 100644
--- a/cylc/flow/cycling/nocycle.py
+++ b/cylc/flow/cycling/nocycle.py
@@ -31,10 +31,18 @@
     NOCYCLE_PT_OMEGA
 )
 
+CYCLER_TYPE_NOCYCLE = "nocycle"
+CYCLER_TYPE_SORT_KEY_NOCYCLE = 1
+
 
 class NocyclePoint(PointBase):
     """A string-valued point."""
 
+    TYPE = CYCLER_TYPE_NOCYCLE
+    TYPE_SORT_KEY = CYCLER_TYPE_SORT_KEY_NOCYCLE
+
+    __slots__ = ('value')
+
     def __init__(self, value: str) -> None:
         if value not in [NOCYCLE_PT_ALPHA, NOCYCLE_PT_OMEGA]:
             raise ValueError(f"Illegal Nocycle value {value}")
@@ -72,14 +80,6 @@ def sub(self, other):
         # NOT USED
         return None
 
-    def TYPE(self) -> str:
-        # NOT USED
-        return self.__class__.__name__
-
-    def TYPE_SORT_KEY(self) -> int:
-        # NOT USED
-        return 0
-
 
 class NocycleSequence(SequenceBase):
     """A single point sequence."""
diff --git a/cylc/flow/scripts/graph.py b/cylc/flow/scripts/graph.py
index d9971135950..537c9de2290 100644
--- a/cylc/flow/scripts/graph.py
+++ b/cylc/flow/scripts/graph.py
@@ -43,10 +43,7 @@
 from typing import Dict, List, Optional, TYPE_CHECKING, Tuple, Callable
 
 from cylc.flow.config import WorkflowConfig
-from cylc.flow.cycling.nocycle import (
-    NOCYCLE_PT_ALPHA,
-    NOCYCLE_PT_OMEGA
-)
+from cylc.flow.cycling.nocycle import NOCYCLE_PT_ALPHA
 from cylc.flow.exceptions import InputError, CylcError
 from cylc.flow.id import Tokens
 from cylc.flow.id_cli import parse_id
@@ -101,28 +98,6 @@ def sort_integer_edge(id_):
     )
 
 
-def sort_datetime_node(id_):
-    """Return sort tokens for nodes with cyclepoints in datetime format.
-
-    Lexicological sort, but tweaked for nocycle graphs.
-
-    Example:
-        >>> sort_datetime_node('2001/foo')
-        ('foo', '2001')
-        >>> sort_datetime_node('alpha/foo')
-        ('foo', '0')
-        >>> sort_datetime_node('omega/foo')
-        ('foo', '9')
-    """
-    tokens = Tokens(id_, relative=True)
-    if tokens['cycle'] == NOCYCLE_PT_ALPHA:
-        return (tokens['task'], '0')
-    elif tokens['cycle'] == NOCYCLE_PT_OMEGA:
-        return (tokens['task'], '9')
-    else:
-        return (tokens['task'], tokens['cycle'])
-
-
 def sort_datetime_edge(item):
     """Return sort tokens for edges with cyclepoints in ISO8601 format.
 
@@ -186,7 +161,7 @@ def _get_graph_nodes_edges(
         edge_sort = sort_integer_edge
     else:
         # datetime sorting
-        node_sort = sort_datetime_node
+        node_sort = None
         edge_sort = sort_datetime_edge
 
     # get nodes
diff --git a/tests/integration/utils/flow_tools.py b/tests/integration/utils/flow_tools.py
index 8a880e211b9..24aa126c7f7 100644
--- a/tests/integration/utils/flow_tools.py
+++ b/tests/integration/utils/flow_tools.py
@@ -147,24 +147,16 @@ async def _run_flow(
         # context manager.
         # Need to shut down Scheduler, but time out in case something
         # goes wrong:
-        print("ONE")
         async with timeout(5):
-            print("TWAO")
             if task:
-                print("THREE")
                 # ask the scheduler to shut down nicely,
                 # let main loop handle it:
                 schd._set_stop(StopMode.REQUEST_NOW_NOW)
                 await task
-                print("FOUR")
         if schd.contact_data:
-            print("FIVE")
             async with timeout(5):
                 # Scheduler still running... try more forceful tear down:
                 await schd.shutdown(SchedulerStop("integration test teardown"))
-                print("SIX")
         if task:
             # Brute force cleanup if something went wrong:
-            print("SEVEN")
             task.cancel()
-            print("EIGHT")