diff --git a/src/identity.cc b/src/identity.cc
index c0d8e16..e957323 100644
--- a/src/identity.cc
+++ b/src/identity.cc
@@ -116,6 +116,20 @@ namespace pEp {
             return _color(rating());
         }
 
+        Identity Identity::copy()
+        {
+            pEp_identity *dup = ::identity_dup(*this);
+            if (!dup)
+                throw bad_alloc();
+
+            return Identity(dup);
+        }
+
+        Identity Identity::deepcopy(dict&)
+        {
+            return copy();
+        }
+
         Identity identity_attr(pEp_identity *&ident)
         {
             if (!ident)
diff --git a/src/identity.hh b/src/identity.hh
index 00aecec..14474e7 100644
--- a/src/identity.hh
+++ b/src/identity.hh
@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@ namespace pEp {
 
             int rating();
             int color();
+
+            Identity copy();
+            Identity deepcopy(dict& memo);
         };
 
         Identity identity_attr(pEp_identity *&ident);
diff --git a/src/message.cc b/src/message.cc
index c6efac9..47210bd 100644
--- a/src/message.cc
+++ b/src/message.cc
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ namespace pEp {
         }
 
         Message::Message(message *msg)
-            : _msg(msg)
+            : _msg(msg, &free_message)
         {
 
         }
@@ -312,9 +312,17 @@ namespace pEp {
             return _color(outgoing_rating());
         }
 
-        Message Message::deepcopy(dict& memo)
+        Message Message::copy()
         {
-            return Message(_str());
+            message *dup = message_dup(*this);
+            if (!dup)
+                throw bad_alloc();
+            return Message(dup);
+        }
+
+        Message Message::deepcopy(dict&)
+        {
+            return copy();
         }
 
         Message outgoing_message(Identity me)
diff --git a/src/message.hh b/src/message.hh
index cecb079..2a9d9ea 100644
--- a/src/message.hh
+++ b/src/message.hh
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ namespace pEp {
             int outgoing_rating();
             int outgoing_color();
             Message deepcopy(dict& memo);
-            Message copy() { return *this; }
+            Message copy();
         };
 
         Message outgoing_message(Identity me);
diff --git a/src/message_api.cc b/src/message_api.cc
index dc74467..a7b6319 100644
--- a/src/message_api.cc
+++ b/src/message_api.cc
@@ -23,13 +23,10 @@ namespace pEp {
             free_stringlist(_extra);
             _throw_status(status);
 
-            if (!_dst || _dst == _src) {
-                Message dst(src);
-                return dst;
-            }
+            if (!_dst || _dst == _src)
+                return Message(_src);
             
-            Message dst(_dst);
-            return dst;
+            return Message(_dst);
         }
 
         boost::python::tuple decrypt_message(Message src)
diff --git a/src/pEpmodule.cc b/src/pEpmodule.cc
index c51212f..0f4fad2 100644
--- a/src/pEpmodule.cc
+++ b/src/pEpmodule.cc
@@ -92,7 +92,9 @@ BOOST_PYTHON_MODULE(pEp)
                 (void(Identity::*)(identity_flags_t)) &Identity::flags,
                 "flags (p≡p internal)")
         .add_property("rating", &Identity::rating, "rating of Identity")
-        .add_property("color", &Identity::color, "color of Identity");
+        .add_property("color", &Identity::color, "color of Identity")
+        .def("__deepcopy__", &Identity::deepcopy)
+        .def("__copy__", &Identity::copy);
     
     identity_class.attr("PEP_OWN_USERID") = "pEp_own_userId";