diff --git a/src/message.cc b/src/message.cc
index f47ada3..c6efac9 100644
--- a/src/message.cc
+++ b/src/message.cc
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ namespace pEp {
             return _color(outgoing_rating());
         }
 
-        Message Message::copy()
+        Message Message::deepcopy(dict& memo)
         {
             return Message(_str());
         }
diff --git a/src/message.hh b/src/message.hh
index 9b22d47..cecb079 100644
--- a/src/message.hh
+++ b/src/message.hh
@@ -128,7 +128,8 @@ namespace pEp {
             boost::python::tuple decrypt();
             int outgoing_rating();
             int outgoing_color();
-            Message copy();
+            Message deepcopy(dict& memo);
+            Message copy() { return *this; }
         };
 
         Message outgoing_message(Identity me);
diff --git a/src/pEpmodule.cc b/src/pEpmodule.cc
index 58b9da0..c51212f 100644
--- a/src/pEpmodule.cc
+++ b/src/pEpmodule.cc
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ BOOST_PYTHON_MODULE(pEp)
     using namespace boost::locale;
     using namespace pEp::PythonAdapter;
 
-    docstring_options doc_options(true, true, false);
+    docstring_options doc_options(true);
 
     generator gen;
     std::locale::global(gen(""));
@@ -180,14 +180,15 @@ BOOST_PYTHON_MODULE(pEp)
                 (void(Message::*)(int))
                 (void(Message::*)(PEP_enc_format)) &Message::enc_format,
                 "0: unencrypted, 1: inline PGP, 2: S/MIME, 3: PGP/MIME, 4: p≡p format")
-        .def("encrypt", (Message(Message::*)())&Message::encrypt, "encrypt message")
-        .def("encrypt", (Message(Message::*)(list))&Message::encrypt, "encrypt message")
-        .def("encrypt", (Message(Message::*)(list,int))&Message::encrypt, "encrypt message")
-        .def("encrypt", (Message(Message::*)(list,int,int))&Message::encrypt, "encrypt message")
-        .def("decrypt", &Message::decrypt, "decrypt message")
+        .def("encrypt", (Message(Message::*)())&Message::encrypt, "msg = encrypt message()")
+        .def("encrypt", (Message(Message::*)(list))&Message::encrypt, "msg = encrypt message(extra_keys)")
+        .def("encrypt", (Message(Message::*)(list,int))&Message::encrypt, "msg = encrypt message(extra_keys, enc_format)")
+        .def("encrypt", (Message(Message::*)(list,int,int))&Message::encrypt, "msg = encrypt message(extra_keys, enc_format, flags)")
+        .def("decrypt", &Message::decrypt, "msg, keys, rating, flags = decrypt message()")
         .add_property("outgoing_rating", &Message::outgoing_rating, "rating outgoing message will have")
         .add_property("outgoing_color", &Message::outgoing_color, "color outgoing message will have")
-        .def("copy", &Message::copy, "deep copy of message");
+        .def("__deepcopy__", &Message::deepcopy)
+        .def("__copy__", &Message::copy);
 
     // basic API