diff --git a/src/pEp/_pEp/message.cc b/src/pEp/_pEp/message.cc
index ffdcca7..150ad56 100644
--- a/src/pEp/_pEp/message.cc
+++ b/src/pEp/_pEp/message.cc
@@ -284,14 +284,30 @@ namespace pEp {
             _msg->attachments = bl;
         }
 
-        Message Message::encrypt() {
-            boost::python::list extra;
-            return encrypt_message(*this, extra, PEP_enc_PGP_MIME, 0);
+        /* It would make sense to replace these macros by static const
+           attributes.  However the obvious solution, in the case of the
+           list, of course does not play well with Python's garbage
+           collector.
+           Factoring syntactically is enough. */
+#       define _ENCRYPT_DEFAULT_EXTRA       (boost::python::list())
+#       define _ENCRYPT_DEFAULT_ENC_FORMAT  PEP_enc_PEP
+#       define _ENCRYPT_DEFAULT_FLAGS       0
+        Message Message::encrypt0() {
+            return encrypt(_ENCRYPT_DEFAULT_EXTRA,
+                           _ENCRYPT_DEFAULT_ENC_FORMAT,
+                           _ENCRYPT_DEFAULT_FLAGS);
         }
-
-        Message Message::_encrypt(boost::python::list extra, int enc_format, int flags) {
-            if (!enc_format)
-                enc_format = PEP_enc_PGP_MIME;
+        Message Message::encrypt1(boost::python::list extra) {
+            return encrypt(extra,
+                           _ENCRYPT_DEFAULT_ENC_FORMAT,
+                           _ENCRYPT_DEFAULT_FLAGS);
+        }
+        Message Message::encrypt2(boost::python::list extra, int enc_format) {
+            return encrypt(extra,
+                           enc_format,
+                           _ENCRYPT_DEFAULT_FLAGS);
+        }
+        Message Message::encrypt(boost::python::list extra, int enc_format, int flags) {
             return encrypt_message(*this, extra, enc_format, flags);
         }
 
diff --git a/src/pEp/_pEp/message.hh b/src/pEp/_pEp/message.hh
index 5eba845..d8be5ca 100644
--- a/src/pEp/_pEp/message.hh
+++ b/src/pEp/_pEp/message.hh
@@ -169,9 +169,10 @@ namespace pEp {
 
             void enc_format(PEP_enc_format value) { _msg->enc_format = value; }
 
-            Message encrypt();
-
-            Message _encrypt(boost::python::list extra, int enc_format = 4, int flags = 0);
+            Message encrypt0();
+            Message encrypt1(boost::python::list extra);
+            Message encrypt2(boost::python::list extra, int enc_format);
+            Message encrypt(boost::python::list extra, int enc_format, int flags);
 
             boost::python::tuple decrypt(int flags = 0);
 
diff --git a/src/pEp/_pEp/pEpmodule.cc b/src/pEp/_pEp/pEpmodule.cc
index b08278c..df98f93 100644
--- a/src/pEp/_pEp/pEpmodule.cc
+++ b/src/pEp/_pEp/pEpmodule.cc
@@ -488,19 +488,31 @@ namespace 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)
-                .def("encrypt", (Message(Message::*)(boost::python::list))&Message::_encrypt)
-                .def("encrypt", (Message(Message::*)(boost::python::list, int))&Message::_encrypt)
-                .def("encrypt", (Message(Message::*)(boost::python::list, int, int))&Message::_encrypt,
-                "msg2 = msg1.encrypt(extra_keys=[], enc_format='pEp', flags=0)\n"
+                .def("encrypt", (Message(Message::*)())&Message::encrypt0)
+                .def("encrypt", (Message(Message::*)(boost::python::list))&Message::encrypt1)
+                .def("encrypt", (Message(Message::*)(boost::python::list, int))&Message::encrypt2)
+                .def("encrypt", (Message(Message::*)(boost::python::list, int, int))&Message::encrypt,
+                "msg2 = msg1.encrypt()\n"
+                "msg2 = msg1.encrypt(extra_keys)\n"
+                "msg2 = msg1.encrypt(extra_keys, enc_format)\n"
+                "msg2 = msg1.encrypt(extra_keys, enc_format, flags)\n"
                 "\n"
                 "encrypts a p≡p message and returns the encrypted message\n"
                 "\n"
                 "   extra_keys      list of strings with fingerprints for extra keys to use\n"
                 "                   for encryption\n"
-                "   enc_format      0 for none, 1 for partitioned, 2 for S/MIME,\n"
-                "                   3 for PGP/MIME, 4 for pEp\n"
-                "   flags           1 is force encryption\n"
+                "   enc_format      integer, any value correct for PEP_enc_PEP .  Default PEP_enc_PEP .\n"
+                "                   A few useful examples:\n"
+                "                     0      PEP_enc_none\n"
+                "                     1      PEP_enc_inline\n"
+                "                     2      PEP_enc_S_MIME\n"
+                "                     3      PEP_enc_PGP_MIME\n"
+                "                     4      PEP_enc_PEP\n"
+                "   flags           integer, any combination of valid PEP_encrypt_flags values\n"
+                "                   in bitwise or.  Default 0 .\n"
+                "                   A few useful examples:\n"
+                "                     1  PEP_encrypt_flag_force_encryption\n"
+                "                     4  PEP_encrypt_flag_force_no_attached_key\n"
                 )
                 .def("decrypt", &Message::decrypt, boost::python::arg("flags")=0,
                 "msg2, keys, rating, flags = msg1.decrypt()\n"