diff --git a/python/doc/api.rst b/python/doc/api.rst
index 4683793c..93fcd228 100644
--- a/python/doc/api.rst
+++ b/python/doc/api.rst
@@ -6,21 +6,43 @@ high level API reference
 
     This API is work in progress and may change in versions prior to 1.0.
 
-.. autosummary::
+- :class:`deltachat.account.Account` (your main entry point, creates the
+  other classes)
+- :class:`deltachat.chatting.Contact`
+- :class:`deltachat.chatting.Chat`
+- :class:`deltachat.chatting.Message`
+- :class:`deltachat.chatting.MessageState`
 
-   deltachat.account
-   deltachat.chatting
+Account
+-------
 
-account module
---------------
-
-.. automodule:: deltachat.account
+.. autoclass:: deltachat.account.Account
     :members:
 
 
-chatting module
----------------
+Contact
+-------
 
-.. automodule:: deltachat.chatting
+.. autoclass:: deltachat.chatting.Contact
     :members:
 
+Chat
+----
+
+.. autoclass:: deltachat.chatting.Chat
+    :members:
+
+Message
+-------
+
+.. autoclass:: deltachat.chatting.Message
+    :members:
+
+
+MessageState
+------------
+
+.. autoclass:: deltachat.chatting.MessageState
+    :members:
+
+
diff --git a/python/src/deltachat/account.py b/python/src/deltachat/account.py
index 44fccad9..e1c5b7d2 100644
--- a/python/src/deltachat/account.py
+++ b/python/src/deltachat/account.py
@@ -20,8 +20,9 @@ from .chatting import Contact, Chat, Message
 
 
 class Account(object):
-    """ An account contains configuration and provides methods
-    for configuration, contact and chat creation and manipulation.
+    """ Each account is tied to a sqlite database file which is fully managed
+    by the underlying deltachat c-library.  All public Account methods are
+    meant to be memory-safe and return memory-safe objects.
     """
 
     def __init__(self, db_path, logid=None):
@@ -86,7 +87,7 @@ class Account(object):
         self.check_is_configured()
         return Contact(self._dc_context, lib.DC_CONTACT_ID_SELF)
 
-    def create_contact(self, email, name=ffi.NULL):
+    def create_contact(self, email, name=None):
         """ create a (new) Contact. If there already is a Contact
         with that e-mail address, it is unblocked and its name is
         updated.
@@ -100,7 +101,7 @@ class Account(object):
         contact_id = lib.dc_create_contact(self._dc_context.p, name, email)
         return Contact(self._dc_context, contact_id)
 
-    def get_contacts(self, query=ffi.NULL, with_self=False, only_verified=False):
+    def get_contacts(self, query=None, with_self=False, only_verified=False):
         """ get a (filtered) list of contacts.
 
         :param query: if a string is specified, only return contacts
diff --git a/python/src/deltachat/cutil.py b/python/src/deltachat/cutil.py
index fa8da654..bf2cf1c6 100644
--- a/python/src/deltachat/cutil.py
+++ b/python/src/deltachat/cutil.py
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ from .capi import ffi
 
 
 def convert_to_bytes_utf8(obj):
-    if obj == ffi.NULL:
-        return obj
+    if obj == ffi.NULL or obj is None:
+        return ffi.NULL
     if not isinstance(obj, bytes):
         return obj.encode("utf8")
     return obj