diff --git a/module_bindings/dripline_core/message_pybind.hh b/module_bindings/dripline_core/message_pybind.hh
index 706c0053..c5e63d42 100644
--- a/module_bindings/dripline_core/message_pybind.hh
+++ b/module_bindings/dripline_core/message_pybind.hh
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #ifndef DRIPLINE_PYBIND_MESSAGE
 #define DRIPLINE_PYBIND_MESSAGE
 
+#include "binding_helpers.hh"
+
 #include "message.hh"
 #include "message_trampoline.hh"
 
@@ -29,10 +31,10 @@ namespace dripline_pybind
          message
          ********/
         all_items.push_back( "Message" );
-        pybind11::class_< dripline::message, message_trampoline, std::shared_ptr< dripline::message > > message( mod, "Message" );
+        pybind11::class_< dripline::message, message_trampoline, std::shared_ptr< dripline::message > > message( mod, "Message", "base class for all dripline messages" );
 
         // internal types
-        pybind11::enum_< dripline::message::encoding >( message, "encoding" )
+        pybind11::enum_< dripline::message::encoding >( message, "encoding", "mime-type of message encoding" )
             .value( "json", dripline::message::encoding::json )
             ;
 
@@ -78,26 +80,22 @@ namespace dripline_pybind
             .def( "create_amqp_messages",
                   &dripline::message::create_amqp_messages,
                   "From message object to AMQP",
-                  pybind11::call_guard< pybind11::scoped_ostream_redirect,
-                                        pybind11::scoped_estream_redirect >()
+                  DL_BIND_CALL_GUARD_STREAMS
                 )
             .def( "encode_message_body",
                   &dripline::message::encode_message_body,
                   "From message object to string",
-                  pybind11::call_guard< pybind11::scoped_ostream_redirect,
-                                        pybind11::scoped_estream_redirect >()
+                  DL_BIND_CALL_GUARD_STREAMS
                 )
             .def( "derived_modify_amqp_message",
                   &_message::derived_modify_amqp_message,
                   "derived_modify_amqp_message function",
-                  pybind11::call_guard< pybind11::scoped_ostream_redirect,
-                                        pybind11::scoped_estream_redirect >()
+                  DL_BIND_CALL_GUARD_STREAMS
                 )
             .def( "derived_modify_message_param",
                   &_message::derived_modify_message_param,
                   "derived_modify_amqp_message function",
-                  pybind11::call_guard< pybind11::scoped_ostream_redirect,
-                                        pybind11::scoped_estream_redirect >()
+                  DL_BIND_CALL_GUARD_STREAMS
                 )
 
             .def( "encode_full_message", [](const dripline::message& a_message){ return a_message.encode_full_message(4000); } )
@@ -107,7 +105,8 @@ namespace dripline_pybind
          msg_request
          ************/
         all_items.push_back( "MsgRequest" );
-        pybind11::class_< dripline::msg_request, msg_request_trampoline, std::shared_ptr< dripline::msg_request > >( mod, "MsgRequest", message )
+        pybind11::class_< dripline::msg_request, msg_request_trampoline, std::shared_ptr< dripline::msg_request >
+                        >( mod, "MsgRequest", message, "dripline messages containing a request to be sent to an endpoint" )
             // constructor(s)
             .def( pybind11::init< >() )
             // properties
@@ -139,7 +138,8 @@ namespace dripline_pybind
                          pybind11::arg( "routing_key" ) = "",
                          pybind11::arg( "specifier" ) = "",
                          pybind11::arg( "reply_to" ) = "",
-                         pybind11::arg( "encoding" ) = dripline::message::encoding::json
+                         pybind11::arg( "encoding" ) = dripline::message::encoding::json,
+                         "create and populate a new MsgRequest instance"
                        )
             .def( "reply",
                   [](dripline::request_ptr_t a_req,
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ namespace dripline_pybind
                   pybind11::arg( "return_code" ) = 0,
                   pybind11::arg( "return_message" ) = "",
                   pybind11::arg_v( "payload", scarab::param(), "scarab::param()" )
+                  "construct and send a reply message in response to this request"
                 )
             ;
 
@@ -157,7 +158,8 @@ namespace dripline_pybind
          msg_reply
          ************/
         all_items.push_back( "MsgReply" );
-        pybind11::class_< dripline::msg_reply, msg_reply_trampoline, std::shared_ptr< dripline::msg_reply > >( mod, "MsgReply", message )
+        pybind11::class_< dripline::msg_reply, msg_reply_trampoline, std::shared_ptr< dripline::msg_reply >
+                        >( mod, "MsgReply", message, "dripline messages containing a reply to a previously received request" )
             // constructor(s)
             .def( pybind11::init< >() )
 
@@ -184,7 +186,8 @@ namespace dripline_pybind
                          pybind11::arg( "payload" ) = scarab::param(),
                          pybind11::arg( "routing_key" ) = "",
                          pybind11::arg( "specifier" ) = "",
-                         pybind11::arg( "encoding" ) = dripline::message::encoding::json
+                         pybind11::arg( "encoding" ) = dripline::message::encoding::json,
+                         "create and populate a new MsgReply instance"
                        )
             .def_static( "create",
                          [](unsigned a_retcode_value,
@@ -196,6 +199,7 @@ namespace dripline_pybind
                          pybind11::arg( "return_message" ) = "",
                          pybind11::arg( "payload" ) = scarab::param(),
                          pybind11::arg( "msg_request" ) = dripline::message::encoding::json
+                         "create and populate a new MsgReply instance"
                        )
             ;
 
@@ -203,7 +207,8 @@ namespace dripline_pybind
          msg_alert
          ************/
         all_items.push_back( "MsgAlert" );
-        pybind11::class_< dripline::msg_alert, msg_alert_trampoline, std::shared_ptr< dripline::msg_alert > >( mod, "MsgAlert", message )
+        pybind11::class_< dripline::msg_alert, msg_alert_trampoline, std::shared_ptr< dripline::msg_alert >
+                        >( mod, "MsgAlert", message, "dripline message containing alert information" )
             // constructor(s)
             .def( pybind11::init< >() )
 
@@ -217,7 +222,8 @@ namespace dripline_pybind
                          pybind11::arg( "payload" ) = scarab::param(),
                          pybind11::arg( "routing_key" ) = "",
                          pybind11::arg( "specifier" ) = "",
-                         pybind11::arg( "encoding" ) = dripline::message::encoding::json
+                         pybind11::arg( "encoding" ) = dripline::message::encoding::json,
+                         "create and populate a new MsgAlert instance"
                        )
             ;
 
diff --git a/module_bindings/dripline_core/scheduler_pybind.hh b/module_bindings/dripline_core/scheduler_pybind.hh
index e6e09cad..573177ce 100644
--- a/module_bindings/dripline_core/scheduler_pybind.hh
+++ b/module_bindings/dripline_core/scheduler_pybind.hh
@@ -29,20 +29,23 @@ namespace dripline_pybind
         //TODO: does it make sense to provide access to the events map? That will require wrapping the stuct they get stored into.
 
         .def( "schedule",
-                (int (dripline::scheduler<executor_t, clock_t>::*)(executable_t, clock_t::time_point)) &dripline::scheduler<executor_t, clock_t>::schedule,
-                pybind11::arg( "executable" ),
-                pybind11::arg( "time" ),
-                "schedule execution of executable at specified future time"
-            )
+              (int (dripline::scheduler<executor_t, clock_t>::*)(executable_t, clock_t::time_point)) &dripline::scheduler<executor_t, clock_t>::schedule,
+              pybind11::arg( "executable" ),
+              pybind11::arg( "time" ),
+              "schedule execution of executable at specified future time")
         .def( "schedule",
-                (int (dripline::scheduler<executor_t, clock_t>::*)(executable_t, clock_t::duration, clock_t::time_point)) &dripline::scheduler<executor_t, clock_t>::schedule,
-                pybind11::arg( "executable" ),
-                pybind11::arg( "interval" ),
-                pybind11::arg_v( "time", clock_t::now(), "now()" ),
-                "schedule recurring execution of [executable] every [interval], starting at specified future [time]"
-            )
-        .def( "unschedule", &dripline::scheduler<executor_t, clock_t>::unschedule, pybind11::arg( "id" ), "Cancel a scheduled function call by its id" )
-        .def( "execute", &dripline::scheduler<executor_t, clock_t>::execute, "Start the timing thread which executes scheduled actions" )
+              (int (dripline::scheduler<executor_t, clock_t>::*)(executable_t, clock_t::duration, clock_t::time_point)) &dripline::scheduler<executor_t, clock_t>::schedule,
+              pybind11::arg( "executable" ),
+              pybind11::arg( "interval" ),
+              pybind11::arg_v( "time", clock_t::now(), "now()" ),
+              "schedule recurring execution of [executable] every [interval], starting at specified future [time]")
+        .def( "unschedule",
+              &dripline::scheduler<executor_t, clock_t>::unschedule,
+              pybind11::arg( "id" ),
+              "Cancel a scheduled function call by its id" )
+        .def( "execute",
+              &dripline::scheduler<executor_t, clock_t>::execute,
+              "Start the timing thread which executes scheduled actions" )
         ;
 
     return all_items;