diff --git a/include/pms-utils/atom/atom.hpp b/include/pms-utils/atom/atom.hpp
index b707c2f..676ba8c 100644
--- a/include/pms-utils/atom/atom.hpp
+++ b/include/pms-utils/atom/atom.hpp
@@ -136,7 +136,9 @@ struct Usedep {
 
     [[nodiscard]] explicit operator std::string() const;
 };
-struct Usedeps : public std::vector<Usedep> {};
+struct Usedeps : public std::vector<Usedep> {
+    [[nodiscard]] explicit operator std::string() const;
+};
 
 struct PackageExpr {
     boost::optional<Blocker> blocker;
@@ -236,6 +238,8 @@ std::ostream &operator<<(std::ostream &out, UsedepCond usedepCond);
 
 std::ostream &operator<<(std::ostream &out, const Usedep &usedep);
 
+std::ostream &operator<<(std::ostream &out, const Usedeps &usedeps);
+
 std::ostream &operator<<(std::ostream &out, const PackageExpr &package);
 
 // END IO
diff --git a/lib/atom/atom.cpp b/lib/atom/atom.cpp
index 380b85f..d66566c 100644
--- a/lib/atom/atom.cpp
+++ b/lib/atom/atom.cpp
@@ -202,6 +202,22 @@ Usedep::operator std::string() const {
 }
 std::ostream &operator<<(std::ostream &out, const Usedep &usedep) { return out << std::string(usedep); }
 
+Usedeps::operator std::string() const {
+    std::string ret;
+    if (empty()) {
+        return ret;
+    }
+    ret += "[";
+    for (const Usedep &usedep : *this) {
+        ret += std::string(usedep);
+        ret += ",";
+    }
+    ret.pop_back();
+    ret += "]";
+    return ret;
+}
+std::ostream &operator<<(std::ostream &out, const Usedeps &usedeps) { return out << std::string(usedeps); }
+
 PackageExpr::operator std::string() const {
     std::string ret;
     if (blocker.has_value()) {
@@ -221,15 +237,7 @@ PackageExpr::operator std::string() const {
     if (slotExpr.has_value()) {
         ret += std::string(slotExpr.value());
     }
-    if (!usedeps.empty()) {
-        ret += "[";
-        for (const Usedep &usedep : usedeps) {
-            ret += std::string(usedep);
-            ret += ",";
-        }
-        ret = ret.substr(0, ret.length() - 1);
-        ret += "]";
-    }
+    ret += std::string(usedeps);
     return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/subprojects/bindings-python/lib/common.hpp b/subprojects/bindings-python/lib/common.hpp
index f3b6eaf..7f62f00 100644
--- a/subprojects/bindings-python/lib/common.hpp
+++ b/subprojects/bindings-python/lib/common.hpp
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include <boost/mp11/list.hpp>
 #include <boost/optional.hpp>
 #include <boost/variant.hpp>
+#include <pybind11/attr.h>
 #include <pybind11/pybind11.h>
 #include <pybind11/pytypes.h>
 #include <pybind11/stl.h>
@@ -40,19 +41,34 @@ template <> struct visit_helper<boost::variant> {
 
 namespace pms_utils::bindings::python {
 
+template <typename Func>
+static inline py::object &add_method(py::object &cls, std::string_view name, Func &&func) {
+    // pybind11 needs a c_str ;/
+    const std::string name_str(name);
+    py::cpp_function cfunc(std::forward<Func>(func), py::name(name_str.c_str()), py::is_method(cls),
+                           py::sibling(py::getattr(cls, name_str.c_str(), py::none())));
+    py::detail::add_class_method(cls, name_str.c_str(), cfunc);
+    return cls;
+}
+
 template <typename T, typename M, typename R = bool>
     requires(std::is_enum_v<T> && boost::describe::has_describe_enumerators<T>::value)
-static inline py::object create_bindings(M module_, R rule = false, std::string enum_type = "enum.Enum") {
+static inline py::object create_bindings(M module_, R rule = false,
+                                         std::string_view enum_type = "enum.Enum") {
     constexpr std::string_view name = bound_type_name<T>::str;
 
     py::object ret = _internal::bind_enum<M, T>(module_, name, enum_type);
+
+    if constexpr (requires(T val) { to_string(val); }) {
+        add_method(ret, "__str__", [](T val) { return to_string(val); });
+    }
     if constexpr (!std::is_same_v<R, bool>) {
-        const std::string function_name = std::string("_") + std::string(name) + "_init";
-        module_.def(function_name.data(), [rule](const py::object &, std::string_view arg) {
+        const std::string function_name = std::string("_") + std::string(name) + "__missing_";
+        module_.def(function_name.c_str(), [rule](const py::object &, std::string_view arg) {
             return _internal::expr_from_str(rule(), arg);
         });
         ret.attr("_missing_") =
-            py::module::import("pydoc").attr("locate")("classmethod")(module_.attr(function_name.data()));
+            py::module::import("builtins").attr("classmethod")(module_.attr(function_name.c_str()));
     }
     return ret;
 }
@@ -83,7 +99,7 @@ static inline auto create_bindings(M module_, R rule = false) {
     auto ret = pyclass(module_, std::string(name).data());
     mp_for_each<boost::describe::describe_members<T, boost::describe::mod_public>>(
         [&ret](auto member) { ret.def_readonly(member.name, member.pointer); });
-    if constexpr (requires(const T &val) { std::string(val); }) {
+    if constexpr (std::constructible_from<std::string, T>) {
         ret.def("__str__", [](const T &val) { return std::string(val); });
     }
     if constexpr (!std::is_same_v<R, bool>) {
diff --git a/subprojects/bindings-python/lib/enum.hpp b/subprojects/bindings-python/lib/enum.hpp
index 7d0df31..3821143 100644
--- a/subprojects/bindings-python/lib/enum.hpp
+++ b/subprojects/bindings-python/lib/enum.hpp
@@ -18,11 +18,12 @@ namespace py = pybind11;
 
 namespace pms_utils::bindings::python::_internal {
 
+// thanks to
+// https://github.com/pybind/pybind11/issues/2332#issuecomment-741061287
+
 // maps enum type to python enum
 std::unordered_map<std::type_index, py::object> &enums();
 
-std::size_t &enum_counter();
-
 template <typename T> consteval auto bound_type_name_to_descr() {
     constexpr std::array myarr = bound_type_name_v<T>;
     // NOLINTNEXTLINE(cppcoreguidelines-avoid-c-arrays)
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ auto bind_enum(M &mod, std::string_view name, std::string_view enum_type) {
     py::object &spec = _internal::enums()[typeid(T)];
     spec = py::module::import("pydoc").attr("locate")(enum_type)(name, pairs,
                                                                  py::arg("module") = mod.attr("__name__"));
-    mod.attr(std::string(name).data()) = spec;
+    mod.attr(std::string(name).c_str()) = spec;
     return spec;
 }