To update python binding: 1) $ make distclean $ python /usr/share/pygtk/2.0/codegen/h2def.py libempathy/*.h > python/pyempathy/pyempathy.defs $ python /usr/share/pygtk/2.0/codegen/h2def.py libempathy-gtk/*.h > python/pyempathygtk/pyempathygtk.defs 2) Manually modify pyempathy.defs, ContactList is not an object but an interface: (define-interface ContactList (in-module "Empathy") (c-name "EmpathyContactList") (gtype-id "EMPATHY_TYPE_CONTACT_LIST") ) ContactManager, TpChatroom and TpContactList implements ContactList interface: (implements "EmpathyContactList") That can be done by applying pyempathy.patch 3) Manually update headers in pyempathy.override and pyempathygtk.override.