diff --git a/python/templates/MutableObject.cc.jinja2 b/python/templates/MutableObject.cc.jinja2
index ad08b5019..0eeb97b3f 100644
--- a/python/templates/MutableObject.cc.jinja2
+++ b/python/templates/MutableObject.cc.jinja2
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 
 {{ utils.namespace_open(class.namespace) }}
 
-{{ macros.common_constructors_destructors(class.bare_type, Members, prefix='Mutable') }}
+{{ macros.constructors_destructors(class.bare_type, Members, prefix='Mutable') }}
 
 Mutable{{ class.bare_type }}::operator {{ class.bare_type }}() const { return {{ class.bare_type }}(m_obj); }
 
diff --git a/python/templates/MutableObject.h.jinja2 b/python/templates/MutableObject.h.jinja2
index 4eea894a7..1c1e33f74 100644
--- a/python/templates/MutableObject.h.jinja2
+++ b/python/templates/MutableObject.h.jinja2
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ public:
   using object_type = {{ class.bare_type }};
   using collection_type = {{ class.bare_type }}Collection;
 
-{{ macros.common_constructors_destructors(class.bare_type, Members, prefix='Mutable') }}
+{{ macros.constructors_destructors(class.bare_type, Members, prefix='Mutable') }}
 
   /// conversion to const object
   operator {{ class.bare_type }}() const;
@@ -54,9 +54,6 @@ public:
 {{ utils.if_present(MutableExtraCode, "declaration") }}
 {{ macros.common_object_funcs(class.bare_type, prefix='Mutable') }}
 
-  /// disconnect from {{ class.bare_type }}Obj instance
-  void unlink() { m_obj = podio::utils::MaybeSharedPtr<{{ class.bare_type }}Obj>{nullptr}; }
-
 private:
   /// constructor from existing {{ class.bare_type }}Obj
   explicit Mutable{{ class.bare_type }}(podio::utils::MaybeSharedPtr<{{ class.bare_type }}Obj> obj);
diff --git a/python/templates/Object.cc.jinja2 b/python/templates/Object.cc.jinja2
index b197cfcd6..1ba27fb51 100644
--- a/python/templates/Object.cc.jinja2
+++ b/python/templates/Object.cc.jinja2
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 
 {{ utils.namespace_open(class.namespace) }}
 
-{{ macros.common_constructors_destructors(class.bare_type, Members) }}
+{{ macros.constructors_destructors(class.bare_type, Members) }}
 
 {{ class.bare_type }}::{{ class.bare_type }}({{ class.bare_type }}Obj* obj) : m_obj(podio::utils::MaybeSharedPtr<{{ class.bare_type }}Obj>(obj)) {}
 
diff --git a/python/templates/Object.h.jinja2 b/python/templates/Object.h.jinja2
index e6784bc5c..89b6127ce 100644
--- a/python/templates/Object.h.jinja2
+++ b/python/templates/Object.h.jinja2
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ public:
   using mutable_type = Mutable{{ class.bare_type }};
   using collection_type = {{ class.bare_type }}Collection;
 
-{{ macros.common_constructors_destructors(class.bare_type, Members) }}
+{{ macros.constructors_destructors(class.bare_type, Members) }}
 
   static {{ class.bare_type }} makeEmpty();
 
@@ -51,9 +51,6 @@ public:
 {{ utils.if_present(ExtraCode, "declaration") }}
 {{ macros.common_object_funcs(class.bare_type) }}
 
-  /// disconnect from {{ class.bare_type }}Obj instance
-  void unlink() { m_obj = podio::utils::MaybeSharedPtr<{{ class.bare_type }}Obj>{nullptr}; }
-
 private:
   /// constructor from existing {{ class.bare_type }}Obj
   explicit {{ class.bare_type}}(podio::utils::MaybeSharedPtr<{{ class.bare_type }}Obj> obj);
diff --git a/python/templates/SIOBlock.cc.jinja2 b/python/templates/SIOBlock.cc.jinja2
index 0e7c0745d..4fc065b46 100644
--- a/python/templates/SIOBlock.cc.jinja2
+++ b/python/templates/SIOBlock.cc.jinja2
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ namespace {
   // library actually needs linking to the core library. Otherwise it is
   // possible that the registry is not populated when the SioBlock library is
   // loaded, e.g. when using the python bindings.
-  const auto elem = {{ class.full_type }}::makeEmpty();
+  const auto elem = {{ class.full_type }}{};
 }
 
 {% endwith %}
diff --git a/python/templates/macros/declarations.jinja2 b/python/templates/macros/declarations.jinja2
index 3fee6332b..192acd8d1 100644
--- a/python/templates/macros/declarations.jinja2
+++ b/python/templates/macros/declarations.jinja2
@@ -54,9 +54,9 @@
 {% endmacro %}
 
 
-{% macro common_constructors_destructors(type, members, prefix='') %}
+{% macro constructors_destructors(type, members, prefix='') %}
 {% set full_type = prefix + type %}
-  /// Default constructor
+  /// default constructor
   {{ full_type }}();
 
 {%if members %}
@@ -82,6 +82,8 @@
 {% set full_type = prefix + type %}
   /// check whether the object is actually available
   bool isAvailable() const;
+  /// disconnect from {{ type }}Obj instance
+  void unlink() { m_obj = podio::utils::MaybeSharedPtr<{{ type }}Obj>{nullptr}; }
 
 {% set inverse_type = type if prefix else 'Mutable' + type %}
   bool operator==(const {{ full_type }}& other) const { return m_obj == other.m_obj; }
diff --git a/python/templates/macros/implementations.jinja2 b/python/templates/macros/implementations.jinja2
index b67e81c68..54dba3cec 100644
--- a/python/templates/macros/implementations.jinja2
+++ b/python/templates/macros/implementations.jinja2
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{% macro common_constructors_destructors(type, members, prefix='') %}
+{% macro constructors_destructors(type, members, prefix='') %}
 {% set full_type = prefix + type %}
 
 {{ full_type }}::{{ full_type }}() :