diff --git a/app/history_meta.py b/app/history_meta.py
index d49c39e8a..623f86ba3 100644
--- a/app/history_meta.py
+++ b/app/history_meta.py
@@ -176,7 +176,6 @@ def create_history(obj, history_cls=None):
         history_mapper = obj.__history_mapper__
         history_cls = history_mapper.class_
 
-    history = history_cls()
     obj_mapper = object_mapper(obj)
 
     obj_state = attributes.instance_state(obj)
@@ -201,7 +200,7 @@ def create_history(obj, history_cls=None):
         # not yet have a value before insert
 
         elif isinstance(prop, RelationshipProperty):
-            if hasattr(history, prop.key + '_id'):
+            if hasattr(history_cls, prop.key + '_id'):
                 foreign_obj = getattr(obj, prop.key)
                 # if it's a nullable relationship, foreign_obj will be None, and we actually want to record that
                 data[prop.key + '_id'] = getattr(foreign_obj, 'id', None)
@@ -218,9 +217,4 @@ def create_history(obj, history_cls=None):
     data['version'] = obj.version
     data['created_at'] = obj.created_at
 
-    for key, value in data.items():
-        if not hasattr(history_cls, key):
-            raise AttributeError("{} has no attribute '{}'".format(history_cls.__name__, key))
-        setattr(history, key, value)
-
-    return history
+    return history_cls(**data)
diff --git a/tests/app/template/test_rest.py b/tests/app/template/test_rest.py
index 68987f4b6..f754baa24 100644
--- a/tests/app/template/test_rest.py
+++ b/tests/app/template/test_rest.py
@@ -565,6 +565,29 @@ def test_update_set_process_type_on_template(client, sample_template):
     assert template.process_type == 'priority'
 
 
+def test_create_a_template_with_reply_to(admin_request, sample_user):
+    service = create_service(service_permissions=['letter'])
+    letter_contact = create_letter_contact(service, "Edinburgh, ED1 1AA")
+    data = {
+        'name': 'my template',
+        'subject': 'subject',
+        'template_type': 'letter',
+        'content': 'template <b>content</b>',
+        'service': str(service.id),
+        'created_by': str(sample_user.id),
+        'reply_to': str(letter_contact.id),
+    }
+
+    json_resp = admin_request.post('template.create_template', service_id=service.id, _data=data, _expected_status=201)
+
+    assert json_resp['data']['template_type'] == 'letter'
+    assert json_resp['data']['reply_to'] == str(letter_contact.id)
+
+    template = Template.query.get(json_resp['data']['id'])
+    from app.schemas import template_schema
+    assert sorted(json_resp['data']) == sorted(template_schema.dump(template).data)
+
+
 def test_get_template_reply_to(client, sample_letter_template):
     auth_header = create_authorization_header()
     letter_contact = create_letter_contact(sample_letter_template.service, "Edinburgh, ED1 1AA")