diff --git a/app/dao/dao_utils.py b/app/dao/dao_utils.py
index c7af24845..fa038b55c 100644
--- a/app/dao/dao_utils.py
+++ b/app/dao/dao_utils.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import itertools
-from functools import wraps, partial
+from functools import wraps
 
 from app import db
 from app.history_meta import create_history
@@ -20,8 +20,18 @@ def transactional(func):
     return commit_or_rollback
 
 
-def version_class(model_class, history_cls=None, must_write_history=True):
-    create_hist = partial(create_history, history_cls=history_cls)
+class VersionOptions():
+
+    def __init__(self, model_class, history_class=None, must_write_history=True):
+        self.model_class = model_class
+        self.history_class = history_class
+        self.must_write_history = must_write_history
+
+
+def version_class(*version_options):
+
+    if len(version_options) == 1 and not isinstance(version_options[0], VersionOptions):
+        version_options = (VersionOptions(version_options[0]),)
 
     def versioned(func):
         @wraps(func)
@@ -29,20 +39,35 @@ def version_class(model_class, history_cls=None, must_write_history=True):
 
             func(*args, **kwargs)
 
-            history_objects = [create_hist(obj) for obj in
-                               itertools.chain(db.session.new, db.session.dirty)
-                               if isinstance(obj, model_class)]
+            session_objects = []
 
-            if history_objects == [] and must_write_history:
-                raise RuntimeError((
-                    'Can\'t record history for {} '
-                    '(something in your code has casued the database to '
-                    'flush the session early so there\'s nothing to '
-                    'copy into the history table)'
-                ).format(model_class.__name__))
+            for version_option in version_options:
+                tmp_session_objects = [
+                    (
+                        session_object, version_option.history_class
+                    )
+                    for session_object in itertools.chain(
+                        db.session.new, db.session.dirty
+                    )
+                    if isinstance(
+                        session_object, version_option.model_class
+                    )
+                ]
 
-            for h_obj in history_objects:
-                db.session.add(h_obj)
+                if tmp_session_objects == [] and version_option.must_write_history:
+                    raise RuntimeError((
+                        'Can\'t record history for {} '
+                        '(something in your code has casued the database to '
+                        'flush the session early so there\'s nothing to '
+                        'copy into the history table)'
+                    ).format(version_option.model_class.__name__))
+
+                session_objects += tmp_session_objects
+
+            for session_object, history_class in session_objects:
+                db.session.add(
+                    create_history(session_object, history_cls=history_class)
+                )
 
         return record_version
     return versioned
diff --git a/app/dao/services_dao.py b/app/dao/services_dao.py
index db9d8325e..c71d01851 100644
--- a/app/dao/services_dao.py
+++ b/app/dao/services_dao.py
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ from flask import current_app
 from app import db
 from app.dao.dao_utils import (
     transactional,
-    version_class
+    version_class,
+    VersionOptions,
 )
 from app.dao.organisation_dao import dao_get_organisation_by_email_address
 from app.dao.service_sms_sender_dao import insert_service_sms_sender
@@ -117,9 +118,11 @@ def dao_fetch_all_services_by_user(user_id, only_active=False):
 
 
 @transactional
-@version_class(Service)
-@version_class(Template, TemplateHistory, must_write_history=False)
-@version_class(ApiKey, must_write_history=False)
+@version_class(
+    VersionOptions(ApiKey, must_write_history=False),
+    VersionOptions(Service),
+    VersionOptions(Template, history_class=TemplateHistory, must_write_history=False),
+)
 def dao_archive_service(service_id):
     # have to eager load templates and api keys so that we don't flush when we loop through them
     # to ensure that db.session still contains the models when it comes to creating history objects
@@ -372,8 +375,10 @@ def dao_fetch_todays_stats_for_all_services(include_from_test_key=True, only_act
 
 
 @transactional
-@version_class(Service)
-@version_class(ApiKey, must_write_history=False)
+@version_class(
+    VersionOptions(ApiKey, must_write_history=False),
+    VersionOptions(Service),
+)
 def dao_suspend_service(service_id):
     # have to eager load api keys so that we don't flush when we loop through them
     # to ensure that db.session still contains the models when it comes to creating history objects
@@ -381,12 +386,12 @@ def dao_suspend_service(service_id):
         joinedload('api_keys'),
     ).filter(Service.id == service_id).one()
 
-    service.active = False
-
     for api_key in service.api_keys:
         if not api_key.expiry_date:
             api_key.expiry_date = datetime.utcnow()
 
+    service.active = False
+
 
 @transactional
 @version_class(Service)
diff --git a/app/dao/templates_dao.py b/app/dao/templates_dao.py
index 7861e20e1..63079ef68 100644
--- a/app/dao/templates_dao.py
+++ b/app/dao/templates_dao.py
@@ -11,12 +11,15 @@ from app.models import (
 )
 from app.dao.dao_utils import (
     transactional,
-    version_class
+    version_class,
+    VersionOptions,
 )
 
 
 @transactional
-@version_class(Template, TemplateHistory)
+@version_class(
+    VersionOptions(Template, history_class=TemplateHistory)
+)
 def dao_create_template(template):
     template.id = uuid.uuid4()  # must be set now so version history model can use same id
     template.archived = False
@@ -36,7 +39,9 @@ def dao_create_template(template):
 
 
 @transactional
-@version_class(Template, TemplateHistory)
+@version_class(
+    VersionOptions(Template, history_class=TemplateHistory)
+)
 def dao_update_template(template):
     if template.archived:
         template.folder = None