diff --git a/telethon/telegram_bare_client.py b/telethon/telegram_bare_client.py
index 31a3f7d9..23fd4ee4 100644
--- a/telethon/telegram_bare_client.py
+++ b/telethon/telegram_bare_client.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import logging
 import os
 import threading
-import warnings
 from datetime import timedelta, datetime
 from signal import signal, SIGINT, SIGTERM, SIGABRT
 from threading import Lock
@@ -589,24 +588,6 @@ class TelegramBareClient:
         self.updates.process(self(GetStateRequest()))
         self._last_state = datetime.now()
 
-    def add_update_handler(self, handler):
-        """Adds an update handler (a function which takes a TLObject,
-          an update, as its parameter) and listens for updates"""
-        if self.updates.workers is None:
-            warnings.warn(
-                "You have not setup any workers, so you won't receive updates."
-                " Pass update_workers=4 when creating the TelegramClient,"
-                " or set client.self.updates.workers = 4"
-            )
-
-        self.updates.handlers.append(handler)
-
-    def remove_update_handler(self, handler):
-        self.updates.handlers.remove(handler)
-
-    def list_update_handlers(self):
-        return self.updates.handlers[:]
-
     # endregion
 
     # region Constant read
diff --git a/telethon/telegram_client.py b/telethon/telegram_client.py
index e81171d4..118f1f53 100644
--- a/telethon/telegram_client.py
+++ b/telethon/telegram_client.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import os
 import re
 import sys
 import time
+import warnings
 from collections import OrderedDict, UserList
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 from io import BytesIO
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@ except ImportError:
     hachoir = None
 
 from . import TelegramBareClient
-from . import helpers, utils
+from . import helpers, utils, events
 from .errors import (
     RPCError, UnauthorizedError, PhoneCodeEmptyError, PhoneCodeExpiredError,
     PhoneCodeHashEmptyError, PhoneCodeInvalidError, LocationInvalidError,
@@ -1760,26 +1761,17 @@ class TelegramClient(TelegramBareClient):
 
     def on(self, event):
         """
-
-        Turns the given entity into a valid Telegram user or chat.
+        Decorator helper method around add_event_handler().
 
         Args:
             event (:obj:`_EventBuilder` | :obj:`type`):
                 The event builder class or instance to be used,
                 for instance ``events.NewMessage``.
         """
-        if isinstance(event, type):
-            event = event()
-
-        event.resolve(self)
-
         def decorator(f):
-            self._event_builders.append((event, f))
+            self.add_event_handler(f, event)
             return f
 
-        if self._on_handler not in self.updates.handlers:
-            self.add_update_handler(self._on_handler)
-
         return decorator
 
     def _on_handler(self, update):
@@ -1789,6 +1781,49 @@ class TelegramClient(TelegramBareClient):
                 event._client = self
                 callback(event)
 
+    def add_event_handler(self, callback, event):
+        """
+        Registers the given callback to be called on the specified event.
+
+        Args:
+            callback (:obj:`callable`):
+                The callable function accepting one parameter to be used.
+
+            event (:obj:`_EventBuilder` | :obj:`type`):
+                The event builder class or instance to be used,
+                for instance ``events.NewMessage``.
+        """
+        if self.updates.workers is None:
+            warnings.warn(
+                "You have not setup any workers, so you won't receive updates."
+                " Pass update_workers=1 when creating the TelegramClient,"
+                " or set client.self.updates.workers = 1"
+            )
+
+        self.updates.handler = self._on_handler
+        if isinstance(event, type):
+            event = event()
+
+        event.resolve(self)
+        self._event_builders.append((event, callback))
+
+    def add_update_handler(self, handler):
+        """Adds an update handler (a function which takes a TLObject,
+          an update, as its parameter) and listens for updates"""
+        warnings.warn(
+            'add_update_handler is deprecated, use the @client.on syntax '
+            'or add_event_handler(callback, events.Raw) instead (see '
+            'https://telethon.rtfd.io/en/latest/extra/basic/working-'
+            'with-updates.html)'
+        )
+        self.add_event_handler(handler, events.Raw)
+
+    def remove_update_handler(self, handler):
+        pass
+
+    def list_update_handlers(self):
+        return []
+
     # endregion
 
     # region Small utilities to make users' life easier
diff --git a/telethon/update_state.py b/telethon/update_state.py
index f98c0c04..6fa0b12a 100644
--- a/telethon/update_state.py
+++ b/telethon/update_state.py
@@ -22,12 +22,12 @@ class UpdateState:
           workers is None: Updates will *not* be stored on self.
           workers = 0: Another thread is responsible for calling self.poll()
           workers > 0: 'workers' background threads will be spawned, any
-                       any of them will invoke all the self.handlers.
+                       any of them will invoke the self.handler.
         """
         self._workers = workers
         self._worker_threads = []
 
-        self.handlers = []
+        self.handler = None
         self._updates_lock = RLock()
         self._updates = Queue()
 
@@ -106,10 +106,8 @@ class UpdateState:
         while True:
             try:
                 update = self.poll(timeout=UpdateState.WORKER_POLL_TIMEOUT)
-                # TODO Maybe people can add different handlers per update type
-                if update:
-                    for handler in self.handlers:
-                        handler(update)
+                if update and self.handler:
+                    self.handler(update)
             except StopIteration:
                 break
             except: