diff --git a/rest_framework/decorators.py b/rest_framework/decorators.py
index 9836c9660..fc81489e1 100644
--- a/rest_framework/decorators.py
+++ b/rest_framework/decorators.py
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 from functools import wraps
-from django.http import Http404
 from django.utils.decorators import available_attrs
 from django.core.exceptions import PermissionDenied
 from rest_framework import exceptions
@@ -7,47 +6,78 @@ from rest_framework import status
 from rest_framework.response import Response
 from rest_framework.request import Request
 from rest_framework.settings import api_settings
+from rest_framework.views import APIView
 
 
-def api_view(allowed_methods):
+def api_view(http_method_names):
+
     """
-    Decorator for function based views.
-
-        @api_view(['GET', 'POST'])
-        def my_view(request):
-            # request will be an instance of `Request`
-            # `Response` objects will have .request set automatically
-            # APIException instances will be handled
+    Decorator that converts a function-based view into an APIView subclass.
+    Takes a list of allowed methods for the view as an argument.
     """
-    allowed_methods = [method.upper() for method in allowed_methods]
 
     def decorator(func):
-        @wraps(func, assigned=available_attrs(func))
-        def inner(request, *args, **kwargs):
-            try:
 
-                request = Request(request)
+        class WrappedAPIView(APIView):
+            pass
 
-                if request.method not in allowed_methods:
-                    raise exceptions.MethodNotAllowed(request.method)
+        WrappedAPIView.http_method_names = [method.lower() for method in http_method_names]
 
-                response = func(request, *args, **kwargs)
+        def handler(self, *args, **kwargs):
+            return func(*args, **kwargs)
 
-                if isinstance(response, Response):
-                    response.request = request
-                    if api_settings.FORMAT_SUFFIX_KWARG:
-                        response.format = kwargs.get(api_settings.FORMAT_SUFFIX_KWARG, None)
-                return response
+        for method in http_method_names:
+            setattr(WrappedAPIView, method.lower(), handler)
 
-            except exceptions.APIException as exc:
-                return Response({'detail': exc.detail}, status=exc.status_code)
+        WrappedAPIView.renderer_classes = getattr(func, 'renderer_classes',
+                                                  APIView.renderer_classes)
 
-            except Http404 as exc:
-                return Response({'detail': 'Not found'},
-                                status=status.HTTP_404_NOT_FOUND)
+        WrappedAPIView.parser_classes = getattr(func, 'parser_classes',
+                                                APIView.parser_classes)
 
-            except PermissionDenied as exc:
-                return Response({'detail': 'Permission denied'},
-                                status=status.HTTP_403_FORBIDDEN)
-        return inner
+        WrappedAPIView.authentication_classes = getattr(func, 'authentication_classes',
+                                                        APIView.authentication_classes)
+
+        WrappedAPIView.throttle_classes = getattr(func, 'throttle_classes',
+                                                  APIView.throttle_classes)
+
+        WrappedAPIView.permission_classes = getattr(func, 'permission_classes',
+                                                    APIView.permission_classes)
+
+        return WrappedAPIView.as_view()
+    return decorator
+
+
+def renderer_classes(renderer_classes):
+    def decorator(func):
+        func.renderer_classes = renderer_classes
+        return func
+    return decorator
+
+
+def parser_classes(parser_classes):
+    def decorator(func):
+        func.parser_classes = parser_classes
+        return func
+    return decorator
+
+
+def authentication_classes(authentication_classes):
+    def decorator(func):
+        func.authentication_classes = authentication_classes
+        return func
+    return decorator
+
+
+def throttle_classes(throttle_classes):
+    def decorator(func):
+        func.throttle_classes = throttle_classes
+        return func
+    return decorator
+
+
+def permission_classes(permission_classes):
+    def decorator(func):
+        func.permission_classes = permission_classes
+        return func
     return decorator
diff --git a/rest_framework/tests/decorators.py b/rest_framework/tests/decorators.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d41f05d43
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rest_framework/tests/decorators.py
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+from django.test import TestCase
+from rest_framework.response import Response
+from rest_framework.compat import RequestFactory
+from rest_framework.renderers import JSONRenderer
+from rest_framework.parsers import JSONParser
+from rest_framework.authentication import BasicAuthentication
+from rest_framework.throttling import SimpleRateThottle
+from rest_framework.permissions import IsAuthenticated
+from rest_framework.views import APIView
+from rest_framework.decorators import (
+    api_view,
+    renderer_classes,
+    parser_classes,
+    authentication_classes,
+    throttle_classes,
+    permission_classes,
+)
+
+
+class DecoratorTestCase(TestCase):
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.factory = RequestFactory()
+
+    def _finalize_response(self, request, response, *args, **kwargs):
+        print "HAI"
+        response.request = request
+        return APIView.finalize_response(self, request, response, *args, **kwargs)
+
+    def test_wrap_view(self):
+
+        @api_view(['GET'])
+        def view(request):
+            return Response({})
+
+        self.assertTrue(isinstance(view.cls_instance, APIView))
+
+    def test_calling_method(self):
+
+        @api_view(['GET'])
+        def view(request):
+            return Response({})
+
+        request = self.factory.get('/')
+        response = view(request)
+        self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 200)
+
+        request = self.factory.post('/')
+        response = view(request)
+        self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 405)
+
+    def test_renderer_classes(self):
+
+        @api_view(['GET'])
+        @renderer_classes([JSONRenderer])
+        def view(request):
+            return Response({})
+
+        request = self.factory.get('/')
+        response = view(request)
+        self.assertTrue(isinstance(response.renderer, JSONRenderer))
+
+    def test_parser_classes(self):
+
+        @api_view(['GET'])
+        @parser_classes([JSONParser])
+        def view(request):
+            self.assertEqual(request.parser_classes, [JSONParser])
+            return Response({})
+
+        request = self.factory.get('/')
+        view(request)
+
+    def test_authentication_classes(self):
+
+        @api_view(['GET'])
+        @authentication_classes([BasicAuthentication])
+        def view(request):
+            self.assertEqual(request.authentication_classes, [BasicAuthentication])
+            return Response({})
+
+        request = self.factory.get('/')
+        view(request)
+
+    def test_permission_classes(self):
+
+        @api_view(['GET'])
+        @permission_classes([IsAuthenticated])
+        def view(request):
+            self.assertEqual(request.permission_classes, [IsAuthenticated])
+            return Response({})
+
+        request = self.factory.get('/')
+        view(request)
+
+# Doesn't look like this bits are working quite yet
+
+#    def test_throttle_classes(self):
+
+#        @api_view(['GET'])
+#        @throttle_classes([SimpleRateThottle])
+#        def view(request):
+#            self.assertEqual(request.throttle_classes, [SimpleRateThottle])
+#            return Response({})
+
+#        request = self.factory.get('/')
+#        view(request)