diff --git a/armstrong/core/arm_layout/backends.py b/armstrong/core/arm_layout/backends.py
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/armstrong/core/arm_layout/backends.py
+++ b/armstrong/core/arm_layout/backends.py
@@ -27,11 +27,8 @@ class BasicLayoutBackend(object):
 import warnings
 
 
-def deprecate(cls):
-    def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
-        msg = "BasicRenderModelBackend is deprecated and will be removed in ArmLayout 2.0. Use %s."
-        warnings.warn(msg % cls.__name__, DeprecationWarning, stacklevel=2)
-        return cls(*args, **kwargs)
-    return wrapper
-
-BasicRenderModelBackend = deprecate(BasicLayoutBackend)
+class BasicRenderModelBackend(BasicLayoutBackend):
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        msg = "BasicRenderModelBackend is deprecated and will be removed in ArmLayout 2.0. Use BasicLayoutBackend."
+        warnings.warn(msg, DeprecationWarning, stacklevel=2)
+        super(BasicRenderModelBackend, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
Deprecate BasicRenderModelBackend in a way that won't break classes inheriting from it.