diff --git a/synapse/http/additional_resource.py b/synapse/http/additional_resource.py
index 343e932cb1b7..d9e7f5dfb7db 100644
--- a/synapse/http/additional_resource.py
+++ b/synapse/http/additional_resource.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-from synapse.http.server import wrap_request_handler
+from synapse.http.server import wrap_json_request_handler
 from twisted.web.resource import Resource
 from twisted.web.server import NOT_DONE_YET
 
@@ -50,6 +50,6 @@ def render(self, request):
         self._async_render(request)
         return NOT_DONE_YET
 
-    @wrap_request_handler
+    @wrap_json_request_handler
     def _async_render(self, request):
         return self._handler(request)
diff --git a/synapse/http/server.py b/synapse/http/server.py
index fd58e65c4bd3..f29e36f490a6 100644
--- a/synapse/http/server.py
+++ b/synapse/http/server.py
@@ -45,12 +45,7 @@
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
-def request_handler():
-    """Decorator for ``wrap_request_handler``"""
-    return wrap_request_handler
-
-
-def wrap_request_handler(h):
+def wrap_json_request_handler(h):
     """Wraps a request handler method with exception handling.
 
     Also adds logging as per wrap_request_handler_with_logging.
@@ -213,7 +208,7 @@ def render(self, request):
         self._async_render(request)
         return server.NOT_DONE_YET
 
-    @request_handler()
+    @wrap_json_request_handler
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
     def _async_render(self, request):
         """ This gets called from render() every time someone sends us a request.
diff --git a/synapse/rest/key/v2/remote_key_resource.py b/synapse/rest/key/v2/remote_key_resource.py
index 17e6079cba71..17b3077926ce 100644
--- a/synapse/rest/key/v2/remote_key_resource.py
+++ b/synapse/rest/key/v2/remote_key_resource.py
@@ -12,7 +12,9 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-from synapse.http.server import request_handler, respond_with_json_bytes
+from synapse.http.server import (
+    respond_with_json_bytes, wrap_json_request_handler,
+)
 from synapse.http.servlet import parse_integer, parse_json_object_from_request
 from synapse.api.errors import SynapseError, Codes
 from synapse.crypto.keyring import KeyLookupError
@@ -99,7 +101,7 @@ def render_GET(self, request):
         self.async_render_GET(request)
         return NOT_DONE_YET
 
-    @request_handler()
+    @wrap_json_request_handler
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
     def async_render_GET(self, request):
         if len(request.postpath) == 1:
@@ -124,7 +126,7 @@ def render_POST(self, request):
         self.async_render_POST(request)
         return NOT_DONE_YET
 
-    @request_handler()
+    @wrap_json_request_handler
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
     def async_render_POST(self, request):
         content = parse_json_object_from_request(request)
diff --git a/synapse/rest/media/v1/download_resource.py b/synapse/rest/media/v1/download_resource.py
index fe7e17596fcd..3fc3f64d6293 100644
--- a/synapse/rest/media/v1/download_resource.py
+++ b/synapse/rest/media/v1/download_resource.py
@@ -12,16 +12,18 @@
 # WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
-import synapse.http.servlet
+import logging
 
-from ._base import parse_media_id, respond_404
+from twisted.internet import defer
 from twisted.web.resource import Resource
-from synapse.http.server import request_handler, set_cors_headers
-
 from twisted.web.server import NOT_DONE_YET
-from twisted.internet import defer
 
-import logging
+from synapse.http.server import (
+    set_cors_headers,
+    wrap_json_request_handler,
+)
+import synapse.http.servlet
+from ._base import parse_media_id, respond_404
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -43,7 +45,7 @@ def render_GET(self, request):
         self._async_render_GET(request)
         return NOT_DONE_YET
 
-    @request_handler()
+    @wrap_json_request_handler
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
     def _async_render_GET(self, request):
         set_cors_headers(request)
diff --git a/synapse/rest/media/v1/preview_url_resource.py b/synapse/rest/media/v1/preview_url_resource.py
index 9290d7946fc3..6b089689b4e8 100644
--- a/synapse/rest/media/v1/preview_url_resource.py
+++ b/synapse/rest/media/v1/preview_url_resource.py
@@ -40,8 +40,9 @@
 from synapse.util.caches.expiringcache import ExpiringCache
 from synapse.http.client import SpiderHttpClient
 from synapse.http.server import (
-    request_handler, respond_with_json_bytes,
+    respond_with_json_bytes,
     respond_with_json,
+    wrap_json_request_handler,
 )
 from synapse.util.async import ObservableDeferred
 from synapse.util.stringutils import is_ascii
@@ -90,7 +91,7 @@ def render_GET(self, request):
         self._async_render_GET(request)
         return NOT_DONE_YET
 
-    @request_handler()
+    @wrap_json_request_handler
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
     def _async_render_GET(self, request):
 
diff --git a/synapse/rest/media/v1/thumbnail_resource.py b/synapse/rest/media/v1/thumbnail_resource.py
index 58ada49711cc..6c12d79f561f 100644
--- a/synapse/rest/media/v1/thumbnail_resource.py
+++ b/synapse/rest/media/v1/thumbnail_resource.py
@@ -14,18 +14,21 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 
-from ._base import (
-    parse_media_id, respond_404, respond_with_file, FileInfo,
-    respond_with_responder,
-)
-from twisted.web.resource import Resource
-from synapse.http.servlet import parse_string, parse_integer
-from synapse.http.server import request_handler, set_cors_headers
+import logging
 
-from twisted.web.server import NOT_DONE_YET
 from twisted.internet import defer
+from twisted.web.resource import Resource
+from twisted.web.server import NOT_DONE_YET
 
-import logging
+from synapse.http.server import (
+    set_cors_headers,
+    wrap_json_request_handler,
+)
+from synapse.http.servlet import parse_integer, parse_string
+from ._base import (
+    FileInfo, parse_media_id, respond_404, respond_with_file,
+    respond_with_responder,
+)
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -48,7 +51,7 @@ def render_GET(self, request):
         self._async_render_GET(request)
         return NOT_DONE_YET
 
-    @request_handler()
+    @wrap_json_request_handler
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
     def _async_render_GET(self, request):
         set_cors_headers(request)
diff --git a/synapse/rest/media/v1/upload_resource.py b/synapse/rest/media/v1/upload_resource.py
index a31e75cb4664..7d01c57fd132 100644
--- a/synapse/rest/media/v1/upload_resource.py
+++ b/synapse/rest/media/v1/upload_resource.py
@@ -13,16 +13,17 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-from synapse.http.server import respond_with_json, request_handler
-
-from synapse.api.errors import SynapseError
+import logging
 
-from twisted.web.server import NOT_DONE_YET
 from twisted.internet import defer
-
 from twisted.web.resource import Resource
+from twisted.web.server import NOT_DONE_YET
 
-import logging
+from synapse.api.errors import SynapseError
+from synapse.http.server import (
+    respond_with_json,
+    wrap_json_request_handler,
+)
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -51,7 +52,7 @@ def render_OPTIONS(self, request):
         respond_with_json(request, 200, {}, send_cors=True)
         return NOT_DONE_YET
 
-    @request_handler()
+    @wrap_json_request_handler
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
     def _async_render_POST(self, request):
         requester = yield self.auth.get_user_by_req(request)