diff --git a/ckan/lib/maintain.py b/ckan/lib/maintain.py
index efaafe45018..6920720bf5e 100644
--- a/ckan/lib/maintain.py
+++ b/ckan/lib/maintain.py
@@ -62,34 +62,10 @@ def deprecate_context_item(item_name, message=''):
     # prevent a circular import
     from ckan.lib.base import c
 
-    class WrappedContextItem(object):
-        ''' This is a fake object that calls the methods of the object
-        contained. '''
-        def __init__(self, obj, message):
-            self._ckan_obj = obj
-            self._ckan_message = message
-        def __getattribute__(self, name):
-            message = object.__getattribute__(self, '_ckan_message')
+    def get_item(self):
+        if self == c:
             log.warning('c.%s has been deprecated. %s', item_name, message)
-            obj = object.__getattribute__(self, '_ckan_obj')
-            # hack to get the actual object when needed
-            if name == '_ckan_obj':
-                return obj
-            return getattr(obj, name)
-
-
-    # store the value in a fake object
-    setattr(c, item_name, WrappedContextItem(getattr(c, item_name), message))
-
-    # we need to store the origional __getattr__ and replace with our own one
-    if not hasattr(c.__class__, '__old_getattr__'):
-        def fake_attr(self, name):
-            obj = self.__class__.__dict__['__old_getattr__'](self, name)
-            if isinstance(obj, WrappedContextItem):
-                return obj._ckan_obj
-            else:
-                return obj
-        get_attr =  getattr(c.__class__, '__getattr__')
-        setattr(c.__class__, '__old_getattr__', get_attr)
-        setattr(c.__class__, '__getattr__', fake_attr)
+        return getattr(self._current_obj(), item_name)
+
+    setattr(c.__class__, item_name, property(get_item))